In today’s fast-moving world of cloud-native development and CI/CD pipelines, code flows from commit to production faster than ever. And with that speed comes risk. That’s why code scanning in SCM (Source Code Management) has become a critical part of modern DevSecOps.
Veracode’s new SCM Integration makes it easy to secure applications from the very first commit, directly within the SCM, without disrupting developer workflows. In this post, we’ll cover how it works, why it matters, and how to set it up in minutes.
While GitHub is used throughout this post to illustrate the integration, Veracode also supports other SCM platforms, including GitLab and Azure DevOps with similar workflows and benefits.
Challenges in Secure Software Delivery
Teams often face friction when trying to embed security into their development lifecycle:
- Late Detection: Issues surface post-deploy, increasing remediation costs and risk.
- Low Developer Adoption: Tools that create noise or require extra steps get ignored.
- Tool Fragmentation: Managing multiple security tools across environments creates silos.
- Lack of In-Context Feedback: Developers want actionable insights inside their workflow, not in disconnected dashboards.
Introducing Veracode’s SCM Workflow Integration
Veracode’s SCM integration solves these challenges by embedding security scans directly into Commits and Pull Requests.
Key Benefits:
- Scan Where You Code: Trigger scans continuously on commits, merges, or pull requests.
- In-Context Results: View scan findings right in PRs, with direct links to fixes.
- No Extra Setup: Onboard 100s or 1000s of repos with just a few clicks, zero config required.
- Centralized Control: DevOps and AppSec teams manage policies from one place.
- Developer-Friendly: Lightweight, fast, and integrated, so security doesn’t slow you down.
The same scanning engine, configuration model, and feedback mechanisms also applies to other supported SCM’s.
How SCM Code Scanning Works: High-Level Architecture
The integration connects repositories with Veracode’s scanning platform through events and triggers:
- Git Events (PRs, commits, merges) trigger automatic scans
- Scan results are returned as comments or status checks
- Findings are also visible in the Veracode Platform for deeper analysis and trend tracking
- Security teams can set policies centrally, while developers receive real-time feedback
Design Principles Behind the SCM Integration
Our SCM code scanning solution is built for modern DevOps at scale. It’s designed to be:
- Non-Intrusive: Runs silently within your CI/CD flow – no extra steps for developers
- Fast: Results appear quickly, while the code is still fresh
- Scalable: Centralize policies and roll out scanning across thousands of repositories
- Actionable: Delivers findings where developers and security champions are already working
- Collaborative: Helps developers and security champions work together to fix issues fast
Best Practices for Secure Workflows
To get the most from Veracode’s SCM integration:
- Scan Early and Often: Run scans on every PR to catch issues before merge.
- Use Branch-Protection Policies: Enforce break build to default branches
- Auto-Create Issues: Automatically open tickets for vulnerabilities to speed up triage.
- Remediate within the SCM: Link findings to remediation guidance.
How to Get Started: GitHub as an Example
1. Install the Veracode GitHub App
Visit the GitHub Marketplace to install the Veracode app for your org.
Using GitLab or Azure DevOps? Setup instructions for those platforms are available in Veracode Docs.
2. Configure Your GitHub Actions Workflow
Use the default centralized configuration or adjust the configuration to match your needs and trigger to run Veracode scans automatically on code changes.
3. Customize Scan Policies
Use advanced configuration options to tailor scan frequency, policies, and exceptions on the Veracode platform.
4. Review and Remediate
Get actionable feedback in GitHub. View detailed results in the Veracode Platform. Assign fixes, track metrics, and improve continuously.
From Code Commit to Secure Deployment
Veracode’s SCM Workflow Integration makes security frictionless, from code commit to secure deployment. By delivering real-time, in-context feedback and scalable, policy-driven governance, it bridges the gap between speed and security.
Whether you use GitHub, GitLab, or Azure DevOps, Veracode helps you shift left and stay secure without slowing your teams down.
Secure your pipeline at the source. Let developers build fast and let security scale with them.
Install and try Veracode SCM integration from the platform or marketplace and bring security into every commit.
