CodeWeTrust

Technical due diligence (TDD) plays a pivotal role in the success of IT mergers and acquisitions (M&A) by providing critical insights to acquirers regarding valuation, integration strategies, and post-merger performance. It also uncovers potential risks, such as hidden liabilities or outdated systems. However, obtaining detailed and accurate technical data can be challenging, as target companies often withhold their software code from third-party reviewers during TDD.

CodeWeTrust steps in to address this issue with a unique approach called "blind" auditing. This innovative method allows for a comprehensive inspection of the source code without requiring its sharing. To better understand this concept, imagine a software product merger or acquisition as selling a house or a car, where the seller restricts property access and only provides exterior photos. Evaluating the quality and security of the software product becomes difficult without necessary access and transparency, as explained by Costas Voliotis, the CEO of CodeWeTrust.

The firm has developed a distinctive solution called Code to Market (C2M) to scrutinize the code without explicit permission from the user or the involved parties. Through "blind audit," CodeWeTrust ensures that the product's development aligns with the claimed quality and security standards.

During the due diligence process, CodeWeTrust employs a six-pronged strategy for exhaustive source code analysis:

1.Static Analysis: This step examines the core tech stack, programming languages used, construction tools deployed, and the development process implemented for the product.

2. Quality Analysis: Evaluates the number of defects, adherence to programming language best practices, detected violations, and code complexity, such as identifying duplications, long methods, and hard-coded tokens, applications, and other risk factors.

3. Hard-coded Risk Assessment: Identifies risks related to embedded IP addresses, domain names, API tokens, passwords, and login IDs. Addressing these practices helps eliminate security weaknesses and improve overall software product security and quality.

4. Security Analysis: CodeWeTrust ensures compliance with industry standards like OWASP escalations. It scrutinizes the core codebase and third-party libraries integrated into the software product, whether commercial or open source. The firm aims to uncover any significant vulnerabilities or weak points in these libraries, providing extensive information for effective risk mitigation. This novel approach to third-party package analysis underscores one of the product's key strengths.
C2M also stands out by interfacing with major vulnerability databases, enabling real-time detection of reported vulnerabilities and security weaknesses for connected clients. Its runtime analysis relies on security advisory data, synchronizing in real-time with established national databases and open-source communities in the US and beyond. This approach ensures the detection and reporting of vulnerabilities or issues across the full spectrum of available data sources.

5. The fifth step, Source Composition Analysis (SCA), assesses the version and quality of each 3rd party component (lib, package).

6. The last step involves License Compliance assessment, where each product's software component is analyzed, and its license is investigated to ensure legal usage.

By implementing this comprehensive and innovative technical due diligence process, CodeWeTrust empowers acquirers with valuable insights and actionable information, contributing to the success of IT mergers and acquisitions.

A comprehensive AI-based system, C2M converts all scanner data into the amount of detail for different personas. It uses a unique layer of abstraction tailored for developers, portfolio managers, and executives. This auto-translate feature is unmatched in the industry, delivering clear and concise reports to satisfy each stakeholder's specific needs. Equipped with these features, the solution proves to be ideal for every stakeholder.