Only 1 in 3 Enterprises Fully Automate Software Security: CleanStart Study

CleanStart analysed thousands of CI/CD pipeline runs and found only one-third of environments use fully automated, policy-based checks for container images. Teams push code faster than ever, but security lags, creating blind spots in supply chains where manual reviews slow everything down.

Consider a fintech deploying daily updates: without automation, devs wait days for approvals, while high-severity flaws sit unpatched. Automated setups cut manual cycles by nearly 60% and double patch-to-deploy speed, yet most firms stick with partial or human gates.

Vulnerabilities Persist 26 Days

The study pegs average time from vulnerability alert to policy compliance at 26 days, leaving systems exposed. Container images average 450 known CVEs, 40% of which are high or critical—risks that hit production despite scans.

Fewer than half of pipelines produce Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs), and one in four images lacks signature verification or provenance. For a retailer shipping apps to millions of users, this means untrusted code could slip through, amplifying breach odds.

Visibility Gaps Widen Risks

Provenance tracking remains spotty, with many builds missing metadata that traces components back to sources. This opacity compounds as open-source dependencies multiply, turning supply chains into vulnerability magnets.

In practice, a manufacturer might pull a library with a critical flaw; without automated validation, it deploys before anyone notices. CleanStart's telemetry across pipelines underscores how fragmented practices leave even mature orgs vulnerable.

Path To Tighter Controls

The report calls for standardized automation to enforce policies early and consistently. Fully automated pipelines not only shrink exposure windows but also scale with dev teams racing toward daily releases.

Enterprises blending speed and security will prioritize SBOM generation, provenance checks, and policy-as-code—steps that turn telemetry into action before risks materialize in live environments.