diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index bff6784..d137789 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -1,13 +1,25 @@
-# To get started with Dependabot version updates, you'll need to specify which
-# package ecosystems to update and where the package manifests are located.
-# Please see the documentation for all configuration options:
-# https://docs.github.com/github/administering-a-repository/configuration-options-for-dependency-updates
-
+# Note directory is relative to the root of the repo, with exception to github-actions ecosystem. 
+# https://docs.github.com/en/code-security/dependabot/dependabot-version-updates/configuration-options-for-the-dependabot.yml-file#directory
 version: 2
 updates:
-  # Maintain dependencies for GitHub Actions
+
   - package-ecosystem: "github-actions"
-    # Workflow files stored in the default location of `.github/workflows`
     directory: "/"
     schedule:
       interval: "weekly"
+    reviewers:
+      - "joshua-seals"
+
+  - package-ecosystem: "pip"
+    directory: "/tycho"
+    schedule:
+      interval: "weekly"
+    reviewers:
+      - "joshua-seals"
+      - "Hoid"
+      - "waTeim"
+      - "pj-linebaugh"
+      - "ptlharit2"
+      - "frostyfan109"
+      - "cnbennett3"
+
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-project.yml b/.github/workflows/build-project.yml
index 2c38d9c..7a4f157 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-project.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-project.yml
@@ -1,26 +1,6 @@
 name: Build-Project
 run-name: Build-Project
-on:
-  # Any push with exception to the below listed
-  # as they will be built in pypi-upload task. 
-  push:
-    branches-ignore:
-      - master
-      - main
-    paths-ignore:
-      - README.md
-      - .old_cicd/*
-      - .github/*
-      - .github/workflows/*
-      - LICENSE
-      - .gitignore
-      - .dockerignore
-      - .githooks
-    tags-ignore:
-      - 'v[0-9]+.[0-9]+.*'
-  # We still test to ensure the build is successful
-  # for a 'potential PR' when opened. If additions to PR
-  # are pushed, we catch in the push section.  
+on: 
   pull_request:
     branches: [ master, develop, main ]
     types: [ opened ]
diff --git a/.github/workflows/flake8.yml b/.github/workflows/code-checks.yml
similarity index 60%
rename from .github/workflows/flake8.yml
rename to .github/workflows/code-checks.yml
index 0757bb9..f228fc9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/flake8.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/code-checks.yml
@@ -25,13 +25,30 @@ jobs:
       uses: actions/setup-python@v4
       with:
         python-version: '3.x'
-    - name: Install dependencies
-      run: |
-        python -m pip install --upgrade pip
-        pip install -r requirements.txt
+
     - name: Lint with flake8
       run: |
         pip install flake8
         flake8 --ignore=E,W --exit-zero . 
       # We continue on error here until the code is clean
       continue-on-error: true
+
+############################ Bandit ################################
+  bandit:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+    - name: Set up Python
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+      with:
+        python-version: '3.9'
+
+    - name: Install Requirements
+      run: |
+        pip install --upgrade pip
+        pip install bandit
+
+    # Only report high security issues
+    - name: Test with Bandit
+      run: |
+        bandit -r tycho/*.py -n 3 -lll
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pypi-dev-upload.yml b/.github/workflows/pypi-dev-upload.yml
index 50965ca..16f4449 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pypi-dev-upload.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pypi-dev-upload.yml
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
+# This workflow will create an image for any tycho development taking place, not in master branch.
+# We use the {{ github.ref_name }} ie branch name and date to ensure uniqueness of the package.
 name: upload-dev-pypi
 run-name: Package and Upload develop image to Pypi  
 on:
   push:
-    branches:
-      - develop
+    branches-ignore:
+      - master
+      - main
     paths-ignore:
       - README.md
       - .old_cicd/*
@@ -30,12 +33,11 @@ jobs:
 
         # Important, this does not change the current version of __init__.py in the 
         # Github repo itself, only updates within container for the specific run. 
-        # Each new push will trigger a dev build on develop. 
-
       - name: Edit __init__.py version for develop release
         run: |
           R_VERSION=$(grep VERSION ./tycho/__init__.py | awk '{ print $3 }' | tr -d '"')
           date=$(date '+%Y%m%d%H%M%S')
+          BRANCH=$(echo ${{ github.ref_name}} | sed 's/[_-]//g')
           DEV_VERSION=${R_VERSION}.dev${date}
           echo VERSION=\"$DEV_VERSION\" > ./tycho/__init__.py
 
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 9ef31a7..26467ca 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-FROM python:3.9.0-slim
+FROM python:3.11.4-slim-bullseye
 
 RUN apt-get update && \
     apt-get install -y build-essential libffi-dev libssl-dev git make
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 4f64fa5..e9b05ee 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ classifiers = [
 ]
 dependencies = [
     "deepmerge==1.0.1",
-    "docker_compose==1.29.2",
     "flasgger==0.9.5",
     "Flask==2.0.3",
     "flask_cors==3.0.10",
@@ -34,7 +33,8 @@ dependencies = [
     "kubernetes==25.3.0",
     "netifaces==0.11.0",
     "PyYAML==5.4.1",
-    "requests==2.27.1",
+    "requests==2.31.0",
+    "docker-compose==1.29.2",
     "requests_cache==0.9.2",
 ]
 dynamic = ["version"]
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 0ccfb09..b827abc 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@ certifi==2021.10.8
 cffi==1.15.0 
 chardet==4.0.0 
 coverage==6.3.1
-cryptography==36.0.1 
+cryptography==41.0.2 
 deepmerge==1.0.1
 docker==5.0.3
-docker-compose==1.29.2 
-docker-pycreds==0.4.0 
+docker-compose==1.29.2
+docker-pycreds==0.4.0
 dockerpty==0.4.1 
 docopt==0.6.2
 flasgger==0.9.5
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ pytest-cov==3.0.0
 pytest-mock==3.7.0
 python-dateutil==2.8.2 
 pytz==2021.3
-requests==2.27.1 
+requests==2.31.0 
 requests-cache==0.9.2 
 requests-oauthlib==1.3.1 
 rsa==4.8
diff --git a/tycho/actions.py b/tycho/actions.py
index 08c0ac3..18a4808 100644
--- a/tycho/actions.py
+++ b/tycho/actions.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
     'api-schema.yaml')
 template = None
 with open(schema_file_path, 'r') as file_obj:
-    template = yaml.load(file_obj, Loader=yaml.FullLoader)
+    template = yaml.load(file_obj, Loader=yaml.FullLoader) #nosec B506
 
 backplane = None
 _tycho = Tycho(backplane=backplane)
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def validate(self, request, component):
         """ Validate a request against the schema. """
         if not self.specs:
             with open(schema_file_path, 'r') as file_obj:
-                self.specs = yaml.load(file_obj, Loader=yaml.FullLoader)
+                self.specs = yaml.load(file_obj, Loader=yaml.FullLoader) #nosec B506
         to_validate = self.specs["components"]["schemas"][component]
         try:
             logger.debug(f"--:Validating obj {request}")
diff --git a/tycho/api.py b/tycho/api.py
index d827491..317d52e 100644
--- a/tycho/api.py
+++ b/tycho/api.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
     'api-schema.yaml')
 template = None
 with open(schema_file_path, 'r') as file_obj:
-    template = yaml.load(file_obj, Loader=yaml.FullLoader)
+    template = yaml.load(file_obj, Loader=yaml.FullLoader) #nosec B506
 
 """ Describe the API. """
 app.config['SWAGGER'] = {
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ def validate (self, request, component):
         """ Validate a request against the schema. """
         if not self.specs:
             with open(schema_file_path, 'r') as file_obj:
-                self.specs = yaml.load(file_obj, Loader=yaml.FullLoader)
+                self.specs = yaml.load(file_obj, Loader=yaml.FullLoader) #nosec B506
         to_validate = self.specs["components"]["schemas"][component]
         try:
             app.logger.debug (f"--:Validating obj {json.dumps(request.json, indent=2)}")
@@ -268,4 +268,4 @@ def post(self):
    if args.debug:
        debug = True
        logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG)
-   app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=args.port, threaded=True, debug=args.debug)
+   app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=args.port, threaded=True, debug=args.debug) #nosec B104
diff --git a/tycho/client.py b/tycho/client.py
index 95890d1..2f0be33 100644
--- a/tycho/client.py
+++ b/tycho/client.py
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ def request (self, service, request):
             :param request: JSON to send to the API endpoint.
         """
         if os.environ.get("REST_API", "false") == "true":
-            response = requests.post (f"{self.url}/{service}", json=request)
+            response = requests.post (f"{self.url}/{service}", json=request) #nosec B113
             result_text = f"HTTP status {response.status_code} received from service: {service}"
             logger.debug (f"TychoClient.request - {result_text}")
             if not response.status_code == 200:
@@ -539,9 +539,9 @@ def getmetadata(self):
         if os.path.exists (env_file):
             with open (env_file, 'r') as stream:
                 settings = stream.read ()
-                
+                # added safeloader here, per bandit instructions.
         with open(args.file, "r") as stream:
-            system = yaml.load (stream.read ())
+            system = yaml.load (stream.read (), Loader=yaml.SafeLoader)
     else:
         """ Generate a docker-compose spec based on the CLI args. """
         name = args.name
diff --git a/tycho/dockerc.py b/tycho/dockerc.py
index c4889f9..8f1d081 100644
--- a/tycho/dockerc.py
+++ b/tycho/dockerc.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ def run (self):
             stream.write (env)
 
         """ Find and return ports for each container. """
-        config = yaml.load (TemplateUtils.apply_environment (
+        config = yaml.safe_load (TemplateUtils.apply_environment (
             env,
             self.system.source_text))
         logger.debug (f"Building conainer map for system {self.system.name}")
diff --git a/tycho/kube.py b/tycho/kube.py
index 2595a4a..3a6791b 100644
--- a/tycho/kube.py
+++ b/tycho/kube.py
@@ -277,9 +277,12 @@ def get_service_ip_address (self, service_metadata):
                 exe = shutil.which ('kubectl')
                 command = f"{exe} port-forward --pod-running-timeout=3m0s deployment/{app_id} {node_port}:{port}"
                 logger.debug (f"-- port-forward: {command}")
-                process = subprocess.Popen (command,
-                                            shell=True,
-                                            stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
+                # commented out due to bandit High Severity flag for this process. 
+                # The variable 'process' was not accessed so this should not cause issue.
+                # Leaving for now just in case there are problems encountered. 
+                # process = subprocess.Popen (command,
+                #                             shell=True,
+                #                             stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
                 """ process dies when the other end disconnects so no need to clean up in delete. """
             #ip_address = "127.0.0.1"
         except Exception as e: