Want developers to code with security awareness? Bring the training to them.
The Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) seems innocuous enough; it's a process, and us software people all come together to make the magic happen and ship off all those digital goodies society cannot live without.
Except... if you've ever been part of a software development project, you'll know it's usually a gauntlet, with many quests to conquer and dragons to slay. It's fun for a while, but burnout is real, and the demand for software has us all working at the speed of light at the best of times, especially the development team.
Now imagine they're thrown another must-do task... responsibility for security in the project elements they touch. This, at worst, may cause the house of cards to come crashing down for some individuals, but the more realistic scenario is that it's simply not made a priority, and the issues deemed more pressing to get over the line take precedence. And when most developers aren't trained to code securely (especially if their managers are not prioritizing security, either), it's little wonder we see frequent data breaches, flawed app releases, and some serious churn among security professionals reaching breaking point under an avalanche of buggy code.
Developers need an AppSec advocate.
When taking in the scenario above, you can understand why security is put in the "too hard" basket during the coding process, and left to the security team to work out. Too many competing deadlines, not enough training, and no real reason to care about security with everything else going on. However, there is simply too much demand for code for this status quo to continue. And that's where super-elite developers can stand out from their peers, learn new skills, and most importantly, build safer code.
However, it's important to remember that it's not all on the shoulders of developers to manage software security - that's still the domain of the AppSec team (who, when working with security-aware developers, will have more breathing space instead of fixing common bugs on repeat). A functioning DevSecOps process requires every member of the team to have the support and tools they need to share the responsibility for security, and the right kind of training is paramount. Balancing the right suite of tools and training requires the insight of AppSec professionals willing to work closely with devs to inspire them and drive positive change.
Disruptive training is more annoying than it is effective, and anything repellent to developers isn't going to work. An IDE or issue tracker-integrated solution focused on bite-sized knowledge is one alternative, and it gets the right information in front of them, at the very moment it is needed.
Here's how it works in action:
Just-in-Time, not "just in case".
Contextual, hands-on learning is by far the most effective way to train, with bite-sized chunks delivered right when they make the most sense. This is sometimes referred to as "Just in Time" (JiT) training, and it's very powerful for developers learning secure coding.
With origins in Toyota's lean manufacturing principles, JiT training is designed to activate on a need-to-know basis, in context, when it matters most. Has a developer just written something that looks to have improper permissions? What if a small back door was opened that allowed an attacker to remotely execute code? It will be far more memorable if developers can access knowledge right as they need it, rather than trawling back through documentation in Confluence, or Googling something that was touched on in training.
Just-in-Time is the antithesis of "just in case" learning; while the latter is the more common way of imparting knowledge, it's simply not efficient. We must make it easier for developers to engage with secure coding best practices, and see the benefit in upskilling for their career while maintaining focus on the key objectives they are working on right now.
Stop making developers chase the training.
We already know there is too much going on in a workday, so what incentive do developers have to schlep off to a classroom, or context-switch to go through five steps to access static theory-based training?
The general consensus is that whatever most organizations are doing is not terribly effective if the amount of vulnerabilities causing data breaches is anything to go by. The 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report from Verizon specified that 43% of data breaches could be attributed to web vulnerabilities. Developers are not receiving effective training; not in tertiary education, nor as part of workplace upskilling measures. If they were, common vulnerabilities like SQL injection and old-school path traversal would not be exploited for significant data paydirt, and the cybersecurity skills shortage wouldn't be out of control.
So, knowing this is the current climate in which developers receive training and get acquainted with security, why are we surprised at the poor outcome? It might just have an effect -- a positive one -- for both the developer and organization to ensure a smoother, more integrated and less jarring training experience, where it is accessible in the spaces they actually work in, like Jira, GitHub, and in the IDE. The industry simply needs to move forward and make security awareness much easier, in an environment where it's no longer a luxury.
Ready to secure the development workflow?
Security-aware developers are revered for their skills, and the protection they can offer organizations right from the code-building stage. Security is no longer optional, especially with GDPR fines, PCI-DSS compliance regulations, NIST governance... and the possibility of being sued in a big old multi-million-dollar class action, a'la Equifax.
An integrated approach might be the catalyst to start winning over developers with less disruptive learning, and create some pathways for more in-depth courses, training up security champions, and generally inspiring that shared responsibility we need to keep the world's data safe and sound.
Download integration tools for Jira and GitHub now, and let us know what you think.
We already know there is too much going on in a workday, so what incentive do developers have to schlep off to a classroom, or context-switch to go through five steps to access static theory-based training?
Matias Madou, Ph.D. is a security expert, researcher, and CTO and co-founder of Secure Code Warrior. Matias obtained his Ph.D. in Application Security from Ghent University, focusing on static analysis solutions. He later joined Fortify in the US, where he realized that it was insufficient to solely detect code problems without aiding developers in writing secure code. This inspired him to develop products that assist developers, alleviate the burden of security, and exceed customers' expectations. When he is not at his desk as part of Team Awesome, he enjoys being on stage presenting at conferences including RSA Conference, BlackHat and DefCon.
Secure Code Warrior is here for your organization to help you secure code across the entire software development lifecycle and create a culture in which cybersecurity is top of mind. Whether you’re an AppSec Manager, Developer, CISO, or anyone involved in security, we can help your organization reduce risks associated with insecure code.
Book a demo
Matias Madou, Ph.D. is a security expert, researcher, and CTO and co-founder of Secure Code Warrior. Matias obtained his Ph.D. in Application Security from Ghent University, focusing on static analysis solutions. He later joined Fortify in the US, where he realized that it was insufficient to solely detect code problems without aiding developers in writing secure code. This inspired him to develop products that assist developers, alleviate the burden of security, and exceed customers' expectations. When he is not at his desk as part of Team Awesome, he enjoys being on stage presenting at conferences including RSA Conference, BlackHat and DefCon.
Matias is a researcher and developer with more than 15 years of hands-on software security experience. He has developed solutions for companies such as Fortify Software and his own company Sensei Security. Over his career, Matias has led multiple application security research projects which have led to commercial products and boasts over 10 patents under his belt. When he is away from his desk, Matias has served as an instructor for advanced application security training courses and regularly speaks at global conferences including RSA Conference, Black Hat, DefCon, BSIMM, OWASP AppSec and BruCon.
Matias holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Ghent University, where he studied application security through program obfuscation to hide the inner workings of an application.
The Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) seems innocuous enough; it's a process, and us software people all come together to make the magic happen and ship off all those digital goodies society cannot live without.
Except... if you've ever been part of a software development project, you'll know it's usually a gauntlet, with many quests to conquer and dragons to slay. It's fun for a while, but burnout is real, and the demand for software has us all working at the speed of light at the best of times, especially the development team.
Now imagine they're thrown another must-do task... responsibility for security in the project elements they touch. This, at worst, may cause the house of cards to come crashing down for some individuals, but the more realistic scenario is that it's simply not made a priority, and the issues deemed more pressing to get over the line take precedence. And when most developers aren't trained to code securely (especially if their managers are not prioritizing security, either), it's little wonder we see frequent data breaches, flawed app releases, and some serious churn among security professionals reaching breaking point under an avalanche of buggy code.
Developers need an AppSec advocate.
When taking in the scenario above, you can understand why security is put in the "too hard" basket during the coding process, and left to the security team to work out. Too many competing deadlines, not enough training, and no real reason to care about security with everything else going on. However, there is simply too much demand for code for this status quo to continue. And that's where super-elite developers can stand out from their peers, learn new skills, and most importantly, build safer code.
However, it's important to remember that it's not all on the shoulders of developers to manage software security - that's still the domain of the AppSec team (who, when working with security-aware developers, will have more breathing space instead of fixing common bugs on repeat). A functioning DevSecOps process requires every member of the team to have the support and tools they need to share the responsibility for security, and the right kind of training is paramount. Balancing the right suite of tools and training requires the insight of AppSec professionals willing to work closely with devs to inspire them and drive positive change.
Disruptive training is more annoying than it is effective, and anything repellent to developers isn't going to work. An IDE or issue tracker-integrated solution focused on bite-sized knowledge is one alternative, and it gets the right information in front of them, at the very moment it is needed.
Here's how it works in action:
Just-in-Time, not "just in case".
Contextual, hands-on learning is by far the most effective way to train, with bite-sized chunks delivered right when they make the most sense. This is sometimes referred to as "Just in Time" (JiT) training, and it's very powerful for developers learning secure coding.
With origins in Toyota's lean manufacturing principles, JiT training is designed to activate on a need-to-know basis, in context, when it matters most. Has a developer just written something that looks to have improper permissions? What if a small back door was opened that allowed an attacker to remotely execute code? It will be far more memorable if developers can access knowledge right as they need it, rather than trawling back through documentation in Confluence, or Googling something that was touched on in training.
Just-in-Time is the antithesis of "just in case" learning; while the latter is the more common way of imparting knowledge, it's simply not efficient. We must make it easier for developers to engage with secure coding best practices, and see the benefit in upskilling for their career while maintaining focus on the key objectives they are working on right now.
Stop making developers chase the training.
We already know there is too much going on in a workday, so what incentive do developers have to schlep off to a classroom, or context-switch to go through five steps to access static theory-based training?
The general consensus is that whatever most organizations are doing is not terribly effective if the amount of vulnerabilities causing data breaches is anything to go by. The 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report from Verizon specified that 43% of data breaches could be attributed to web vulnerabilities. Developers are not receiving effective training; not in tertiary education, nor as part of workplace upskilling measures. If they were, common vulnerabilities like SQL injection and old-school path traversal would not be exploited for significant data paydirt, and the cybersecurity skills shortage wouldn't be out of control.
So, knowing this is the current climate in which developers receive training and get acquainted with security, why are we surprised at the poor outcome? It might just have an effect -- a positive one -- for both the developer and organization to ensure a smoother, more integrated and less jarring training experience, where it is accessible in the spaces they actually work in, like Jira, GitHub, and in the IDE. The industry simply needs to move forward and make security awareness much easier, in an environment where it's no longer a luxury.
Ready to secure the development workflow?
Security-aware developers are revered for their skills, and the protection they can offer organizations right from the code-building stage. Security is no longer optional, especially with GDPR fines, PCI-DSS compliance regulations, NIST governance... and the possibility of being sued in a big old multi-million-dollar class action, a'la Equifax.
An integrated approach might be the catalyst to start winning over developers with less disruptive learning, and create some pathways for more in-depth courses, training up security champions, and generally inspiring that shared responsibility we need to keep the world's data safe and sound.
Download integration tools for Jira and GitHub now, and let us know what you think.
The Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) seems innocuous enough; it's a process, and us software people all come together to make the magic happen and ship off all those digital goodies society cannot live without.
Except... if you've ever been part of a software development project, you'll know it's usually a gauntlet, with many quests to conquer and dragons to slay. It's fun for a while, but burnout is real, and the demand for software has us all working at the speed of light at the best of times, especially the development team.
Now imagine they're thrown another must-do task... responsibility for security in the project elements they touch. This, at worst, may cause the house of cards to come crashing down for some individuals, but the more realistic scenario is that it's simply not made a priority, and the issues deemed more pressing to get over the line take precedence. And when most developers aren't trained to code securely (especially if their managers are not prioritizing security, either), it's little wonder we see frequent data breaches, flawed app releases, and some serious churn among security professionals reaching breaking point under an avalanche of buggy code.
Developers need an AppSec advocate.
When taking in the scenario above, you can understand why security is put in the "too hard" basket during the coding process, and left to the security team to work out. Too many competing deadlines, not enough training, and no real reason to care about security with everything else going on. However, there is simply too much demand for code for this status quo to continue. And that's where super-elite developers can stand out from their peers, learn new skills, and most importantly, build safer code.
However, it's important to remember that it's not all on the shoulders of developers to manage software security - that's still the domain of the AppSec team (who, when working with security-aware developers, will have more breathing space instead of fixing common bugs on repeat). A functioning DevSecOps process requires every member of the team to have the support and tools they need to share the responsibility for security, and the right kind of training is paramount. Balancing the right suite of tools and training requires the insight of AppSec professionals willing to work closely with devs to inspire them and drive positive change.
Disruptive training is more annoying than it is effective, and anything repellent to developers isn't going to work. An IDE or issue tracker-integrated solution focused on bite-sized knowledge is one alternative, and it gets the right information in front of them, at the very moment it is needed.
Here's how it works in action:
Just-in-Time, not "just in case".
Contextual, hands-on learning is by far the most effective way to train, with bite-sized chunks delivered right when they make the most sense. This is sometimes referred to as "Just in Time" (JiT) training, and it's very powerful for developers learning secure coding.
With origins in Toyota's lean manufacturing principles, JiT training is designed to activate on a need-to-know basis, in context, when it matters most. Has a developer just written something that looks to have improper permissions? What if a small back door was opened that allowed an attacker to remotely execute code? It will be far more memorable if developers can access knowledge right as they need it, rather than trawling back through documentation in Confluence, or Googling something that was touched on in training.
Just-in-Time is the antithesis of "just in case" learning; while the latter is the more common way of imparting knowledge, it's simply not efficient. We must make it easier for developers to engage with secure coding best practices, and see the benefit in upskilling for their career while maintaining focus on the key objectives they are working on right now.
Stop making developers chase the training.
We already know there is too much going on in a workday, so what incentive do developers have to schlep off to a classroom, or context-switch to go through five steps to access static theory-based training?
The general consensus is that whatever most organizations are doing is not terribly effective if the amount of vulnerabilities causing data breaches is anything to go by. The 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report from Verizon specified that 43% of data breaches could be attributed to web vulnerabilities. Developers are not receiving effective training; not in tertiary education, nor as part of workplace upskilling measures. If they were, common vulnerabilities like SQL injection and old-school path traversal would not be exploited for significant data paydirt, and the cybersecurity skills shortage wouldn't be out of control.
So, knowing this is the current climate in which developers receive training and get acquainted with security, why are we surprised at the poor outcome? It might just have an effect -- a positive one -- for both the developer and organization to ensure a smoother, more integrated and less jarring training experience, where it is accessible in the spaces they actually work in, like Jira, GitHub, and in the IDE. The industry simply needs to move forward and make security awareness much easier, in an environment where it's no longer a luxury.
Ready to secure the development workflow?
Security-aware developers are revered for their skills, and the protection they can offer organizations right from the code-building stage. Security is no longer optional, especially with GDPR fines, PCI-DSS compliance regulations, NIST governance... and the possibility of being sued in a big old multi-million-dollar class action, a'la Equifax.
An integrated approach might be the catalyst to start winning over developers with less disruptive learning, and create some pathways for more in-depth courses, training up security champions, and generally inspiring that shared responsibility we need to keep the world's data safe and sound.
Download integration tools for Jira and GitHub now, and let us know what you think.
Click on the link below and download the PDF of this resource.
Secure Code Warrior is here for your organization to help you secure code across the entire software development lifecycle and create a culture in which cybersecurity is top of mind. Whether you’re an AppSec Manager, Developer, CISO, or anyone involved in security, we can help your organization reduce risks associated with insecure code.
View reportBook a demo
Matias Madou, Ph.D. is a security expert, researcher, and CTO and co-founder of Secure Code Warrior. Matias obtained his Ph.D. in Application Security from Ghent University, focusing on static analysis solutions. He later joined Fortify in the US, where he realized that it was insufficient to solely detect code problems without aiding developers in writing secure code. This inspired him to develop products that assist developers, alleviate the burden of security, and exceed customers' expectations. When he is not at his desk as part of Team Awesome, he enjoys being on stage presenting at conferences including RSA Conference, BlackHat and DefCon.
Matias is a researcher and developer with more than 15 years of hands-on software security experience. He has developed solutions for companies such as Fortify Software and his own company Sensei Security. Over his career, Matias has led multiple application security research projects which have led to commercial products and boasts over 10 patents under his belt. When he is away from his desk, Matias has served as an instructor for advanced application security training courses and regularly speaks at global conferences including RSA Conference, Black Hat, DefCon, BSIMM, OWASP AppSec and BruCon.
Matias holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Ghent University, where he studied application security through program obfuscation to hide the inner workings of an application.
The Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) seems innocuous enough; it's a process, and us software people all come together to make the magic happen and ship off all those digital goodies society cannot live without.
Except... if you've ever been part of a software development project, you'll know it's usually a gauntlet, with many quests to conquer and dragons to slay. It's fun for a while, but burnout is real, and the demand for software has us all working at the speed of light at the best of times, especially the development team.
Now imagine they're thrown another must-do task... responsibility for security in the project elements they touch. This, at worst, may cause the house of cards to come crashing down for some individuals, but the more realistic scenario is that it's simply not made a priority, and the issues deemed more pressing to get over the line take precedence. And when most developers aren't trained to code securely (especially if their managers are not prioritizing security, either), it's little wonder we see frequent data breaches, flawed app releases, and some serious churn among security professionals reaching breaking point under an avalanche of buggy code.
Developers need an AppSec advocate.
When taking in the scenario above, you can understand why security is put in the "too hard" basket during the coding process, and left to the security team to work out. Too many competing deadlines, not enough training, and no real reason to care about security with everything else going on. However, there is simply too much demand for code for this status quo to continue. And that's where super-elite developers can stand out from their peers, learn new skills, and most importantly, build safer code.
However, it's important to remember that it's not all on the shoulders of developers to manage software security - that's still the domain of the AppSec team (who, when working with security-aware developers, will have more breathing space instead of fixing common bugs on repeat). A functioning DevSecOps process requires every member of the team to have the support and tools they need to share the responsibility for security, and the right kind of training is paramount. Balancing the right suite of tools and training requires the insight of AppSec professionals willing to work closely with devs to inspire them and drive positive change.
Disruptive training is more annoying than it is effective, and anything repellent to developers isn't going to work. An IDE or issue tracker-integrated solution focused on bite-sized knowledge is one alternative, and it gets the right information in front of them, at the very moment it is needed.
Here's how it works in action:
Just-in-Time, not "just in case".
Contextual, hands-on learning is by far the most effective way to train, with bite-sized chunks delivered right when they make the most sense. This is sometimes referred to as "Just in Time" (JiT) training, and it's very powerful for developers learning secure coding.
With origins in Toyota's lean manufacturing principles, JiT training is designed to activate on a need-to-know basis, in context, when it matters most. Has a developer just written something that looks to have improper permissions? What if a small back door was opened that allowed an attacker to remotely execute code? It will be far more memorable if developers can access knowledge right as they need it, rather than trawling back through documentation in Confluence, or Googling something that was touched on in training.
Just-in-Time is the antithesis of "just in case" learning; while the latter is the more common way of imparting knowledge, it's simply not efficient. We must make it easier for developers to engage with secure coding best practices, and see the benefit in upskilling for their career while maintaining focus on the key objectives they are working on right now.
Stop making developers chase the training.
We already know there is too much going on in a workday, so what incentive do developers have to schlep off to a classroom, or context-switch to go through five steps to access static theory-based training?
The general consensus is that whatever most organizations are doing is not terribly effective if the amount of vulnerabilities causing data breaches is anything to go by. The 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report from Verizon specified that 43% of data breaches could be attributed to web vulnerabilities. Developers are not receiving effective training; not in tertiary education, nor as part of workplace upskilling measures. If they were, common vulnerabilities like SQL injection and old-school path traversal would not be exploited for significant data paydirt, and the cybersecurity skills shortage wouldn't be out of control.
So, knowing this is the current climate in which developers receive training and get acquainted with security, why are we surprised at the poor outcome? It might just have an effect -- a positive one -- for both the developer and organization to ensure a smoother, more integrated and less jarring training experience, where it is accessible in the spaces they actually work in, like Jira, GitHub, and in the IDE. The industry simply needs to move forward and make security awareness much easier, in an environment where it's no longer a luxury.
Ready to secure the development workflow?
Security-aware developers are revered for their skills, and the protection they can offer organizations right from the code-building stage. Security is no longer optional, especially with GDPR fines, PCI-DSS compliance regulations, NIST governance... and the possibility of being sued in a big old multi-million-dollar class action, a'la Equifax.
An integrated approach might be the catalyst to start winning over developers with less disruptive learning, and create some pathways for more in-depth courses, training up security champions, and generally inspiring that shared responsibility we need to keep the world's data safe and sound.
Download integration tools for Jira and GitHub now, and let us know what you think.
Table of contents
Matias Madou, Ph.D. is a security expert, researcher, and CTO and co-founder of Secure Code Warrior. Matias obtained his Ph.D. in Application Security from Ghent University, focusing on static analysis solutions. He later joined Fortify in the US, where he realized that it was insufficient to solely detect code problems without aiding developers in writing secure code. This inspired him to develop products that assist developers, alleviate the burden of security, and exceed customers' expectations. When he is not at his desk as part of Team Awesome, he enjoys being on stage presenting at conferences including RSA Conference, BlackHat and DefCon.
Secure Code Warrior is here for your organization to help you secure code across the entire software development lifecycle and create a culture in which cybersecurity is top of mind. Whether you’re an AppSec Manager, Developer, CISO, or anyone involved in security, we can help your organization reduce risks associated with insecure code.
Book a demoDownloadResources to get you started
Benchmarking Security Skills: Streamlining Secure-by-Design in the Enterprise
The Secure-by-Design movement is the future of secure software development. Learn about the key elements companies need to keep in mind when they think about a Secure-by-Design initiative.
DigitalOcean Decreases Security Debt with Secure Code Warrior
DigitalOcean's use of Secure Code Warrior training has significantly reduced security debt, allowing teams to focus more on innovation and productivity. The improved security has strengthened their product quality and competitive edge. Looking ahead, the SCW Trust Score will help them further enhance security practices and continue driving innovation.
Resources to get you started
Trust Score Reveals the Value of Secure-by-Design Upskilling Initiatives
Our research has shown that secure code training works. Trust Score, using an algorithm drawing on more than 20 million learning data points from work by more than 250,000 learners at over 600 organizations, reveals its effectiveness in driving down vulnerabilities and how to make the initiative even more effective.
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Reactive Versus Preventive Security: Prevention Is a Better Cure
The idea of bringing preventive security to legacy code and systems at the same time as newer applications can seem daunting, but a Secure-by-Design approach, enforced by upskilling developers, can apply security best practices to those systems. It’s the best chance many organizations have of improving their security postures.
The Benefits of Benchmarking Security Skills for Developers
The growing focus on secure code and Secure-by-Design principles requires developers to be trained in cybersecurity from the start of the SDLC, with tools like Secure Code Warrior’s Trust Score helping measure and improve their progress.
Driving Meaningful Success for Enterprise Secure-by-Design Initiatives
Our latest research paper, Benchmarking Security Skills: Streamlining Secure-by-Design in the Enterprise is the result of deep analysis of real Secure-by-Design initiatives at the enterprise level, and deriving best practice approaches based on data-driven findings.
Developer-driven coding.
Securely.
Contact us today and make software security an intrinsic part of your development process.
