Why secure code is the new success metric in software development
In the last few years, many things have been sacrificed on the altar of speed-to-market—things like network security, terabytes of sensitive customer data and priceless brand reputations. Intense pressure to accelerate the release of new features and functions has led to complex, distributed teams focused on rapid development, with little awareness of the vulnerabilities they could create or the enormous risks. More than ever before, a new way of working is required. So in 2020, Secure Code Warrior engaged with Evans Data Corp. to conduct primary research* into developers' and their managers’ attitudes towards secure coding, secure code practices, and security operations (Download your copy of the whitepaper here).
Performance Indicators for project success – where does security fit?
Developers and managers think having secure code is important – but just not nearly as important as other factors. When we asked developers and managers about the most critical priorities in the software development process:
- 76% nominated application performance
- 62% picked features and functionality
- And a little over 50% selected secure code
Compared to other performance indicators for project success, secure coding currently comes in a distant third.
At present – and perhaps unsurprisingly – developers judge a project's success on performance indicators that only assess the code after the project is finished.
However, when asked about how this might change in the future, the picture flips on its head. How organizations approach security as a metric for success is changing. Secure coding is becoming a greater priority.
When asked about the most critical priorities for measuring project success in the future, 79% of those surveyed agree that secure coding will increase in importance. What’s striking is that a more significant percentage see security's importance in the future increasing more than that of any other performance indicator. Awareness of secure coding is growing, as is a movement to ‘shifting left’. By its very nature, the practice of secure coding means considering security much earlier in the SDLC. It means actively building security in as software as is written, from the start, instead of leaving this to later.
As CIOs strive to make their organizations more agile, secure coding capabilities will become a vital innovation weapon. CIOs and CISOs should think carefully about whether their development teams are the first line of risk or their first line of defense.
This insight has critical implications for how organizations train their developers. Teams need to learn about recently identified vulnerabilities and learn in their own languages/frameworks. In short, they need to understand how to locate, identify and fix known vulnerabilities in code in the context they work in every day.
As champions of change in secure coding, Secure Code Warrior takes a human-led approach that actively engages developers to learn and build their secure coding skills. If you'd like to see the potential impact on your teams' ability to start left and ship secure code faster without compromising security, book a demo now.
*Shifting from reaction to prevention: The changing face of application security. Secure Code Warrior and Evans Data Corp. 2020
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In the last few years, many things have been sacrificed on the altar of speed-to-market—things like network security, terabytes of sensitive customer data and priceless brand reputations.
Secure Code Warrior makes secure coding a positive and engaging experience for developers as they increase their skills. We guide each coder along their own preferred learning pathway, so that security-skilled developers become the everyday superheroes of our connected world.
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
Secure Code Warrior makes secure coding a positive and engaging experience for developers as they increase their skills. We guide each coder along their own preferred learning pathway, so that security-skilled developers become the everyday superheroes of our connected world.
This article was written by Secure Code Warrior's team of industry experts, committed to empowering developers with the knowledge and skills to build secure software from the start. Drawing on deep expertise in secure coding practices, industry trends, and real-world insights.
In the last few years, many things have been sacrificed on the altar of speed-to-market—things like network security, terabytes of sensitive customer data and priceless brand reputations. Intense pressure to accelerate the release of new features and functions has led to complex, distributed teams focused on rapid development, with little awareness of the vulnerabilities they could create or the enormous risks. More than ever before, a new way of working is required. So in 2020, Secure Code Warrior engaged with Evans Data Corp. to conduct primary research* into developers' and their managers’ attitudes towards secure coding, secure code practices, and security operations (Download your copy of the whitepaper here).
Performance Indicators for project success – where does security fit?
Developers and managers think having secure code is important – but just not nearly as important as other factors. When we asked developers and managers about the most critical priorities in the software development process:
- 76% nominated application performance
- 62% picked features and functionality
- And a little over 50% selected secure code
Compared to other performance indicators for project success, secure coding currently comes in a distant third.
At present – and perhaps unsurprisingly – developers judge a project's success on performance indicators that only assess the code after the project is finished.
However, when asked about how this might change in the future, the picture flips on its head. How organizations approach security as a metric for success is changing. Secure coding is becoming a greater priority.
When asked about the most critical priorities for measuring project success in the future, 79% of those surveyed agree that secure coding will increase in importance. What’s striking is that a more significant percentage see security's importance in the future increasing more than that of any other performance indicator. Awareness of secure coding is growing, as is a movement to ‘shifting left’. By its very nature, the practice of secure coding means considering security much earlier in the SDLC. It means actively building security in as software as is written, from the start, instead of leaving this to later.
As CIOs strive to make their organizations more agile, secure coding capabilities will become a vital innovation weapon. CIOs and CISOs should think carefully about whether their development teams are the first line of risk or their first line of defense.
This insight has critical implications for how organizations train their developers. Teams need to learn about recently identified vulnerabilities and learn in their own languages/frameworks. In short, they need to understand how to locate, identify and fix known vulnerabilities in code in the context they work in every day.
As champions of change in secure coding, Secure Code Warrior takes a human-led approach that actively engages developers to learn and build their secure coding skills. If you'd like to see the potential impact on your teams' ability to start left and ship secure code faster without compromising security, book a demo now.
*Shifting from reaction to prevention: The changing face of application security. Secure Code Warrior and Evans Data Corp. 2020
In the last few years, many things have been sacrificed on the altar of speed-to-market—things like network security, terabytes of sensitive customer data and priceless brand reputations. Intense pressure to accelerate the release of new features and functions has led to complex, distributed teams focused on rapid development, with little awareness of the vulnerabilities they could create or the enormous risks. More than ever before, a new way of working is required. So in 2020, Secure Code Warrior engaged with Evans Data Corp. to conduct primary research* into developers' and their managers’ attitudes towards secure coding, secure code practices, and security operations (Download your copy of the whitepaper here).
Performance Indicators for project success – where does security fit?
Developers and managers think having secure code is important – but just not nearly as important as other factors. When we asked developers and managers about the most critical priorities in the software development process:
- 76% nominated application performance
- 62% picked features and functionality
- And a little over 50% selected secure code
Compared to other performance indicators for project success, secure coding currently comes in a distant third.
At present – and perhaps unsurprisingly – developers judge a project's success on performance indicators that only assess the code after the project is finished.
However, when asked about how this might change in the future, the picture flips on its head. How organizations approach security as a metric for success is changing. Secure coding is becoming a greater priority.
When asked about the most critical priorities for measuring project success in the future, 79% of those surveyed agree that secure coding will increase in importance. What’s striking is that a more significant percentage see security's importance in the future increasing more than that of any other performance indicator. Awareness of secure coding is growing, as is a movement to ‘shifting left’. By its very nature, the practice of secure coding means considering security much earlier in the SDLC. It means actively building security in as software as is written, from the start, instead of leaving this to later.
As CIOs strive to make their organizations more agile, secure coding capabilities will become a vital innovation weapon. CIOs and CISOs should think carefully about whether their development teams are the first line of risk or their first line of defense.
This insight has critical implications for how organizations train their developers. Teams need to learn about recently identified vulnerabilities and learn in their own languages/frameworks. In short, they need to understand how to locate, identify and fix known vulnerabilities in code in the context they work in every day.
As champions of change in secure coding, Secure Code Warrior takes a human-led approach that actively engages developers to learn and build their secure coding skills. If you'd like to see the potential impact on your teams' ability to start left and ship secure code faster without compromising security, book a demo now.
*Shifting from reaction to prevention: The changing face of application security. Secure Code Warrior and Evans Data Corp. 2020
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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
Secure Code Warrior makes secure coding a positive and engaging experience for developers as they increase their skills. We guide each coder along their own preferred learning pathway, so that security-skilled developers become the everyday superheroes of our connected world.
This article was written by Secure Code Warrior's team of industry experts, committed to empowering developers with the knowledge and skills to build secure software from the start. Drawing on deep expertise in secure coding practices, industry trends, and real-world insights.
In the last few years, many things have been sacrificed on the altar of speed-to-market—things like network security, terabytes of sensitive customer data and priceless brand reputations. Intense pressure to accelerate the release of new features and functions has led to complex, distributed teams focused on rapid development, with little awareness of the vulnerabilities they could create or the enormous risks. More than ever before, a new way of working is required. So in 2020, Secure Code Warrior engaged with Evans Data Corp. to conduct primary research* into developers' and their managers’ attitudes towards secure coding, secure code practices, and security operations (Download your copy of the whitepaper here).
Performance Indicators for project success – where does security fit?
Developers and managers think having secure code is important – but just not nearly as important as other factors. When we asked developers and managers about the most critical priorities in the software development process:
- 76% nominated application performance
- 62% picked features and functionality
- And a little over 50% selected secure code
Compared to other performance indicators for project success, secure coding currently comes in a distant third.
At present – and perhaps unsurprisingly – developers judge a project's success on performance indicators that only assess the code after the project is finished.
However, when asked about how this might change in the future, the picture flips on its head. How organizations approach security as a metric for success is changing. Secure coding is becoming a greater priority.
When asked about the most critical priorities for measuring project success in the future, 79% of those surveyed agree that secure coding will increase in importance. What’s striking is that a more significant percentage see security's importance in the future increasing more than that of any other performance indicator. Awareness of secure coding is growing, as is a movement to ‘shifting left’. By its very nature, the practice of secure coding means considering security much earlier in the SDLC. It means actively building security in as software as is written, from the start, instead of leaving this to later.
As CIOs strive to make their organizations more agile, secure coding capabilities will become a vital innovation weapon. CIOs and CISOs should think carefully about whether their development teams are the first line of risk or their first line of defense.
This insight has critical implications for how organizations train their developers. Teams need to learn about recently identified vulnerabilities and learn in their own languages/frameworks. In short, they need to understand how to locate, identify and fix known vulnerabilities in code in the context they work in every day.
As champions of change in secure coding, Secure Code Warrior takes a human-led approach that actively engages developers to learn and build their secure coding skills. If you'd like to see the potential impact on your teams' ability to start left and ship secure code faster without compromising security, book a demo now.
*Shifting from reaction to prevention: The changing face of application security. Secure Code Warrior and Evans Data Corp. 2020
Table of contents
Secure Code Warrior makes secure coding a positive and engaging experience for developers as they increase their skills. We guide each coder along their own preferred learning pathway, so that security-skilled developers become the everyday superheroes of our connected world.
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
Secure Code Warrior corporate overview
Secure Code Warrior is an AI Software Governance platform designed to enable organizations to safely adopt AI-driven development by bridging the gap between development velocity and enterprise security. The platform addresses the "Visibility Gap," where security teams often lack insights into shadow AI coding tools and the origins of production code.
Secure code training topics & content
Our industry-leading content is always evolving to fit the ever changing software development landscape with your role in mind. Topics covering everything from AI to XQuery Injection, offered for a variety of roles from Architects and Engineers to Product Managers and QA. Get a sneak peek of what our content catalog has to offer by topic and role.
Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) Aligned Learning Pathways
SCW supports Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) readiness with CRA-aligned Quests and conceptual learning collections that help development teams build the Secure by Design, SDLC, and secure coding skills aligned with the CRA’s secure development principles.
Resources to get you started
Observe and Secure the ADLC: A Four-Point Framework for CISOs and Development Teams Using AI
While development teams look to make the most of GenAI’s undeniable benefits, we’d like to propose a four-point foundational framework that will allow security leaders to deploy AI coding tools and agents with a higher, more relevant standard of security best practices. It details exactly what enterprises can do to ensure safe, secure code development right now, and as agentic AI becomes an even bigger factor in the future.
