Empathy, Gratitude, and Staying Humble: The Foundation of Our Culture
The software security industry isn't exactly known for its warm and fuzzy feelings, whimsical observations and life commentary, but, perhaps as I get older, I find myself reflecting on the impact we can all have in the world. And, it can cause a positive ripple effect that extends well beyond the boundaries of cybersecurity.
Thanks to the suggestion of a team member, we have implemented the Warriors Give Back program across the company. This initiative was designed to get us into the spirit of "giving back" to the communities around us, actively working as a team to make the world just that little bit brighter.
While it was an incredible opportunity for many of us to bond as a united team, this was a unique moment to take a step back, survey the land and see what is truly important with renewed clarity. As anyone in a startup will tell you, it can be super-hectic, with not much downtime... it is rewarding, exhausting and thrilling all at once. However, when you're living and breathing your business, it can be all too easy to shut out life around you.
A force for good.
The most important thing we hoped to achieve was doing something immediately useful for the community, not just posing for a few photos to pat ourselves on the back. It was about acknowledging our privilege and acting with gratitude. Everyone, in every industry, could stand to do a little more of that. After all, you can never spread too much goodwill, or stay too humble.
For our kick-off event, we decided to work together building bikes for underprivileged children, through the Bikes for Tykes program. I am sure we will look back on this day with fond memories of our combined mechanical skills (or lack thereof), and lots of laughs, but the spark of happiness brought to nine very special children at the time they needed it most, is a reward that extends far beyond the material aspect of a brand new bike. This event was a small gesture on our part, but it is my hope that for just a little while, they could forget their troubles and simply enjoy being kids.
Give back, get more.
An old saying goes something like, "kindness is a gift everyone can afford". That is very true, but one thing the cybersecurity community, in particular, seems to do well, is the abundance of free knowledge-sharing and online resources to help people understand, learn and explore. Naturally, organizations like OWASP devote so much time to making us all more secure, and I constantly see the willingness of others to help answer questions after event presentations and functions. I think if we all gave more, we'd find it's eventually paid back ten-fold.
We're going to continue our quest to give back, as do many other awesome companies around the world. Let's be a force for positive change, no matter where we are.
(Psst: our library of developer learning resources is always open for you guys).
The software security industry isn't exactly known for its warm and fuzzy feelings, whimsical observations and life commentary, but, perhaps as I get older, I find myself reflecting on the impact we can all have in the world.
Chief Executive Officer, Chairman, and Co-Founder
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
Chief Executive Officer, Chairman, and Co-Founder
Pieter Danhieux is a globally recognized security expert, with over 12 years experience as a security consultant and 8 years as a Principal Instructor for SANS teaching offensive techniques on how to target and assess organizations, systems and individuals for security weaknesses. In 2016, he was recognized as one of the Coolest Tech people in Australia (Business Insider), awarded Cyber Security Professional of the Year (AISA - Australian Information Security Association) and holds GSE, CISSP, GCIH, GCFA, GSEC, GPEN, GWAPT, GCIA certifications.
The software security industry isn't exactly known for its warm and fuzzy feelings, whimsical observations and life commentary, but, perhaps as I get older, I find myself reflecting on the impact we can all have in the world. And, it can cause a positive ripple effect that extends well beyond the boundaries of cybersecurity.
Thanks to the suggestion of a team member, we have implemented the Warriors Give Back program across the company. This initiative was designed to get us into the spirit of "giving back" to the communities around us, actively working as a team to make the world just that little bit brighter.
While it was an incredible opportunity for many of us to bond as a united team, this was a unique moment to take a step back, survey the land and see what is truly important with renewed clarity. As anyone in a startup will tell you, it can be super-hectic, with not much downtime... it is rewarding, exhausting and thrilling all at once. However, when you're living and breathing your business, it can be all too easy to shut out life around you.
A force for good.
The most important thing we hoped to achieve was doing something immediately useful for the community, not just posing for a few photos to pat ourselves on the back. It was about acknowledging our privilege and acting with gratitude. Everyone, in every industry, could stand to do a little more of that. After all, you can never spread too much goodwill, or stay too humble.
For our kick-off event, we decided to work together building bikes for underprivileged children, through the Bikes for Tykes program. I am sure we will look back on this day with fond memories of our combined mechanical skills (or lack thereof), and lots of laughs, but the spark of happiness brought to nine very special children at the time they needed it most, is a reward that extends far beyond the material aspect of a brand new bike. This event was a small gesture on our part, but it is my hope that for just a little while, they could forget their troubles and simply enjoy being kids.
Give back, get more.
An old saying goes something like, "kindness is a gift everyone can afford". That is very true, but one thing the cybersecurity community, in particular, seems to do well, is the abundance of free knowledge-sharing and online resources to help people understand, learn and explore. Naturally, organizations like OWASP devote so much time to making us all more secure, and I constantly see the willingness of others to help answer questions after event presentations and functions. I think if we all gave more, we'd find it's eventually paid back ten-fold.
We're going to continue our quest to give back, as do many other awesome companies around the world. Let's be a force for positive change, no matter where we are.
(Psst: our library of developer learning resources is always open for you guys).
The software security industry isn't exactly known for its warm and fuzzy feelings, whimsical observations and life commentary, but, perhaps as I get older, I find myself reflecting on the impact we can all have in the world. And, it can cause a positive ripple effect that extends well beyond the boundaries of cybersecurity.
Thanks to the suggestion of a team member, we have implemented the Warriors Give Back program across the company. This initiative was designed to get us into the spirit of "giving back" to the communities around us, actively working as a team to make the world just that little bit brighter.
While it was an incredible opportunity for many of us to bond as a united team, this was a unique moment to take a step back, survey the land and see what is truly important with renewed clarity. As anyone in a startup will tell you, it can be super-hectic, with not much downtime... it is rewarding, exhausting and thrilling all at once. However, when you're living and breathing your business, it can be all too easy to shut out life around you.
A force for good.
The most important thing we hoped to achieve was doing something immediately useful for the community, not just posing for a few photos to pat ourselves on the back. It was about acknowledging our privilege and acting with gratitude. Everyone, in every industry, could stand to do a little more of that. After all, you can never spread too much goodwill, or stay too humble.
For our kick-off event, we decided to work together building bikes for underprivileged children, through the Bikes for Tykes program. I am sure we will look back on this day with fond memories of our combined mechanical skills (or lack thereof), and lots of laughs, but the spark of happiness brought to nine very special children at the time they needed it most, is a reward that extends far beyond the material aspect of a brand new bike. This event was a small gesture on our part, but it is my hope that for just a little while, they could forget their troubles and simply enjoy being kids.
Give back, get more.
An old saying goes something like, "kindness is a gift everyone can afford". That is very true, but one thing the cybersecurity community, in particular, seems to do well, is the abundance of free knowledge-sharing and online resources to help people understand, learn and explore. Naturally, organizations like OWASP devote so much time to making us all more secure, and I constantly see the willingness of others to help answer questions after event presentations and functions. I think if we all gave more, we'd find it's eventually paid back ten-fold.
We're going to continue our quest to give back, as do many other awesome companies around the world. Let's be a force for positive change, no matter where we are.
(Psst: our library of developer learning resources is always open for you guys).
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
Chief Executive Officer, Chairman, and Co-Founder
Pieter Danhieux is a globally recognized security expert, with over 12 years experience as a security consultant and 8 years as a Principal Instructor for SANS teaching offensive techniques on how to target and assess organizations, systems and individuals for security weaknesses. In 2016, he was recognized as one of the Coolest Tech people in Australia (Business Insider), awarded Cyber Security Professional of the Year (AISA - Australian Information Security Association) and holds GSE, CISSP, GCIH, GCFA, GSEC, GPEN, GWAPT, GCIA certifications.
The software security industry isn't exactly known for its warm and fuzzy feelings, whimsical observations and life commentary, but, perhaps as I get older, I find myself reflecting on the impact we can all have in the world. And, it can cause a positive ripple effect that extends well beyond the boundaries of cybersecurity.
Thanks to the suggestion of a team member, we have implemented the Warriors Give Back program across the company. This initiative was designed to get us into the spirit of "giving back" to the communities around us, actively working as a team to make the world just that little bit brighter.
While it was an incredible opportunity for many of us to bond as a united team, this was a unique moment to take a step back, survey the land and see what is truly important with renewed clarity. As anyone in a startup will tell you, it can be super-hectic, with not much downtime... it is rewarding, exhausting and thrilling all at once. However, when you're living and breathing your business, it can be all too easy to shut out life around you.
A force for good.
The most important thing we hoped to achieve was doing something immediately useful for the community, not just posing for a few photos to pat ourselves on the back. It was about acknowledging our privilege and acting with gratitude. Everyone, in every industry, could stand to do a little more of that. After all, you can never spread too much goodwill, or stay too humble.
For our kick-off event, we decided to work together building bikes for underprivileged children, through the Bikes for Tykes program. I am sure we will look back on this day with fond memories of our combined mechanical skills (or lack thereof), and lots of laughs, but the spark of happiness brought to nine very special children at the time they needed it most, is a reward that extends far beyond the material aspect of a brand new bike. This event was a small gesture on our part, but it is my hope that for just a little while, they could forget their troubles and simply enjoy being kids.
Give back, get more.
An old saying goes something like, "kindness is a gift everyone can afford". That is very true, but one thing the cybersecurity community, in particular, seems to do well, is the abundance of free knowledge-sharing and online resources to help people understand, learn and explore. Naturally, organizations like OWASP devote so much time to making us all more secure, and I constantly see the willingness of others to help answer questions after event presentations and functions. I think if we all gave more, we'd find it's eventually paid back ten-fold.
We're going to continue our quest to give back, as do many other awesome companies around the world. Let's be a force for positive change, no matter where we are.
(Psst: our library of developer learning resources is always open for you guys).
Table of contents
Chief Executive Officer, Chairman, and Co-Founder
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
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.
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.
Deep Dive: Navigating the Critical CUPS Vulnerability in GNU-Linux Systems
Discover the latest security challenges facing Linux users as we explore recent high-severity vulnerabilities in the Common UNIX Printing System (CUPS). Learn how these issues may lead to potential Remote Code Execution (RCE) and what you can do to protect your systems.
Coders Conquer Security: Share & Learn - Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
Cross-site scripting (XSS) uses the trust of browsers and ignorance of users to steal data, take over accounts, and deface websites; it's a vulnerability that can get very ugly, very quickly. Let's take a look at how XSS works, what damage can be done, and how to prevent it.
