Have you overestimated your organization’s security maturity?
A version of this article appeared in Dark Reading. It has been updated and syndicated here.
As most businesses navigate the ebb and flow of growth, innovation, and digital transformation, it’s only natural that some areas remain works in progress as a company scales. This is often the case for an organization’s cybersecurity program, especially as security leaders fight to stay one step ahead of new threats, vulnerabilities, and technological developments that increase risk exposure.
However, with a persistent skills shortage at odds with the deluge of code being written to satisfy the world’s software needs, many businesses are falling behind in their cybersecurity strategy and existing infrastructure. And with the industry seemingly fixated on a tools-based approach, the power of skilled people is often missed in a functioning defensive program.
It’s time we took an honest look at our overall cybersecurity maturity, and assessed the viable quick wins that are right in front of us.
Sustainable cybersecurity maturity is a process.
It is easy for the public to assume that every business would have a robust cybersecurity program, and protection is just a matter of selecting the right software and activating it like a force shield to stop threat actors in their tracks. With 2022 being one of the worst years on record for cyber incidents - including the entire Costa Rican government being held for ransom - many security professionals could only wish it was that simple.
While many industries - especially in the financial sector - are compliance-driven and bound by increasingly complex regulatory frameworks that demand strict security measures, the reality is that most organizations are lacking in cyber resilience. More than half of large companies worldwide are not effective in stopping cyberattacks, nor are they finding and fixing exploited vulnerabilities quickly.
Even organizations considered advanced, with a defined, mature program encompassing a best practice triple-threat of people, processes, and technologies, can struggle to keep up with the fast-paced demands of the threat landscape. One critical area in which many companies fall short is role-based security awareness, especially for the development team. While every person in an organization must understand the role they play in reducing the attack surface, those who are wrangling code day in, day out, could be in the driver’s seat of a genuinely transformational approach to security… if only they were adequately upskilled.
A holistic, defensive security program is one that demands continuous improvement, and it requires careful attention paid to laying solid foundations. If those foundations are predominantly tools-based, chances are good that maturity levels are lower than security leaders are banking on. A study by the Ponemon Institute revealed that 53% of enterprises were not confident that their security tech stack could effectively stop breaches, and with human error a leading cause of successful cyberattacks on companies great and small, leaving developers out of a strategic security uplift is playing with fire.
Make developers the driving force of software security excellence
The uncomfortable truth surrounding cyberattacks is that, in almost every instance, attackers are at a distinct advantage over their target enterprise, no matter where they are in their security maturity journey. They have the time, tools, and motivation to meticulously scan for any weakness to exploit, dedicating themselves to breaking through and reaching paydirt.
Organizations, on the other hand, are juggling business and customer needs, and while they can’t afford the immense risk of a showstopping cyberattack, it is not practical for business operations to slow to a crawl in order to accommodate an abundance of security controls that may end up obstructing performance. This is where security-skilled developers represent an X factor in cyber defense outcomes.
While it is long established that, traditionally, developers have not been enabled to share the responsibility for security in a meaningful way, this can and must change for the better. Organizations can create viable upskilling pathways for the development cohort, but they need to select education options that deliver relevant course material in ways that make sense in their world. At a minimum, it should be conveyed in the languages and frameworks they actively use, and address the vulnerabilities they are most likely to encounter in their codebase.
When courses are structured with the developer’s workflow in mind, there is a far greater likelihood that the poor coding patterns that perpetuate common vulnerabilities and misconfigurations can be replaced with good, safe patterns that significantly increase software quality over time. Low-quality software cost the United States $2.41 trillion this year alone, and this can only be remedied by breaking the cycle of errors that sustain risky technical debt.
It takes an organization-wide commitment to a more positive, holistic security program; one that harnesses the people power required to make a difference in people-driven issues. And if staying out of tomorrow’s headlines is essential, it’s certainly worth the effort.
With a persistent skills shortage at odds with the deluge of code being written to satisfy the world’s software needs, many businesses are falling behind in their cybersecurity strategy and existing infrastructure. It’s time we took an honest look at our overall cybersecurity maturity, and assessed the viable quick wins that are right in front of us.
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 demoMatias 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.
A version of this article appeared in Dark Reading. It has been updated and syndicated here.
As most businesses navigate the ebb and flow of growth, innovation, and digital transformation, it’s only natural that some areas remain works in progress as a company scales. This is often the case for an organization’s cybersecurity program, especially as security leaders fight to stay one step ahead of new threats, vulnerabilities, and technological developments that increase risk exposure.
However, with a persistent skills shortage at odds with the deluge of code being written to satisfy the world’s software needs, many businesses are falling behind in their cybersecurity strategy and existing infrastructure. And with the industry seemingly fixated on a tools-based approach, the power of skilled people is often missed in a functioning defensive program.
It’s time we took an honest look at our overall cybersecurity maturity, and assessed the viable quick wins that are right in front of us.
Sustainable cybersecurity maturity is a process.
It is easy for the public to assume that every business would have a robust cybersecurity program, and protection is just a matter of selecting the right software and activating it like a force shield to stop threat actors in their tracks. With 2022 being one of the worst years on record for cyber incidents - including the entire Costa Rican government being held for ransom - many security professionals could only wish it was that simple.
While many industries - especially in the financial sector - are compliance-driven and bound by increasingly complex regulatory frameworks that demand strict security measures, the reality is that most organizations are lacking in cyber resilience. More than half of large companies worldwide are not effective in stopping cyberattacks, nor are they finding and fixing exploited vulnerabilities quickly.
Even organizations considered advanced, with a defined, mature program encompassing a best practice triple-threat of people, processes, and technologies, can struggle to keep up with the fast-paced demands of the threat landscape. One critical area in which many companies fall short is role-based security awareness, especially for the development team. While every person in an organization must understand the role they play in reducing the attack surface, those who are wrangling code day in, day out, could be in the driver’s seat of a genuinely transformational approach to security… if only they were adequately upskilled.
A holistic, defensive security program is one that demands continuous improvement, and it requires careful attention paid to laying solid foundations. If those foundations are predominantly tools-based, chances are good that maturity levels are lower than security leaders are banking on. A study by the Ponemon Institute revealed that 53% of enterprises were not confident that their security tech stack could effectively stop breaches, and with human error a leading cause of successful cyberattacks on companies great and small, leaving developers out of a strategic security uplift is playing with fire.
Make developers the driving force of software security excellence
The uncomfortable truth surrounding cyberattacks is that, in almost every instance, attackers are at a distinct advantage over their target enterprise, no matter where they are in their security maturity journey. They have the time, tools, and motivation to meticulously scan for any weakness to exploit, dedicating themselves to breaking through and reaching paydirt.
Organizations, on the other hand, are juggling business and customer needs, and while they can’t afford the immense risk of a showstopping cyberattack, it is not practical for business operations to slow to a crawl in order to accommodate an abundance of security controls that may end up obstructing performance. This is where security-skilled developers represent an X factor in cyber defense outcomes.
While it is long established that, traditionally, developers have not been enabled to share the responsibility for security in a meaningful way, this can and must change for the better. Organizations can create viable upskilling pathways for the development cohort, but they need to select education options that deliver relevant course material in ways that make sense in their world. At a minimum, it should be conveyed in the languages and frameworks they actively use, and address the vulnerabilities they are most likely to encounter in their codebase.
When courses are structured with the developer’s workflow in mind, there is a far greater likelihood that the poor coding patterns that perpetuate common vulnerabilities and misconfigurations can be replaced with good, safe patterns that significantly increase software quality over time. Low-quality software cost the United States $2.41 trillion this year alone, and this can only be remedied by breaking the cycle of errors that sustain risky technical debt.
It takes an organization-wide commitment to a more positive, holistic security program; one that harnesses the people power required to make a difference in people-driven issues. And if staying out of tomorrow’s headlines is essential, it’s certainly worth the effort.
A version of this article appeared in Dark Reading. It has been updated and syndicated here.
As most businesses navigate the ebb and flow of growth, innovation, and digital transformation, it’s only natural that some areas remain works in progress as a company scales. This is often the case for an organization’s cybersecurity program, especially as security leaders fight to stay one step ahead of new threats, vulnerabilities, and technological developments that increase risk exposure.
However, with a persistent skills shortage at odds with the deluge of code being written to satisfy the world’s software needs, many businesses are falling behind in their cybersecurity strategy and existing infrastructure. And with the industry seemingly fixated on a tools-based approach, the power of skilled people is often missed in a functioning defensive program.
It’s time we took an honest look at our overall cybersecurity maturity, and assessed the viable quick wins that are right in front of us.
Sustainable cybersecurity maturity is a process.
It is easy for the public to assume that every business would have a robust cybersecurity program, and protection is just a matter of selecting the right software and activating it like a force shield to stop threat actors in their tracks. With 2022 being one of the worst years on record for cyber incidents - including the entire Costa Rican government being held for ransom - many security professionals could only wish it was that simple.
While many industries - especially in the financial sector - are compliance-driven and bound by increasingly complex regulatory frameworks that demand strict security measures, the reality is that most organizations are lacking in cyber resilience. More than half of large companies worldwide are not effective in stopping cyberattacks, nor are they finding and fixing exploited vulnerabilities quickly.
Even organizations considered advanced, with a defined, mature program encompassing a best practice triple-threat of people, processes, and technologies, can struggle to keep up with the fast-paced demands of the threat landscape. One critical area in which many companies fall short is role-based security awareness, especially for the development team. While every person in an organization must understand the role they play in reducing the attack surface, those who are wrangling code day in, day out, could be in the driver’s seat of a genuinely transformational approach to security… if only they were adequately upskilled.
A holistic, defensive security program is one that demands continuous improvement, and it requires careful attention paid to laying solid foundations. If those foundations are predominantly tools-based, chances are good that maturity levels are lower than security leaders are banking on. A study by the Ponemon Institute revealed that 53% of enterprises were not confident that their security tech stack could effectively stop breaches, and with human error a leading cause of successful cyberattacks on companies great and small, leaving developers out of a strategic security uplift is playing with fire.
Make developers the driving force of software security excellence
The uncomfortable truth surrounding cyberattacks is that, in almost every instance, attackers are at a distinct advantage over their target enterprise, no matter where they are in their security maturity journey. They have the time, tools, and motivation to meticulously scan for any weakness to exploit, dedicating themselves to breaking through and reaching paydirt.
Organizations, on the other hand, are juggling business and customer needs, and while they can’t afford the immense risk of a showstopping cyberattack, it is not practical for business operations to slow to a crawl in order to accommodate an abundance of security controls that may end up obstructing performance. This is where security-skilled developers represent an X factor in cyber defense outcomes.
While it is long established that, traditionally, developers have not been enabled to share the responsibility for security in a meaningful way, this can and must change for the better. Organizations can create viable upskilling pathways for the development cohort, but they need to select education options that deliver relevant course material in ways that make sense in their world. At a minimum, it should be conveyed in the languages and frameworks they actively use, and address the vulnerabilities they are most likely to encounter in their codebase.
When courses are structured with the developer’s workflow in mind, there is a far greater likelihood that the poor coding patterns that perpetuate common vulnerabilities and misconfigurations can be replaced with good, safe patterns that significantly increase software quality over time. Low-quality software cost the United States $2.41 trillion this year alone, and this can only be remedied by breaking the cycle of errors that sustain risky technical debt.
It takes an organization-wide commitment to a more positive, holistic security program; one that harnesses the people power required to make a difference in people-driven issues. And if staying out of tomorrow’s headlines is essential, it’s certainly worth the effort.
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.
Click on the link below and download the PDF of this one pager.
DownloadSecure 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 demoMatias 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.
A version of this article appeared in Dark Reading. It has been updated and syndicated here.
As most businesses navigate the ebb and flow of growth, innovation, and digital transformation, it’s only natural that some areas remain works in progress as a company scales. This is often the case for an organization’s cybersecurity program, especially as security leaders fight to stay one step ahead of new threats, vulnerabilities, and technological developments that increase risk exposure.
However, with a persistent skills shortage at odds with the deluge of code being written to satisfy the world’s software needs, many businesses are falling behind in their cybersecurity strategy and existing infrastructure. And with the industry seemingly fixated on a tools-based approach, the power of skilled people is often missed in a functioning defensive program.
It’s time we took an honest look at our overall cybersecurity maturity, and assessed the viable quick wins that are right in front of us.
Sustainable cybersecurity maturity is a process.
It is easy for the public to assume that every business would have a robust cybersecurity program, and protection is just a matter of selecting the right software and activating it like a force shield to stop threat actors in their tracks. With 2022 being one of the worst years on record for cyber incidents - including the entire Costa Rican government being held for ransom - many security professionals could only wish it was that simple.
While many industries - especially in the financial sector - are compliance-driven and bound by increasingly complex regulatory frameworks that demand strict security measures, the reality is that most organizations are lacking in cyber resilience. More than half of large companies worldwide are not effective in stopping cyberattacks, nor are they finding and fixing exploited vulnerabilities quickly.
Even organizations considered advanced, with a defined, mature program encompassing a best practice triple-threat of people, processes, and technologies, can struggle to keep up with the fast-paced demands of the threat landscape. One critical area in which many companies fall short is role-based security awareness, especially for the development team. While every person in an organization must understand the role they play in reducing the attack surface, those who are wrangling code day in, day out, could be in the driver’s seat of a genuinely transformational approach to security… if only they were adequately upskilled.
A holistic, defensive security program is one that demands continuous improvement, and it requires careful attention paid to laying solid foundations. If those foundations are predominantly tools-based, chances are good that maturity levels are lower than security leaders are banking on. A study by the Ponemon Institute revealed that 53% of enterprises were not confident that their security tech stack could effectively stop breaches, and with human error a leading cause of successful cyberattacks on companies great and small, leaving developers out of a strategic security uplift is playing with fire.
Make developers the driving force of software security excellence
The uncomfortable truth surrounding cyberattacks is that, in almost every instance, attackers are at a distinct advantage over their target enterprise, no matter where they are in their security maturity journey. They have the time, tools, and motivation to meticulously scan for any weakness to exploit, dedicating themselves to breaking through and reaching paydirt.
Organizations, on the other hand, are juggling business and customer needs, and while they can’t afford the immense risk of a showstopping cyberattack, it is not practical for business operations to slow to a crawl in order to accommodate an abundance of security controls that may end up obstructing performance. This is where security-skilled developers represent an X factor in cyber defense outcomes.
While it is long established that, traditionally, developers have not been enabled to share the responsibility for security in a meaningful way, this can and must change for the better. Organizations can create viable upskilling pathways for the development cohort, but they need to select education options that deliver relevant course material in ways that make sense in their world. At a minimum, it should be conveyed in the languages and frameworks they actively use, and address the vulnerabilities they are most likely to encounter in their codebase.
When courses are structured with the developer’s workflow in mind, there is a far greater likelihood that the poor coding patterns that perpetuate common vulnerabilities and misconfigurations can be replaced with good, safe patterns that significantly increase software quality over time. Low-quality software cost the United States $2.41 trillion this year alone, and this can only be remedied by breaking the cycle of errors that sustain risky technical debt.
It takes an organization-wide commitment to a more positive, holistic security program; one that harnesses the people power required to make a difference in people-driven issues. And if staying out of tomorrow’s headlines is essential, it’s certainly worth the effort.
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
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
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.
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.