Making moves with NIST: Our human-led position on the future of cyber defense
The recent cybersecurity Executive Order from the Biden Administration has certainly got the security industry talking, especially those who are looking to win over developers to the importance of applying secure coding best practices in their day-to-day work. For the first time, developers who are working on software in use by the federal government must have verified security skills, as well as adherence to new, evolved guidelines.
This marks a positive change in the cyber defense status quo, and finally makes adequate upskilling of developers part of the conversation. While these policies are US government-centric, they offer a global opportunity for organizations to address and upgrade current security standards, everything from developers to security analysis of software supply chains.
NIST recently sought public comment to inform their next updates to HIPAA legislation, among others, and this was an unmissable opportunity for us to pool our company expertise into positioning papers that can help inform a safer, and more effective, human-led approach to cybersecurity that will help organizations leverage their teams for greater outcomes.
As an expert-driven organization, we are fortunate to have some of the most dedicated and accomplished cybersecurity professionals working with us, including Ph.D. candidate Pieter de Cremer, and Dr. Brian Chess, who is part of our Technical Advisory Board. The three of us put our heads together to formally submit positioning papers to NIST, calling out ways our approach to developer upskilling and preventative security at the software creation stage could positively impact cybersecurity standards going forward.
A secure development pathway, paved for developers
Vulnerability scanning tools, monitoring and other forms of security automation are increasingly prevalent, and they feature in both the new Executive Order, as well as within NIST guidelines. They are an increasingly essential part of a modern security program, but history and the present show that scanning tools in particular certainly find vulnerabilities in software with ever-increasing efficiency, yet this alone has no effect on reducing them, or, indeed, improving security from the start.
A cumbersome tech stack that is distracting and slows down the developer workflow is one of the fundamental reasons that developers disengage with security and view it in a negative light. However, if developers had a paved pathway for secure development, one that was customized to suit not just the technology, but also languages, frameworks, and project-specific development objectives, then embedding security into the development process from the beginning - with as little disruption to their productivity as possible - is an ideal that would result in significant reduction in common vulnerabilities over time.
To read our NIST positioning paper in full, download it now:
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Certification framework for secure development practices: The (current) missing link
To date, there is no formal certification to verifying secure coding skills and best practices. This has been an industry oversight for a long time, and it’s our position that this is essential for the future of improved cyber defense and secure development.
We know there are many forms of security training targeting developers, but if the volume of large-scale data breaches, cyberattacks, and poor quality code out there is any indication, it’s not creating security-aware developers, and they are not being equipped with the knowledge to make a dent in a problem that is only getting worse.
Developer upskilling requires tools and education that is day-job relevant, contextual, bite-sized (yet frequent), and allows them to build upon existing knowledge in the languages and frameworks they actually use. Generic training does not suffice, and this needs to be made abundantly clear in legislation and industry bodies such as NIST.
The NICE Framework is more than suitable to build out comprehensive certification guidelines that actively use methodologies that work, and are of most interest and relevance to developers, and their work. Aligning with this recognized institutional framework helps to standardize practices that truly make a difference, and provides more concrete pathways for organizations to follow.
To read our second NIST positioning paper in full, download it now:
The people factor in cybersecurity is often forgotten, and it’s time we worked towards human solutions for human problems such as recurrent common vulnerabilities. Decades-old bugs should no longer trip us up, but it will take the backing of global governments to change the status quo and provide measurable, positive impact.
Are you ready to certify your developers? You’ve come to the right place. Check out our Learning Platform today.
The recent cybersecurity Executive Order from the Biden Administration has certainly got the security industry talking, especially those who are looking to win over developers to the importance of applying secure coding best practices in their day-to-day work.
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 recent cybersecurity Executive Order from the Biden Administration has certainly got the security industry talking, especially those who are looking to win over developers to the importance of applying secure coding best practices in their day-to-day work. For the first time, developers who are working on software in use by the federal government must have verified security skills, as well as adherence to new, evolved guidelines.
This marks a positive change in the cyber defense status quo, and finally makes adequate upskilling of developers part of the conversation. While these policies are US government-centric, they offer a global opportunity for organizations to address and upgrade current security standards, everything from developers to security analysis of software supply chains.
NIST recently sought public comment to inform their next updates to HIPAA legislation, among others, and this was an unmissable opportunity for us to pool our company expertise into positioning papers that can help inform a safer, and more effective, human-led approach to cybersecurity that will help organizations leverage their teams for greater outcomes.
As an expert-driven organization, we are fortunate to have some of the most dedicated and accomplished cybersecurity professionals working with us, including Ph.D. candidate Pieter de Cremer, and Dr. Brian Chess, who is part of our Technical Advisory Board. The three of us put our heads together to formally submit positioning papers to NIST, calling out ways our approach to developer upskilling and preventative security at the software creation stage could positively impact cybersecurity standards going forward.
A secure development pathway, paved for developers
Vulnerability scanning tools, monitoring and other forms of security automation are increasingly prevalent, and they feature in both the new Executive Order, as well as within NIST guidelines. They are an increasingly essential part of a modern security program, but history and the present show that scanning tools in particular certainly find vulnerabilities in software with ever-increasing efficiency, yet this alone has no effect on reducing them, or, indeed, improving security from the start.
A cumbersome tech stack that is distracting and slows down the developer workflow is one of the fundamental reasons that developers disengage with security and view it in a negative light. However, if developers had a paved pathway for secure development, one that was customized to suit not just the technology, but also languages, frameworks, and project-specific development objectives, then embedding security into the development process from the beginning - with as little disruption to their productivity as possible - is an ideal that would result in significant reduction in common vulnerabilities over time.
To read our NIST positioning paper in full, download it now:
Certification framework for secure development practices: The (current) missing link
To date, there is no formal certification to verifying secure coding skills and best practices. This has been an industry oversight for a long time, and it’s our position that this is essential for the future of improved cyber defense and secure development.
We know there are many forms of security training targeting developers, but if the volume of large-scale data breaches, cyberattacks, and poor quality code out there is any indication, it’s not creating security-aware developers, and they are not being equipped with the knowledge to make a dent in a problem that is only getting worse.
Developer upskilling requires tools and education that is day-job relevant, contextual, bite-sized (yet frequent), and allows them to build upon existing knowledge in the languages and frameworks they actually use. Generic training does not suffice, and this needs to be made abundantly clear in legislation and industry bodies such as NIST.
The NICE Framework is more than suitable to build out comprehensive certification guidelines that actively use methodologies that work, and are of most interest and relevance to developers, and their work. Aligning with this recognized institutional framework helps to standardize practices that truly make a difference, and provides more concrete pathways for organizations to follow.
To read our second NIST positioning paper in full, download it now:
The people factor in cybersecurity is often forgotten, and it’s time we worked towards human solutions for human problems such as recurrent common vulnerabilities. Decades-old bugs should no longer trip us up, but it will take the backing of global governments to change the status quo and provide measurable, positive impact.
Are you ready to certify your developers? You’ve come to the right place. Check out our Learning Platform today.
The recent cybersecurity Executive Order from the Biden Administration has certainly got the security industry talking, especially those who are looking to win over developers to the importance of applying secure coding best practices in their day-to-day work. For the first time, developers who are working on software in use by the federal government must have verified security skills, as well as adherence to new, evolved guidelines.
This marks a positive change in the cyber defense status quo, and finally makes adequate upskilling of developers part of the conversation. While these policies are US government-centric, they offer a global opportunity for organizations to address and upgrade current security standards, everything from developers to security analysis of software supply chains.
NIST recently sought public comment to inform their next updates to HIPAA legislation, among others, and this was an unmissable opportunity for us to pool our company expertise into positioning papers that can help inform a safer, and more effective, human-led approach to cybersecurity that will help organizations leverage their teams for greater outcomes.
As an expert-driven organization, we are fortunate to have some of the most dedicated and accomplished cybersecurity professionals working with us, including Ph.D. candidate Pieter de Cremer, and Dr. Brian Chess, who is part of our Technical Advisory Board. The three of us put our heads together to formally submit positioning papers to NIST, calling out ways our approach to developer upskilling and preventative security at the software creation stage could positively impact cybersecurity standards going forward.
A secure development pathway, paved for developers
Vulnerability scanning tools, monitoring and other forms of security automation are increasingly prevalent, and they feature in both the new Executive Order, as well as within NIST guidelines. They are an increasingly essential part of a modern security program, but history and the present show that scanning tools in particular certainly find vulnerabilities in software with ever-increasing efficiency, yet this alone has no effect on reducing them, or, indeed, improving security from the start.
A cumbersome tech stack that is distracting and slows down the developer workflow is one of the fundamental reasons that developers disengage with security and view it in a negative light. However, if developers had a paved pathway for secure development, one that was customized to suit not just the technology, but also languages, frameworks, and project-specific development objectives, then embedding security into the development process from the beginning - with as little disruption to their productivity as possible - is an ideal that would result in significant reduction in common vulnerabilities over time.
To read our NIST positioning paper in full, download it now:
Certification framework for secure development practices: The (current) missing link
To date, there is no formal certification to verifying secure coding skills and best practices. This has been an industry oversight for a long time, and it’s our position that this is essential for the future of improved cyber defense and secure development.
We know there are many forms of security training targeting developers, but if the volume of large-scale data breaches, cyberattacks, and poor quality code out there is any indication, it’s not creating security-aware developers, and they are not being equipped with the knowledge to make a dent in a problem that is only getting worse.
Developer upskilling requires tools and education that is day-job relevant, contextual, bite-sized (yet frequent), and allows them to build upon existing knowledge in the languages and frameworks they actually use. Generic training does not suffice, and this needs to be made abundantly clear in legislation and industry bodies such as NIST.
The NICE Framework is more than suitable to build out comprehensive certification guidelines that actively use methodologies that work, and are of most interest and relevance to developers, and their work. Aligning with this recognized institutional framework helps to standardize practices that truly make a difference, and provides more concrete pathways for organizations to follow.
To read our second NIST positioning paper in full, download it now:
The people factor in cybersecurity is often forgotten, and it’s time we worked towards human solutions for human problems such as recurrent common vulnerabilities. Decades-old bugs should no longer trip us up, but it will take the backing of global governments to change the status quo and provide measurable, positive impact.
Are you ready to certify your developers? You’ve come to the right place. Check out our Learning Platform today.
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 recent cybersecurity Executive Order from the Biden Administration has certainly got the security industry talking, especially those who are looking to win over developers to the importance of applying secure coding best practices in their day-to-day work. For the first time, developers who are working on software in use by the federal government must have verified security skills, as well as adherence to new, evolved guidelines.
This marks a positive change in the cyber defense status quo, and finally makes adequate upskilling of developers part of the conversation. While these policies are US government-centric, they offer a global opportunity for organizations to address and upgrade current security standards, everything from developers to security analysis of software supply chains.
NIST recently sought public comment to inform their next updates to HIPAA legislation, among others, and this was an unmissable opportunity for us to pool our company expertise into positioning papers that can help inform a safer, and more effective, human-led approach to cybersecurity that will help organizations leverage their teams for greater outcomes.
As an expert-driven organization, we are fortunate to have some of the most dedicated and accomplished cybersecurity professionals working with us, including Ph.D. candidate Pieter de Cremer, and Dr. Brian Chess, who is part of our Technical Advisory Board. The three of us put our heads together to formally submit positioning papers to NIST, calling out ways our approach to developer upskilling and preventative security at the software creation stage could positively impact cybersecurity standards going forward.
A secure development pathway, paved for developers
Vulnerability scanning tools, monitoring and other forms of security automation are increasingly prevalent, and they feature in both the new Executive Order, as well as within NIST guidelines. They are an increasingly essential part of a modern security program, but history and the present show that scanning tools in particular certainly find vulnerabilities in software with ever-increasing efficiency, yet this alone has no effect on reducing them, or, indeed, improving security from the start.
A cumbersome tech stack that is distracting and slows down the developer workflow is one of the fundamental reasons that developers disengage with security and view it in a negative light. However, if developers had a paved pathway for secure development, one that was customized to suit not just the technology, but also languages, frameworks, and project-specific development objectives, then embedding security into the development process from the beginning - with as little disruption to their productivity as possible - is an ideal that would result in significant reduction in common vulnerabilities over time.
To read our NIST positioning paper in full, download it now:
Certification framework for secure development practices: The (current) missing link
To date, there is no formal certification to verifying secure coding skills and best practices. This has been an industry oversight for a long time, and it’s our position that this is essential for the future of improved cyber defense and secure development.
We know there are many forms of security training targeting developers, but if the volume of large-scale data breaches, cyberattacks, and poor quality code out there is any indication, it’s not creating security-aware developers, and they are not being equipped with the knowledge to make a dent in a problem that is only getting worse.
Developer upskilling requires tools and education that is day-job relevant, contextual, bite-sized (yet frequent), and allows them to build upon existing knowledge in the languages and frameworks they actually use. Generic training does not suffice, and this needs to be made abundantly clear in legislation and industry bodies such as NIST.
The NICE Framework is more than suitable to build out comprehensive certification guidelines that actively use methodologies that work, and are of most interest and relevance to developers, and their work. Aligning with this recognized institutional framework helps to standardize practices that truly make a difference, and provides more concrete pathways for organizations to follow.
To read our second NIST positioning paper in full, download it now:
The people factor in cybersecurity is often forgotten, and it’s time we worked towards human solutions for human problems such as recurrent common vulnerabilities. Decades-old bugs should no longer trip us up, but it will take the backing of global governments to change the status quo and provide measurable, positive impact.
Are you ready to certify your developers? You’ve come to the right place. Check out our Learning Platform today.
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
Secure by Design: Defining Best Practices, Enabling Developers and Benchmarking Preventative Security Outcomes
In this research paper, Secure Code Warrior co-founders, Pieter Danhieux and Dr. Matias Madou, Ph.D., along with expert contributors, Chris Inglis, Former US National Cyber Director (now Strategic Advisor to Paladin Capital Group), and Devin Lynch, Senior Director, Paladin Global Institute, will reveal key findings from over twenty in-depth interviews with enterprise security leaders including CISOs, a VP of Application Security, and software security professionals.
Benchmarking Security Skills: Streamlining Secure-by-Design in the Enterprise
Finding meaningful data on the success of Secure-by-Design initiatives is notoriously difficult. CISOs are often challenged when attempting to prove the return on investment (ROI) and business value of security program activities at both the people and company levels. Not to mention, it’s particularly difficult for enterprises to gain insights into how their organizations are benchmarked against current industry standards. The President’s National Cybersecurity Strategy challenged stakeholders to “embrace security and resilience by design.” The key to making Secure-by-Design initiatives work is not only giving developers the skills to ensure secure code, but also assuring the regulators that those skills are in place. In this presentation, we share a myriad of qualitative and quantitative data, derived from multiple primary sources, including internal data points collected from over 250,000 developers, data-driven customer insights, and public studies. Leveraging this aggregation of data points, we aim to communicate a vision of the current state of Secure-by-Design initiatives across multiple verticals. The report details why this space is currently underutilized, the significant impact a successful upskilling program can have on cybersecurity risk mitigation, and the potential to eliminate categories of vulnerabilities from a codebase.
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 peak of what our content catalog has to offer by topic and role.
Resources to get you started
Revealed: How the Cyber Industry Defines Secure by Design
In our latest white paper, our Co-Founders, Pieter Danhieux and Dr. Matias Madou, Ph.D., sat down with over twenty enterprise security leaders, including CISOs, AppSec leaders and security professionals, to figure out the key pieces of this puzzle and uncover the reality behind the Secure by Design movement. It’s a shared ambition across the security teams, but no shared playbook.
Is Vibe Coding Going to Turn Your Codebase Into a Frat Party?
Vibe coding is like a college frat party, and AI is the centerpiece of all the festivities, the keg. It’s a lot of fun to let loose, get creative, and see where your imagination can take you, but after a few keg stands, drinking (or, using AI) in moderation is undoubtedly the safer long-term solution.
Developer-driven coding.
Securely.
Contact us today and make software security an intrinsic part of your development process.
