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The ROI of an Agile Learning Platform

Vivek Asija
Published Jul 24, 2023

Agile learning for secure code in the SDLC pays off 

This is the third in a three-part blog series discussing the attributes and benefits of an Agile Learning Platform for secure code. In part 1 we introduced the concept of agile learning and how Secure Code Warrior’s platform exemplifies several agile principles.  In part 2 we explored how an agile learning platform replaces traditional compliance-oriented security training.  

An agile learning platform delivers a learning experience that allows the learner to internalize and use new skills more effectively, through a combination of hands-on, in-context education that’s truly integrated into their day-to-day job, as part of the job.  This approach to learning, as SCW has applied it to developers acquiring secure coding skills, separates SCW from traditional learning modalities and sets us apart. In this third and final blog in the series we walk you through the ROI organizations can expect from an agile learning platform for secure code and how to model the numbers for your organization.

Business impact

Organizations that adopt an agile approach for secure code learning see 2x to 3x business impact from two levers: the ability to fix vulnerabilities faster and rework cost avoidance. 

The earlier in the SDLC that vulnerabilities are addressed, the less damage they can cause and the less costly they are to remediate. According to security expert Jim Routh, who previously served as Chief Security Officer at Aetna and CISO at MassMutual, the cost per defect during the phases of the SDLC rise to greater than $14,000 if performed during maintenance mode after the software is released to production. Costs can be halved if addressed during testing and they can be 14 times less expensive if addressed during the coding phase.  

The more well-equipped developers are to fix vulnerabilities faster or to avoid them altogether, the less cost and risk an organization must accept in its software products and internal applications. Organizations that want to invest in vulnerability prevention and software quality provide developers with an agile learning platform that delivers flexible experiences and multiple pathways for them to learn, specifically designed for immediate business impact.

Research from NIST indicates that the hours required to fix a vulnerability varies, but the estimates in the table below have been identified in real-world scenarios with large enterprise customers.

Stage Defect Found

Hours to fix

Requirements/Design

1.2

Coding/Unit Testing

4.9

Integration Testing

9.5

Beta Testing

12.1

Post Production Release

15.3

After teams develop new secure coding skills, SCW customers have noted their developers fix vulnerabilities as much as 50% to 60% faster and produce 50% fewer high-risk vulnerabilities in production code. Every organization’s experience varies, but these results have been observed at large enterprises with more than 5,000 developers. Increasing developer productivity has had a bottom line impact.

Operational cost reduction: fix vulnerabilities faster

To understand the financial impact of a more secure software development process and how an investment in an agile learning platform helps developers fix vulnerabilities faster, use the model below and substitute your own numbers for the variables in blue:

 Baseline:

$125k

Average loaded annual salary

2,080

Developer work hours per year

$60

Developer cost per hour (salary/work hours)

9.5

MTTR (mean time to remediate, which can be calculated by stage, but for simplicity we use the integration testing phase here)

$570

Remediation cost per defect

25,000

Annual number of vulnerabilities to fix (integration testing phase)

$14,250,000

Remediation cost (annualized)

Assumed benefit of agile learning platform on MTTR (Mean Time To Remediate)

50%

Improvement in MTTR due to ongoing secure code education program

4.75

New MTTR

$285

Remediation cost per defect

25,000

Annual number of vulnerabilities to fix (integration testing phase)

$7,125,000

Remediation cost (annualized)

Prevention value: rework cost avoidance

An agile learning platform helps developers write secure code from the start.  The model for determining this financial impact is presented below.

$125,000

Average loaded annual salary

.3%

Percent of new code with high-risk vulnerabilities (integration testing phase)

50%

Reduction in high-risk vulnerabilities created after an ongoing secure code education program

$60

Average cost of developer hour

4.25

MTTR (after secure code education program)

Monthly

Annualized

Lines of code

500

6,000

New lines of code per developer

500,000

6,000,000

New lines of code total

1,500

18,000

Number of high-risk vulnerabilities created

$382,500

$4,590,000

Cost of remediation for high-risk vulnerabilities

750

9,000

Number of high-risk vulnerabilities prevented after an ongoing secure code education program

$191,250

$2,295,000

Cost savings from rework avoidance

18.36

FTE capacity created


Agile learning approach makes a difference

The SCW agile learning platform for secure code is superior to alternative developer security training approaches. SCW customers have seen outstanding results, which of course vary according to the individual costs and vulnerability metrics of their unique situation. One large financial services company, Envestnet, found that SCW-educated developers fixed 2.7x more vulnerabilities than their peers.  Additionally, a group of 1,200 SCW-educated developers increased remediation rates in their queue by 120%.   

As with any business solution investment, It’s important to evaluate your unique circumstances.  Our team can partner with you on an assessment of your current state and develop a customized business case. If you’re looking to assess the impact on your own, use the models outlined in this blog and take a look at a recent customer webinar with Sage, the UK-based $2B Accounting and ERP software company, who discuss an 82% reduction in MTTR for vulnerabilities as part of a robust program to build a security culture.


About Secure Code Warrior

Secure Code Warrior gives your developers the skills to write secure code. Our learning platform is the most effective secure coding solution because it uses agile learning methods for developers to learn, apply, and retain software security principles. Over 600 enterprises trust Secure Code Warrior to implement agile learning security programs, deliver secure software rapidly, and create a culture of developer-driven security. Ready to learn more?  Request a demo. 

Agile Learning Platform
Agile Learning Platform
View Resource
View Resource

The cost of addressing code vulnerabilities and technical debt is high and continues to suppress software development teams’ productivity. Learn how implementing an agile learning platform for secure code can more effectively train developers on secure coding techniques to fix vulnerabilities faster as well as earlier in the SDLC and prevent them in the first place to drive significant cost avoidance. This blog outlines how to think about the financial impact and ROI of an agile learning platform.

Interested in more?

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
Share on:
Author
Vivek Asija
Published Jul 24, 2023

Vivek is a former VP of Product Marketing at Secure Code Warrior, where he led positioning, messaging, and GTM strategy.

Share on:
Agile Learning Platform
Agile Learning Platform

Agile learning for secure code in the SDLC pays off 

This is the third in a three-part blog series discussing the attributes and benefits of an Agile Learning Platform for secure code. In part 1 we introduced the concept of agile learning and how Secure Code Warrior’s platform exemplifies several agile principles.  In part 2 we explored how an agile learning platform replaces traditional compliance-oriented security training.  

An agile learning platform delivers a learning experience that allows the learner to internalize and use new skills more effectively, through a combination of hands-on, in-context education that’s truly integrated into their day-to-day job, as part of the job.  This approach to learning, as SCW has applied it to developers acquiring secure coding skills, separates SCW from traditional learning modalities and sets us apart. In this third and final blog in the series we walk you through the ROI organizations can expect from an agile learning platform for secure code and how to model the numbers for your organization.

Business impact

Organizations that adopt an agile approach for secure code learning see 2x to 3x business impact from two levers: the ability to fix vulnerabilities faster and rework cost avoidance. 

The earlier in the SDLC that vulnerabilities are addressed, the less damage they can cause and the less costly they are to remediate. According to security expert Jim Routh, who previously served as Chief Security Officer at Aetna and CISO at MassMutual, the cost per defect during the phases of the SDLC rise to greater than $14,000 if performed during maintenance mode after the software is released to production. Costs can be halved if addressed during testing and they can be 14 times less expensive if addressed during the coding phase.  

The more well-equipped developers are to fix vulnerabilities faster or to avoid them altogether, the less cost and risk an organization must accept in its software products and internal applications. Organizations that want to invest in vulnerability prevention and software quality provide developers with an agile learning platform that delivers flexible experiences and multiple pathways for them to learn, specifically designed for immediate business impact.

Research from NIST indicates that the hours required to fix a vulnerability varies, but the estimates in the table below have been identified in real-world scenarios with large enterprise customers.

Stage Defect Found

Hours to fix

Requirements/Design

1.2

Coding/Unit Testing

4.9

Integration Testing

9.5

Beta Testing

12.1

Post Production Release

15.3

After teams develop new secure coding skills, SCW customers have noted their developers fix vulnerabilities as much as 50% to 60% faster and produce 50% fewer high-risk vulnerabilities in production code. Every organization’s experience varies, but these results have been observed at large enterprises with more than 5,000 developers. Increasing developer productivity has had a bottom line impact.

Operational cost reduction: fix vulnerabilities faster

To understand the financial impact of a more secure software development process and how an investment in an agile learning platform helps developers fix vulnerabilities faster, use the model below and substitute your own numbers for the variables in blue:

 Baseline:

$125k

Average loaded annual salary

2,080

Developer work hours per year

$60

Developer cost per hour (salary/work hours)

9.5

MTTR (mean time to remediate, which can be calculated by stage, but for simplicity we use the integration testing phase here)

$570

Remediation cost per defect

25,000

Annual number of vulnerabilities to fix (integration testing phase)

$14,250,000

Remediation cost (annualized)

Assumed benefit of agile learning platform on MTTR (Mean Time To Remediate)

50%

Improvement in MTTR due to ongoing secure code education program

4.75

New MTTR

$285

Remediation cost per defect

25,000

Annual number of vulnerabilities to fix (integration testing phase)

$7,125,000

Remediation cost (annualized)

Prevention value: rework cost avoidance

An agile learning platform helps developers write secure code from the start.  The model for determining this financial impact is presented below.

$125,000

Average loaded annual salary

.3%

Percent of new code with high-risk vulnerabilities (integration testing phase)

50%

Reduction in high-risk vulnerabilities created after an ongoing secure code education program

$60

Average cost of developer hour

4.25

MTTR (after secure code education program)

Monthly

Annualized

Lines of code

500

6,000

New lines of code per developer

500,000

6,000,000

New lines of code total

1,500

18,000

Number of high-risk vulnerabilities created

$382,500

$4,590,000

Cost of remediation for high-risk vulnerabilities

750

9,000

Number of high-risk vulnerabilities prevented after an ongoing secure code education program

$191,250

$2,295,000

Cost savings from rework avoidance

18.36

FTE capacity created


Agile learning approach makes a difference

The SCW agile learning platform for secure code is superior to alternative developer security training approaches. SCW customers have seen outstanding results, which of course vary according to the individual costs and vulnerability metrics of their unique situation. One large financial services company, Envestnet, found that SCW-educated developers fixed 2.7x more vulnerabilities than their peers.  Additionally, a group of 1,200 SCW-educated developers increased remediation rates in their queue by 120%.   

As with any business solution investment, It’s important to evaluate your unique circumstances.  Our team can partner with you on an assessment of your current state and develop a customized business case. If you’re looking to assess the impact on your own, use the models outlined in this blog and take a look at a recent customer webinar with Sage, the UK-based $2B Accounting and ERP software company, who discuss an 82% reduction in MTTR for vulnerabilities as part of a robust program to build a security culture.


About Secure Code Warrior

Secure Code Warrior gives your developers the skills to write secure code. Our learning platform is the most effective secure coding solution because it uses agile learning methods for developers to learn, apply, and retain software security principles. Over 600 enterprises trust Secure Code Warrior to implement agile learning security programs, deliver secure software rapidly, and create a culture of developer-driven security. Ready to learn more?  Request a demo. 

View Resource
View Resource

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Agile Learning Platform

Agile learning for secure code in the SDLC pays off 

This is the third in a three-part blog series discussing the attributes and benefits of an Agile Learning Platform for secure code. In part 1 we introduced the concept of agile learning and how Secure Code Warrior’s platform exemplifies several agile principles.  In part 2 we explored how an agile learning platform replaces traditional compliance-oriented security training.  

An agile learning platform delivers a learning experience that allows the learner to internalize and use new skills more effectively, through a combination of hands-on, in-context education that’s truly integrated into their day-to-day job, as part of the job.  This approach to learning, as SCW has applied it to developers acquiring secure coding skills, separates SCW from traditional learning modalities and sets us apart. In this third and final blog in the series we walk you through the ROI organizations can expect from an agile learning platform for secure code and how to model the numbers for your organization.

Business impact

Organizations that adopt an agile approach for secure code learning see 2x to 3x business impact from two levers: the ability to fix vulnerabilities faster and rework cost avoidance. 

The earlier in the SDLC that vulnerabilities are addressed, the less damage they can cause and the less costly they are to remediate. According to security expert Jim Routh, who previously served as Chief Security Officer at Aetna and CISO at MassMutual, the cost per defect during the phases of the SDLC rise to greater than $14,000 if performed during maintenance mode after the software is released to production. Costs can be halved if addressed during testing and they can be 14 times less expensive if addressed during the coding phase.  

The more well-equipped developers are to fix vulnerabilities faster or to avoid them altogether, the less cost and risk an organization must accept in its software products and internal applications. Organizations that want to invest in vulnerability prevention and software quality provide developers with an agile learning platform that delivers flexible experiences and multiple pathways for them to learn, specifically designed for immediate business impact.

Research from NIST indicates that the hours required to fix a vulnerability varies, but the estimates in the table below have been identified in real-world scenarios with large enterprise customers.

Stage Defect Found

Hours to fix

Requirements/Design

1.2

Coding/Unit Testing

4.9

Integration Testing

9.5

Beta Testing

12.1

Post Production Release

15.3

After teams develop new secure coding skills, SCW customers have noted their developers fix vulnerabilities as much as 50% to 60% faster and produce 50% fewer high-risk vulnerabilities in production code. Every organization’s experience varies, but these results have been observed at large enterprises with more than 5,000 developers. Increasing developer productivity has had a bottom line impact.

Operational cost reduction: fix vulnerabilities faster

To understand the financial impact of a more secure software development process and how an investment in an agile learning platform helps developers fix vulnerabilities faster, use the model below and substitute your own numbers for the variables in blue:

 Baseline:

$125k

Average loaded annual salary

2,080

Developer work hours per year

$60

Developer cost per hour (salary/work hours)

9.5

MTTR (mean time to remediate, which can be calculated by stage, but for simplicity we use the integration testing phase here)

$570

Remediation cost per defect

25,000

Annual number of vulnerabilities to fix (integration testing phase)

$14,250,000

Remediation cost (annualized)

Assumed benefit of agile learning platform on MTTR (Mean Time To Remediate)

50%

Improvement in MTTR due to ongoing secure code education program

4.75

New MTTR

$285

Remediation cost per defect

25,000

Annual number of vulnerabilities to fix (integration testing phase)

$7,125,000

Remediation cost (annualized)

Prevention value: rework cost avoidance

An agile learning platform helps developers write secure code from the start.  The model for determining this financial impact is presented below.

$125,000

Average loaded annual salary

.3%

Percent of new code with high-risk vulnerabilities (integration testing phase)

50%

Reduction in high-risk vulnerabilities created after an ongoing secure code education program

$60

Average cost of developer hour

4.25

MTTR (after secure code education program)

Monthly

Annualized

Lines of code

500

6,000

New lines of code per developer

500,000

6,000,000

New lines of code total

1,500

18,000

Number of high-risk vulnerabilities created

$382,500

$4,590,000

Cost of remediation for high-risk vulnerabilities

750

9,000

Number of high-risk vulnerabilities prevented after an ongoing secure code education program

$191,250

$2,295,000

Cost savings from rework avoidance

18.36

FTE capacity created


Agile learning approach makes a difference

The SCW agile learning platform for secure code is superior to alternative developer security training approaches. SCW customers have seen outstanding results, which of course vary according to the individual costs and vulnerability metrics of their unique situation. One large financial services company, Envestnet, found that SCW-educated developers fixed 2.7x more vulnerabilities than their peers.  Additionally, a group of 1,200 SCW-educated developers increased remediation rates in their queue by 120%.   

As with any business solution investment, It’s important to evaluate your unique circumstances.  Our team can partner with you on an assessment of your current state and develop a customized business case. If you’re looking to assess the impact on your own, use the models outlined in this blog and take a look at a recent customer webinar with Sage, the UK-based $2B Accounting and ERP software company, who discuss an 82% reduction in MTTR for vulnerabilities as part of a robust program to build a security culture.


About Secure Code Warrior

Secure Code Warrior gives your developers the skills to write secure code. Our learning platform is the most effective secure coding solution because it uses agile learning methods for developers to learn, apply, and retain software security principles. Over 600 enterprises trust Secure Code Warrior to implement agile learning security programs, deliver secure software rapidly, and create a culture of developer-driven security. Ready to learn more?  Request a demo. 

Interested in more?

Click on the link below and download the PDF of this one pager.

Download

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
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Interested in more?

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Author
Vivek Asija
Published Jul 24, 2023

Vivek is a former VP of Product Marketing at Secure Code Warrior, where he led positioning, messaging, and GTM strategy.

Share on:

Agile learning for secure code in the SDLC pays off 

This is the third in a three-part blog series discussing the attributes and benefits of an Agile Learning Platform for secure code. In part 1 we introduced the concept of agile learning and how Secure Code Warrior’s platform exemplifies several agile principles.  In part 2 we explored how an agile learning platform replaces traditional compliance-oriented security training.  

An agile learning platform delivers a learning experience that allows the learner to internalize and use new skills more effectively, through a combination of hands-on, in-context education that’s truly integrated into their day-to-day job, as part of the job.  This approach to learning, as SCW has applied it to developers acquiring secure coding skills, separates SCW from traditional learning modalities and sets us apart. In this third and final blog in the series we walk you through the ROI organizations can expect from an agile learning platform for secure code and how to model the numbers for your organization.

Business impact

Organizations that adopt an agile approach for secure code learning see 2x to 3x business impact from two levers: the ability to fix vulnerabilities faster and rework cost avoidance. 

The earlier in the SDLC that vulnerabilities are addressed, the less damage they can cause and the less costly they are to remediate. According to security expert Jim Routh, who previously served as Chief Security Officer at Aetna and CISO at MassMutual, the cost per defect during the phases of the SDLC rise to greater than $14,000 if performed during maintenance mode after the software is released to production. Costs can be halved if addressed during testing and they can be 14 times less expensive if addressed during the coding phase.  

The more well-equipped developers are to fix vulnerabilities faster or to avoid them altogether, the less cost and risk an organization must accept in its software products and internal applications. Organizations that want to invest in vulnerability prevention and software quality provide developers with an agile learning platform that delivers flexible experiences and multiple pathways for them to learn, specifically designed for immediate business impact.

Research from NIST indicates that the hours required to fix a vulnerability varies, but the estimates in the table below have been identified in real-world scenarios with large enterprise customers.

Stage Defect Found

Hours to fix

Requirements/Design

1.2

Coding/Unit Testing

4.9

Integration Testing

9.5

Beta Testing

12.1

Post Production Release

15.3

After teams develop new secure coding skills, SCW customers have noted their developers fix vulnerabilities as much as 50% to 60% faster and produce 50% fewer high-risk vulnerabilities in production code. Every organization’s experience varies, but these results have been observed at large enterprises with more than 5,000 developers. Increasing developer productivity has had a bottom line impact.

Operational cost reduction: fix vulnerabilities faster

To understand the financial impact of a more secure software development process and how an investment in an agile learning platform helps developers fix vulnerabilities faster, use the model below and substitute your own numbers for the variables in blue:

 Baseline:

$125k

Average loaded annual salary

2,080

Developer work hours per year

$60

Developer cost per hour (salary/work hours)

9.5

MTTR (mean time to remediate, which can be calculated by stage, but for simplicity we use the integration testing phase here)

$570

Remediation cost per defect

25,000

Annual number of vulnerabilities to fix (integration testing phase)

$14,250,000

Remediation cost (annualized)

Assumed benefit of agile learning platform on MTTR (Mean Time To Remediate)

50%

Improvement in MTTR due to ongoing secure code education program

4.75

New MTTR

$285

Remediation cost per defect

25,000

Annual number of vulnerabilities to fix (integration testing phase)

$7,125,000

Remediation cost (annualized)

Prevention value: rework cost avoidance

An agile learning platform helps developers write secure code from the start.  The model for determining this financial impact is presented below.

$125,000

Average loaded annual salary

.3%

Percent of new code with high-risk vulnerabilities (integration testing phase)

50%

Reduction in high-risk vulnerabilities created after an ongoing secure code education program

$60

Average cost of developer hour

4.25

MTTR (after secure code education program)

Monthly

Annualized

Lines of code

500

6,000

New lines of code per developer

500,000

6,000,000

New lines of code total

1,500

18,000

Number of high-risk vulnerabilities created

$382,500

$4,590,000

Cost of remediation for high-risk vulnerabilities

750

9,000

Number of high-risk vulnerabilities prevented after an ongoing secure code education program

$191,250

$2,295,000

Cost savings from rework avoidance

18.36

FTE capacity created


Agile learning approach makes a difference

The SCW agile learning platform for secure code is superior to alternative developer security training approaches. SCW customers have seen outstanding results, which of course vary according to the individual costs and vulnerability metrics of their unique situation. One large financial services company, Envestnet, found that SCW-educated developers fixed 2.7x more vulnerabilities than their peers.  Additionally, a group of 1,200 SCW-educated developers increased remediation rates in their queue by 120%.   

As with any business solution investment, It’s important to evaluate your unique circumstances.  Our team can partner with you on an assessment of your current state and develop a customized business case. If you’re looking to assess the impact on your own, use the models outlined in this blog and take a look at a recent customer webinar with Sage, the UK-based $2B Accounting and ERP software company, who discuss an 82% reduction in MTTR for vulnerabilities as part of a robust program to build a security culture.


About Secure Code Warrior

Secure Code Warrior gives your developers the skills to write secure code. Our learning platform is the most effective secure coding solution because it uses agile learning methods for developers to learn, apply, and retain software security principles. Over 600 enterprises trust Secure Code Warrior to implement agile learning security programs, deliver secure software rapidly, and create a culture of developer-driven security. Ready to learn more?  Request a demo. 

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View Resource
Interested in more?

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 demoDownload
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