Current secure code training is letting developers down
As data breaches and their costs continue to rise, the volume of code produced in our world is too big for security experts to handle alone. Companies need developers with secure coding skills – and developers know they need these skills to advance their careers. But current secure code training is letting them down. So what do developers want when it comes to secure code training? To answer this question, let’s look at some insights from a recent study on developers’ attitudes towards secure coding, secure code practices, and security operations, conducted by Secure Code Warrior with Evans Data Corp*. (Download whitepaper here).
When it comes to the kind of training developers want, the answer is crystal clear. 75% of developers preferred structured on-the-job training, finding it the most effective and satisfying way to learn. And when it comes to what that training should include, developers have some very clear and specific asks:
- 65% say they need training in language-specific vulnerabilities
- 65% want more training in the OWASP Top 10
- Many also want a focus on compliance security frameworks, including NIST (58%), CIS (52%) and PCI DSS (50%)
- 78% want informal peer coaching and guidance as part of that training
But while developers strongly prefer structured coursework to unstructured learning, the way that coursework is delivered is critical. Of course, this raises another crucial question:
How do developers prefer to learn?
Developers don't want to sit around listening to lecturers – they want to get their hands on stuff and try it for themselves. They want a focus on practical applications – something current training programs sorely lack. When asked to identify how company-provided training could improve, 30% of respondents revealed that they would like that training focused on practical applications, particularly authentic work scenarios.
Developer training needs a human-led approach that offers guided learning pathways that include 'gamified' coding challenges that are both hands-on and language:framework-specific. Role-specified ‘gamified’ training gets developers highly engaged, with configurable learning modules that allow an organisation to target developer learning towards specific vulnerabilities.
To find out how to make software security an intrinsic part of your development process with structured, skill-based pathways that deliver the training developers want, request a demo now.
"The interactive simulations help you to identify security vulnerabilities in code, challenge you to think critically and find the solution or multiple solutions. I've seen code through a new lens, and being hands-on has brought so much joy!"
Software Engineer, Financial Services
*Shifting from reaction to prevention: The changing face of application security. Secure Code Warrior and Evans Data Corp. 2020
.avif)
.avif)
As data breaches and their costs continue to rise, the volume of code produced in our world is too big for security experts to handle alone. Companies need developers with secure coding skills – and developers know they need these skills to advance their careers. But current secure code training is letting them down. So what do developers want when it comes to secure code training?
Secure Code Warrior makes secure coding a positive and engaging experience for developers as they increase their skills. We guide each coder along their own preferred learning pathway, so that security-skilled developers become the everyday superheroes of our connected world.
Secure Code Warrior is here for your organization to help you secure code across the entire software development lifecycle and create a culture in which cybersecurity is top of mind. Whether you’re an AppSec Manager, Developer, CISO, or anyone involved in security, we can help your organization reduce risks associated with insecure code.
Book a demo
Secure Code Warrior makes secure coding a positive and engaging experience for developers as they increase their skills. We guide each coder along their own preferred learning pathway, so that security-skilled developers become the everyday superheroes of our connected world.
This article was written by Secure Code Warrior's team of industry experts, committed to empowering developers with the knowledge and skills to build secure software from the start. Drawing on deep expertise in secure coding practices, industry trends, and real-world insights.
As data breaches and their costs continue to rise, the volume of code produced in our world is too big for security experts to handle alone. Companies need developers with secure coding skills – and developers know they need these skills to advance their careers. But current secure code training is letting them down. So what do developers want when it comes to secure code training? To answer this question, let’s look at some insights from a recent study on developers’ attitudes towards secure coding, secure code practices, and security operations, conducted by Secure Code Warrior with Evans Data Corp*. (Download whitepaper here).
When it comes to the kind of training developers want, the answer is crystal clear. 75% of developers preferred structured on-the-job training, finding it the most effective and satisfying way to learn. And when it comes to what that training should include, developers have some very clear and specific asks:
- 65% say they need training in language-specific vulnerabilities
- 65% want more training in the OWASP Top 10
- Many also want a focus on compliance security frameworks, including NIST (58%), CIS (52%) and PCI DSS (50%)
- 78% want informal peer coaching and guidance as part of that training
But while developers strongly prefer structured coursework to unstructured learning, the way that coursework is delivered is critical. Of course, this raises another crucial question:
How do developers prefer to learn?
Developers don't want to sit around listening to lecturers – they want to get their hands on stuff and try it for themselves. They want a focus on practical applications – something current training programs sorely lack. When asked to identify how company-provided training could improve, 30% of respondents revealed that they would like that training focused on practical applications, particularly authentic work scenarios.
Developer training needs a human-led approach that offers guided learning pathways that include 'gamified' coding challenges that are both hands-on and language:framework-specific. Role-specified ‘gamified’ training gets developers highly engaged, with configurable learning modules that allow an organisation to target developer learning towards specific vulnerabilities.
To find out how to make software security an intrinsic part of your development process with structured, skill-based pathways that deliver the training developers want, request a demo now.
"The interactive simulations help you to identify security vulnerabilities in code, challenge you to think critically and find the solution or multiple solutions. I've seen code through a new lens, and being hands-on has brought so much joy!"
Software Engineer, Financial Services
*Shifting from reaction to prevention: The changing face of application security. Secure Code Warrior and Evans Data Corp. 2020
As data breaches and their costs continue to rise, the volume of code produced in our world is too big for security experts to handle alone. Companies need developers with secure coding skills – and developers know they need these skills to advance their careers. But current secure code training is letting them down. So what do developers want when it comes to secure code training? To answer this question, let’s look at some insights from a recent study on developers’ attitudes towards secure coding, secure code practices, and security operations, conducted by Secure Code Warrior with Evans Data Corp*. (Download whitepaper here).
When it comes to the kind of training developers want, the answer is crystal clear. 75% of developers preferred structured on-the-job training, finding it the most effective and satisfying way to learn. And when it comes to what that training should include, developers have some very clear and specific asks:
- 65% say they need training in language-specific vulnerabilities
- 65% want more training in the OWASP Top 10
- Many also want a focus on compliance security frameworks, including NIST (58%), CIS (52%) and PCI DSS (50%)
- 78% want informal peer coaching and guidance as part of that training
But while developers strongly prefer structured coursework to unstructured learning, the way that coursework is delivered is critical. Of course, this raises another crucial question:
How do developers prefer to learn?
Developers don't want to sit around listening to lecturers – they want to get their hands on stuff and try it for themselves. They want a focus on practical applications – something current training programs sorely lack. When asked to identify how company-provided training could improve, 30% of respondents revealed that they would like that training focused on practical applications, particularly authentic work scenarios.
Developer training needs a human-led approach that offers guided learning pathways that include 'gamified' coding challenges that are both hands-on and language:framework-specific. Role-specified ‘gamified’ training gets developers highly engaged, with configurable learning modules that allow an organisation to target developer learning towards specific vulnerabilities.
To find out how to make software security an intrinsic part of your development process with structured, skill-based pathways that deliver the training developers want, request a demo now.
"The interactive simulations help you to identify security vulnerabilities in code, challenge you to think critically and find the solution or multiple solutions. I've seen code through a new lens, and being hands-on has brought so much joy!"
Software Engineer, Financial Services
*Shifting from reaction to prevention: The changing face of application security. Secure Code Warrior and Evans Data Corp. 2020
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
Secure Code Warrior makes secure coding a positive and engaging experience for developers as they increase their skills. We guide each coder along their own preferred learning pathway, so that security-skilled developers become the everyday superheroes of our connected world.
This article was written by Secure Code Warrior's team of industry experts, committed to empowering developers with the knowledge and skills to build secure software from the start. Drawing on deep expertise in secure coding practices, industry trends, and real-world insights.
As data breaches and their costs continue to rise, the volume of code produced in our world is too big for security experts to handle alone. Companies need developers with secure coding skills – and developers know they need these skills to advance their careers. But current secure code training is letting them down. So what do developers want when it comes to secure code training? To answer this question, let’s look at some insights from a recent study on developers’ attitudes towards secure coding, secure code practices, and security operations, conducted by Secure Code Warrior with Evans Data Corp*. (Download whitepaper here).
When it comes to the kind of training developers want, the answer is crystal clear. 75% of developers preferred structured on-the-job training, finding it the most effective and satisfying way to learn. And when it comes to what that training should include, developers have some very clear and specific asks:
- 65% say they need training in language-specific vulnerabilities
- 65% want more training in the OWASP Top 10
- Many also want a focus on compliance security frameworks, including NIST (58%), CIS (52%) and PCI DSS (50%)
- 78% want informal peer coaching and guidance as part of that training
But while developers strongly prefer structured coursework to unstructured learning, the way that coursework is delivered is critical. Of course, this raises another crucial question:
How do developers prefer to learn?
Developers don't want to sit around listening to lecturers – they want to get their hands on stuff and try it for themselves. They want a focus on practical applications – something current training programs sorely lack. When asked to identify how company-provided training could improve, 30% of respondents revealed that they would like that training focused on practical applications, particularly authentic work scenarios.
Developer training needs a human-led approach that offers guided learning pathways that include 'gamified' coding challenges that are both hands-on and language:framework-specific. Role-specified ‘gamified’ training gets developers highly engaged, with configurable learning modules that allow an organisation to target developer learning towards specific vulnerabilities.
To find out how to make software security an intrinsic part of your development process with structured, skill-based pathways that deliver the training developers want, request a demo now.
"The interactive simulations help you to identify security vulnerabilities in code, challenge you to think critically and find the solution or multiple solutions. I've seen code through a new lens, and being hands-on has brought so much joy!"
Software Engineer, Financial Services
*Shifting from reaction to prevention: The changing face of application security. Secure Code Warrior and Evans Data Corp. 2020
Table of contents
Secure Code Warrior makes secure coding a positive and engaging experience for developers as they increase their skills. We guide each coder along their own preferred learning pathway, so that security-skilled developers become the everyday superheroes of our connected world.
Secure Code Warrior is here for your organization to help you secure code across the entire software development lifecycle and create a culture in which cybersecurity is top of mind. Whether you’re an AppSec Manager, Developer, CISO, or anyone involved in security, we can help your organization reduce risks associated with insecure code.
Book a demoDownloadResources to get you started
Secure 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.
