Six Ways to Foster a Security Mindset in Engineering Teams

Human error can be found at the root of the vast majority of cybersecurity breaches. According to Verizon’s 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report, 82% of global cybersecurity incidents included some level of human involvement. Security cannot only be the mandate of information security teams. Every member of an organization must take responsibility for good security habits—including software engineers.

Fostering a security mindset among engineering teams can deliver outsized impact for companies looking to improve their defense. Engineers that embrace security will be aware of potential threats and vulnerabilities as well as overall reliability and application integrity. This approach ensures that every link in the chain is strong and secure instead of depending on a security leader to strengthen the chain after it has been built.

By following these six steps, organizations can improve their security and significantly decrease the likelihood of a damaging breach.

1. Establish a comprehensive training program: We can’t expect engineers to integrate security into the development process if they’ve never been taught how. An effective security training program will include a comprehensive list of potential vulnerabilities, as well as detailed information on how the different steps in application development interact to pose potential security challenges. From architecture to code to testing, every engineer must be aware of how a bad actor could take advantage of their tech stack. Security training programs must be tailored to the needs of the organization, taking into account specific policies and processes.
   
2. Adopt a “shift left” mindset: Secure development starts with the first line of code. Engineers should be encouraged to consider how to make their applications secure as early as possible instead of just reviewing for vulnerabilities at the end of the development life cycle. A skilled home cook will clean dishes and instruments as they go along to prevent a pile-up by the end of the meal. The same applies to software engineering—integrating security into every step of the development process prevents the likelihood of a headache at the end of the road.
   
3. Avoid the easy path: Engineers are conditioned to move quickly and look for optimization. But when it comes to security, taking shortcuts or cutting corners can lead to disaster. Engineers must take the time to review default settings that could put their team at risk, including insecure default passwords and unprotected operating systems. No one knows an application better than the engineer that built it; engineers should devote time to attacking their own code, figuring out how a hacker may gain entry and then working to resolve the vulnerability.
4. Encourage collaboration and peer reviews: Nobody’s perfect. The data on human error in security breaches show that we need to take more time to check our work and make sure we’re not overlooking mistakes. Organizations should develop systems for peer reviews, which will reduce the possibility of a bug or vulnerability making its way into production.
5. Maintain detailed libraries: Regardless of its size or mission, every company works with a collection of software solutions, applications and microservices on a daily basis. Engineers must look beyond their own development to consider the vulnerabilities in internal tools and third-party services. Security-minded organizations should develop systems for checking libraries for vulnerabilities and maintaining those libraries over time. Constant vigilance is key to avoiding a security lapse.
6. Stay ahead of the game: Cybersecurity is dynamic. Bad actors will always be evolving and honing their methods, looking for new ways to gain access to valuable assets. Software engineers should be encouraged to stay ahead of the newest trends in cybersecurity, keeping their skills and knowledge sharp to prevent breaches. Whether it’s reading security publications, participating in conferences or even just establishing channels to share knowledge throughout the company, engineering teams should take pride in always being at the cutting edge of security.

Every software engineer wants their tools and applications to succeed. Engineering teams must begin including security as a success metric in order to maintain reliability and performance.