Why Adopt Security by Design?

by Rohit Sethi, Chief Executive Officer
 | August 13, 2024
image with text Why Adopt Security by Design

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, ensuring robust software security from the ground up has become more critical than ever. Security by Design is a proactive approach that embeds security considerations into every phase of the software development lifecycle, starting from the planning and design stages. 

This contrasts with traditional methods that rely heavily on testing to identify vulnerabilities post-development. But why should organizations adopt Security by Design? Understanding the value drivers behind this approach is critical to appreciating its benefits.

The Need for Security by Design

Many practitioners often articulate the benefits of Security by Design in purely technical terms, such as “getting ahead of vulnerabilities” or “improving maturity in secure SDLC.” However, these benefits might not resonate with non-technical stakeholders. 

Moreover, implementing Security by Design represents a long-term, systemic change, which can take years to realize and is often prone to being deprioritized by other initiatives. Successful adoption begins with articulating the business benefits in clear, quantifiable terms that matter to the broader organization.

Value Drivers for Security by Design

There are four primary value drivers for organizations to adopt Security by Design: reducing operational costs, reducing risk, improving software security at scale, and growing revenue by demonstrating compliance.

1. Reduce Operational Costs

Without Security by Design:

With Security by Design:
  • Applications are created with vulnerabilities that are expensive to remediate.
  • Security expertise is costly and hard to find.
  • Development teams are blocked by limited access to security experts.
  • Excessive time is spent on remediating audit deficiencies and preparing for audits.
  • Code is written with fewer preventable vulnerabilities, resulting in less rework.
  • Developers take ownership of security outcomes, reducing reliance on scarce security experts.
  • Integrating compliance by design reduces the time and effort spent responding to audits.
Global Analysis of Quality and Productivity chart infographic

Figure 1: Jones, Capers. Applied Software Measurement: Global Analysis of Productivity

Considerations for System Implementation:

When you implement systems for Security by Design, consider the following to maximize operational cost savings:

  • Manual vs. Automated: Manual tools are often free or inexpensive but require more time from development and security teams. In contrast, automated approaches have higher license fees but often require significantly less time to use once implemented. 
  • Knowledge Base: The knowledge base of content in the system should be relevant and comprehensive for your needs.
  • Education: Systems should provide training for end-users to understand how it works. 
  • Integration: Security by design tools should seamlessly integrate with your existing tools and processes.

2. Reduce Risk

Without Security by Design:

With Security by Design:
  • Vulnerabilities are accepted into production.
  • Remediation rates are lower than desired.
  • Software is flagged as non-compliant during regulatory audits.
  • Incidents and breaches occur due to vulnerable software, leading to fines and changing business priorities.
  • Reduced exposure to liability in the event of a breach by following best practices.
  • Fewer vulnerabilities in software, improving overall security posture.
  • Better visibility and tracking of security and compliance efforts.
  • Fewer regulatory audit findings and lower costs to remediate vulnerabilities when prevented earlier in the SDLC.

Considerations for System Implementation:

When you implement systems for Security by Design, consider the following to maximize risk reduction:

  • Effort Allocation: Systems should allow you to allocate effort based on the application’s inherent risk. For example, an Internet-facing web application with personal data is generally at higher risk than an internal system without confidential data.
  • Audit Trails: Systems should maintain detailed audit trails to ensure compliance and provide evidence of security by design in the event of a breach or regulatory non-compliance.
  • Reporting: Systems should provide robust reporting to drive behavior and prioritize actions.
  • Policy Conformance: Systems should show conformance to internal policies.

3. Improve Software Security at Scale

Without Security by Design:

With Security by Design:
  • Software releases are delayed due to waiting for security sign-offs or developers remediating vulnerabilities late in development.
  • Product/project managers must allocate for unplanned vulnerability remediation work. 
  • The strained relationship between business/development and security stakeholders due to missed deadlines and security bottlenecks.
  • Security experts focus only on high-risk applications, leaving others without thorough security analysis.
  • Security requirements are built into planning, turning unplanned work into planned work with measurable outcomes.
  • Faster time to market with fewer delays from remediation and reduced bottlenecks waiting for security experts.
  • Increased knowledge and accountability from development teams, reducing reliance on expertise from security experts.
  • Improved relationships between development and security teams through better planning and coordination.

Considerations for System  Implementation:

  • Developers: Should be able to use security by design systems independently to speed up development and prevent security bottlenecks.
  • Reporting: Systems should provide detailed reporting so security stakeholders can oversee activity and assess risk without direct involvement in development projects.
  • Compliance: Compliance requirements should be clear and easy to understand for developers, avoiding subjective interpretation.
  • Flexibility: The system should be adaptable to different development processes

4. Grow Revenue by Demonstrating Compliance

Without Security by Design:

With Security by Design:
  • Non-compliance with standards results in decreased market opportunities and loss of revenue streams.
  • Brand damage occurs when products are found to be non-compliant.
  • Auditing for compliance without embedding it into the design leads to costly rework and unplanned work.
  • Revenue growth by accessing markets that require compliance.
  • Creating barriers to entry against competitors who have not yet achieved compliance.
  • Building secure products required by law leads to additional market opportunities.

Considerations for System Implementation:

  • Actionable Guidance: Systems should translate broad compliance requirements into specific, actionable steps.
  • Normalization: Systems should normalize compliance requirements across multiple standards to prevent overlap and rework.
  • Integration with GRC: Systems should integrate with the broader Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) program to avoid redundant information in multiple systems.
  • Progress Reporting: Security users should be able to report progress against compliance standards.
  • Detailed Audit Trails: Systems should provide sufficient evidence that standards and regulations were adhered to.

Legal Requirements for Product Vendors

In addition to growing revenue by demonstrating compliance, some product vendors are required to build secure products by law. 

Changing Environment require secure by design

  • European Cyber Resilience Act (CRA): Cybersecurity is considered in the planning, design, development, production, delivery, and maintenance phases. The CRA is expected to become law in early 2024 and enter into force by 2027. It will affect all digital products and impact 10,000+ organizations.
  • US  Executive Order (EO) 14028: Shifting cyber responsibility back to manufacturers. The final attestation form was published in March 2024. Organizations must submit the forms before October 2024. It’s important that organizations that are required to do so comply, as it is a law. This law will affect 10,000+ suppliers in the U.S. federal government.
  • US Cyber Trust Mark: A cybersecurity labeling program for smart devices
  • Industry-specific Regulators & Supervisory Bodies: OSFI (Canada), OCC (US), PCI – Software Security Framework, FDA, etc.

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Conclusion

Adopting Security by Design is not just about improving technical security measures; it’s about driving significant business benefits. By reducing operational costs, mitigating risks, enhancing software security at scale, and enabling revenue growth through compliance, Security by Design offers a comprehensive approach to secure software development. 

Understanding these value drivers and effectively communicating them to all stakeholders is essential for securing buy-in and ensuring the successful implementation of Security by Design initiatives. As cybersecurity threats evolve, embedding security from the ground up will be crucial for building resilient, secure, and compliant software systems.