Most application security incidents stem from defects in the code committed by software engineers when designing, implementing, and integrating applications. This should not be a surprise, given that software security is typically not a part of standard educational programs. A critical first step in developing secure applications is an effective training plan that allows developers to learn important secure coding principles and how they can be applied, then integrates these into SDLC architecture and design elements.

Without training in secure coding practices, developers continue making the same mistakes over and over again, and you are opening yourself up to considerable risk. Programmers should be held accountable for their code, but they can’t do that if they don’t know what to look out for. Preventing software vulnerabilities pays off. The benefits of fixing code earlier in the SDLC are well recorded. Estimated “costs to fix” later in the SDLC are between 6 and 1,000 times more expensive than fixing security bugs in the coding stage.