Secure by design 

Organizations strive to protect their codebase against risks, yet often, the focus on code security tends to emerge later in the development lifecycle rather than as an initial investment in secure-by-design practices. This common approach not only increases business risks but also escalates maintenance and remediation costs. By delaying the early integration of code security measures, a substantial burden is placed on development teams to retroactively tackle security issues, which in turn can significantly slow down project delivery. This delayed security focus undermines efforts to enhance the security posture, leading to software that may fulfill functional needs but falls short in crucial aspects of security and overall quality.

Early investment in code security reduces risks and costs and improves development speed.

Organizations require changes in their security approach coupled with the right tools that proactively integrate security by design practices from the early stages of the software development lifecycle (SDLC). The shift-left approach enables organizations to develop more secure software by identifying and reducing security vulnerabilities early in code development. It ensures that the software not only meets the specific criteria set by the organization but also complies with secure coding standards, such as the NIST Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF). Organizations can significantly improve their security posture by providing a developer-focused approach and tooling that conforms with NIST SSDF best practices.