How can you convince stakeholders to prioritize security in systems design?

3 Communicate the benefits

The third step is to communicate the benefits and advantages of security in systems design. You can highlight how security can improve the quality, reliability, and performance of the systems, as well as reduce the complexity, maintenance, and errors. You can also showcase how security can enable new features, functionalities, or markets, such as encryption, authentication, or cloud services. You can also share success stories, testimonials, or feedback from other customers, partners, or experts who have adopted security in their systems design. By demonstrating the value and outcomes of security, you can make the stakeholders appreciate and trust your solutions.

4 Involve the stakeholders

The fourth step is to involve the stakeholders in the security design process. You can solicit their input, feedback, or suggestions on the security requirements, specifications, or trade-offs. You can also educate them on the security principles, practices, or tools that you use, such as threat modeling, secure coding, or testing. You can also collaborate with them on the security implementation, deployment, or monitoring, such as using agile methods, DevSecOps, or security metrics. By engaging the stakeholders in the security design process, you can make them feel part of the team and share the responsibility and ownership of the security.

5 Address the challenges

The fifth step is to address the challenges and obstacles that may hinder the security design process. You can anticipate and mitigate the common issues, such as budget constraints, time pressure, or technical limitations. You can also propose and justify the optimal security solutions, such as using best practices, standards, or frameworks, such as OWASP, ISO, or NIST. You can also provide and leverage the available resources, such as security experts, consultants, or tools, such as scanners, analyzers, or libraries. By tackling the challenges and problems, you can make the security design process smoother and easier for the stakeholders.

6 Follow up and update

The final step is to follow up and update the stakeholders on the security design progress and results. You can report and document the security design decisions, actions, or outcomes, such as using security design patterns, diagrams, or reports. You can also measure and evaluate the security design performance, effectiveness, or improvement, such as using security audits, reviews, or metrics. You can also seek and incorporate the stakeholders' feedback, opinions, or satisfaction on the security design process and product. By keeping the stakeholders informed and involved, you can make them feel valued and respected, and build a long-term relationship and trust with them.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?