How can you make your dev team prioritize security and privacy?

1 Educate your dev team

One of the main reasons why developers may not prioritize security and privacy is that they lack the knowledge, skills, or awareness of the best practices and standards in this field. Therefore, it is important to educate your dev team on the fundamentals of security and privacy, such as encryption, authentication, authorization, data protection, threat modeling, and compliance. You can provide them with training courses, workshops, webinars, or online resources that cover these topics and show them how to apply them in their code. You can also encourage them to obtain certifications or badges that demonstrate their proficiency in security and privacy.

2 Integrate security and privacy into the development process

Another way to make your dev team prioritize security and privacy is to integrate them into the development process, rather than treating them as an afterthought or a separate phase. This means that you should include security and privacy requirements, specifications, and tests in every stage of the software lifecycle, from planning and design to coding and deployment. You should also use tools and frameworks that support security and privacy features, such as secure coding standards, code analysis, code review, vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, and encryption libraries. By integrating security and privacy into the development process, you can ensure that your software is built with security and privacy in mind from the start and avoid costly and time-consuming fixes later.

3 Reward security and privacy achievements

A third way to make your dev team prioritize security and privacy is to reward their achievements and efforts in this area. You can recognize and appreciate their work by giving them feedback, praise, recognition, bonuses, or incentives for meeting or exceeding security and privacy goals, standards, or metrics. You can also celebrate their successes by sharing their stories, testimonials, or case studies with other teams, stakeholders, or customers. By rewarding security and privacy achievements, you can motivate your dev team to keep improving their skills and practices and show them the value and impact of their work.

4 Involve your dev team in security and privacy decisions

A fourth way to make your dev team prioritize security and privacy is to involve them in the decisions and discussions that affect security and privacy in your software project. You can invite them to participate in security and privacy audits, reviews, or assessments that evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your software and identify the areas for improvement or enhancement. You can also consult them on security and privacy issues, challenges, or solutions that arise during the development process and seek their input, feedback, or suggestions. By involving your dev team in security and privacy decisions, you can empower them to take ownership and responsibility for security and privacy in their work and foster a sense of collaboration and trust.

5 Create a security and privacy champion

A fifth way to make your dev team prioritize security and privacy is to create a security and privacy champion, who is a dedicated person or role that advocates, promotes, and supports security and privacy in your dev team. The security and privacy champion can act as a liaison between your dev team and other teams, such as security, legal, or compliance, and communicate the security and privacy goals, expectations, and requirements. The security and privacy champion can also provide guidance, advice, or assistance to your dev team on security and privacy issues, questions, or problems and help them resolve them. The security and privacy champion can also monitor, measure, and report on the security and privacy performance, progress, or outcomes of your dev team and highlight their achievements or challenges. By creating a security and privacy champion, you can have a dedicated and passionate person or role that can make security and privacy a priority and a culture in your dev team.

6 Lead by example

A sixth way to make your dev team prioritize security and privacy is to lead by example, which means that you should demonstrate your commitment and support for security and privacy in your own actions, behaviors, and decisions. You should follow the security and privacy best practices and standards that you expect from your dev team and show them how to apply them in your code. You should also communicate the importance and benefits of security and privacy to your dev team and other stakeholders and show them how security and privacy can enhance the quality, reliability, and value of your software. You should also acknowledge and address the challenges and trade-offs that security and privacy may entail and show them how to overcome them or balance them with other factors. By leading by example, you can set the tone and direction for security and privacy in your dev team and inspire them to follow your lead.

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?