Enhancing Cybersecurity with Scrum

Cybersecurity is a non-negotiable priority in today’s digital world. For governments, cybersecurity has become a matter of national security. And for businesses, robust cybersecurity is now a major selling point and competitive edge. Cyber threats are fueled not only by the increasing adoption of emerging technologies but also by the rapid rate at which these technologies are changing.

A major cybersecurity concern has to do with vulnerabilities in software. Here we’re mainly talking about weaknesses, glitches, or flaws in the way that the software is coded and which a cyber attacker can leverage to access or control a system. To effectively address this challenge, the concept of agile cybersecurity was introduced.

What does agile cybersecurity refer to?

Agile cybersecurity is a methodology that aims to ensure security at every step of software development by implementing a comprehensive approach to identifying any gaps or concerns. The approach encompasses conducting simulated attacks and investing in automation where possible for testing and scanning. This results in better productivity and a more enhanced ability to manage change in software development efforts.

Agile principles and values also allow teams to integrate security more fluidly so they can locate problems earlier in the process and address them in less time-consuming and expensive ways. Over the last several years, more and more companies have embraced agile principles as part of their software development strategy. One of the most popular agile implementations is Scrum.

What is Scrum and how can it enhance cybersecurity??

Scrum is an iterative, light, and incremental framework that helps with monitoring assigned tasks. It enables?cross-functional?teams to develop, deliver, and sustain complex products.

Scrum is mainly built on 6 principles:

??Control over the empirical process:?The main ideas to empirical process control are inspection, transparency, and adaptation. Instead of abstract plans and theories, the empirical process of Scrum is based on experimentation and observation of hard evidence.

??Self-organization:?Scrum empowers self-government and enables everyone involved in the process to work independently to maximize self-motivation and productivity.

??Peer-to-peer collaboration:?In Scrum, collaborations between all members involved in the software development process consist of appropriation, articulation, and awareness.

??Value-based prioritization:?This principle allows teams to clearly define tasks that need to be prioritized based on value, dependencies, and risk/uncertainty.

??Time-boxing:?Tasks in the Scrum framework are completed in "sprints". Time-boxing not only helps to eliminate delays and wasted time but also supports iterative development.

??Iterative development: Scrum teams can leverage iterative development to easily incorporate changes and make adjustments as and when needed. This helps to accelerate delivery while ensuring that the final product is perfectly aligned with clients' needs and expectations.

When Scrum is embraced and applied correctly, cybersecurity can be included iteratively and incrementally in software development projects. Moreover, teams can benefit from continuous improvement, accelerated delivery, fast feedback, and rapid adaptation to change.

Let me know how you are adapting to the changing landscape of cyber threats.