Steve’s post — est. reading time: 11 min

DevSecOps is built on the principle that security should be integrated into every phase of software development. But in reality, many organisations still treat security as a bolt-on—something the security team handles separately, far removed from daily development work. The result? Developers, working rapidly in Agile sprints, inadvertently introduce vulnerabilities that pass unchecked into production.

Without proper training, developers may write insecure code, misconfigure APIs, or overlook basic hygiene practices. These oversights are not due to negligence, but a lack of awareness and experience. In a world where every deployment could carry risk, developer security training is not optional—it’s critical.

Why Security Training is the Missing Pillar in Agile Delivery

Agile methodologies reward speed. Development teams are incentivised to ship features rapidly, respond to customer feedback, and meet ever-shorter delivery cycles. But if security is not embedded in this process, speed becomes a liability. Vulnerabilities introduced early in the sprint cycle often remain hidden until they are exploited in the wild—by which time the damage has already been done.

Security knowledge among developers is frequently patchy. While they may excel at writing performant, scalable code, most developers receive minimal training on secure design patterns, common threat models, or secure data handling. Even experienced engineers may not recognise injection risks, flawed authentication logic, or unsafe dependencies if they have never been trained to spot them.

Case in Point: A Fintech’s Costly Oversight

A prominent fintech startup launched a new application feature that allowed users to view transaction histories. Everything worked as intended—until a researcher discovered that any user could manipulate the API’s parameters and access other users’ financial records. The vulnerability, known as Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR), was simple but devastating. It stemmed from a lack of validation and authorisation checks in the backend logic.

The fallout included regulatory scrutiny, reputational damage, and a wave of customer complaints. A post-incident analysis revealed that the developers had never been trained on secure API development. The vulnerability wasn’t hidden—it was simply never recognised as a risk.

C-Suite Insight: Security is a Skill, Not an Assumption

For executive leadership, the takeaway is clear: security must be treated as a foundational development skill, not a specialist function delegated to a separate team. In today’s landscape, where every organisation is a software company, every developer must be a security practitioner—at least to a baseline level of competence.

Without security training, development teams are flying blind. They may build fast, but they also build fragile. And when breaches occur, it is the business—not just the code—that suffers the consequences.

The Cost of Ignorance: What Untrained Developers Miss

• Misconfigured authentication flows: Developers may bypass session validation or rely on weak password checks without understanding the implications.
• Insecure data storage: Sensitive data may be logged in plain text or stored without encryption simply because no one questioned it.
• Hardcoded secrets: Credentials embedded directly in code or configuration files can be inadvertently pushed to version control.
• Outdated dependencies: Developers may reuse libraries with known vulnerabilities, unaware of the risks they introduce.
• Insufficient input validation: APIs may accept unchecked user input, opening the door to injection attacks or denial of service.

These are not edge cases. They are common patterns that occur every day in Agile delivery pipelines. And they are preventable—with the right training.

Strategic Action: How to Build a Security-Aware Development Culture

Training developers in security must go beyond one-time compliance exercises. To be effective, it needs to be continuous, engaging, and embedded into existing workflows. Here’s how organisations can do it well:

1. Start with Onboarding
Security education should begin on day one. Developer onboarding programmes must include secure coding principles, internal security policies, and real-world examples of past incidents. This sets the expectation that security is part of every role, not just the security team’s responsibility.

2. Make Training Continuous
Security threats evolve, and so should training. Provide monthly or quarterly sessions focused on emerging attack vectors, postmortems from real incidents, or changes in industry standards. Keep sessions short, relevant, and actionable.

3. Use Interactive Learning Platforms
Static e-learning modules are easy to forget. Hands-on labs, simulated attacks, and sandbox environments allow developers to learn through doing. These approaches are more effective at reinforcing secure habits and engaging learners.

4. Appoint Security Champions
Identify developers within each team who have an interest in security and empower them as security champions. These individuals act as local advisors, bridge the gap between teams and security specialists, and help normalise secure development practices.

5. Embed Security in Agile Rituals
Security should be part of sprint planning, code reviews, and retrospectives. Include secure coding criteria in your definition of “done.” Discuss potential risks in user stories. Treat security tasks like any other development effort—visible, prioritised, and tracked.

6. Reward Secure Behaviour
Recognise teams that proactively fix vulnerabilities or improve security controls. Celebrate those who raise issues, even if they delay releases. Incentivise good security decisions just as you would performance or delivery speed.

Measurement: How Do You Know It’s Working?

To ensure your training programme delivers real results, track both engagement and impact. Useful metrics include:

• Number of recurring vulnerabilities per release
• Time to fix vulnerabilities discovered during testing
• Participation rates in security training
• Secure coding test scores or assessment outcomes
• Developer-reported security issues

Don’t just measure activity—measure improvement. The goal is not simply to deliver training, but to change behaviour and reduce risk.

Leadership’s Role: Making Security Part of Team Identity

Security awareness only scales when leadership models the right behaviours. Executives must consistently articulate the value of secure development—not as a blocker, but as an enabler of trust, reliability, and customer loyalty.

• Include secure development KPIs in performance reviews
• Allocate budget for learning tools and secure development resources
• Encourage open reporting of security concerns
• Push back on deadlines that compromise security for speed
• Speak publicly about your organisation’s security posture

When leaders lead, teams follow. If security matters to leadership, it will matter to the rest of the organisation.

Looking Ahead: Security as a Shared Competence

In mature DevSecOps cultures, security is not seen as a department. It is a capability that exists across teams. Developers know how to write secure code. Product owners understand security risks. Designers consider data privacy. Everyone shares responsibility.

This shift requires training—but also time, patience, and reinforcement. The organisations that succeed are those that embed security into their DNA, not just their documentation.

A Final Challenge for Engineering Leaders

If your development team deployed a critical vulnerability tomorrow, would it be due to a knowledge gap—or a process failure?

If it’s the former, then training is the next investment you need to make. Because no matter how fast your teams deliver, it’s only secure software that earns trust.