Richard’s post — est. reading time: 12 min

In today’s high-velocity software landscape, where the pressure to deliver quickly often collides with the imperative to maintain robust security, measuring the success of DevSecOps is no simple task. Many organisations embark on the journey of integrating security into their development and operations workflows with the best of intentions, yet they often struggle to answer a fundamental question: how do we know if it’s working?

It is tempting, especially in the early stages, to focus on easily quantifiable metrics—how many vulnerabilities have been found, how many scans have been conducted, or how many patches have been applied. These numbers are reassuring, offering a tangible sense of progress. Yet, they rarely reflect the deeper truth about whether DevSecOps is delivering real value to the organisation. Metrics that simply count activities without connecting them to outcomes can create a dangerous illusion of success while masking persistent inefficiencies or risk.

True DevSecOps success demands a shift in measurement philosophy. It requires teams and leaders to look beyond technical outputs and start tracking indicators that reveal the balance between speed, security, and collaboration—the three cornerstones of DevSecOps. The right metrics do more than measure. They inform. They motivate. They align security efforts with broader business objectives, transforming DevSecOps from a cost centre into a competitive advantage.

This article explores why traditional metrics fall short, what meaningful DevSecOps metrics look like, and how organisations can use data-driven insights to fuel continuous improvement.

The Pitfalls of Traditional Metrics

A technology start-up once illustrated the challenge perfectly. Eager to showcase the effectiveness of their fledgling DevSecOps programme, the security team proudly reported to senior leadership the number of code scans they had performed and the sheer volume of vulnerabilities detected. To their surprise, executives remained unimpressed. These figures, while indicative of effort, offered little insight into the programme’s real impact. There was no context, no connection to the organisation’s strategic goals, and no evidence that these activities were reducing risk or improving outcomes.

What finally resonated with leadership was a different set of data: the reduction in mean time to remediation (MTTR) and the increase in secure deployment frequency. These metrics told a story not about effort, but about results. They demonstrated how the DevSecOps initiative was enabling faster fixes, smoother releases, and ultimately, greater business agility. This shift in focus helped secure additional support and funding for the team’s efforts.

Many organisations fall into a similar trap. They measure what is easy, rather than what is meaningful. Raw counts of vulnerabilities, scans, or patches give the illusion of control without offering actionable insights. Worse, such metrics can unintentionally incentivise counterproductive behaviours—for example, prioritising vulnerability discovery over resolution, or celebrating activity without assessing its effectiveness.

What Metrics Really Matter?

To gauge DevSecOps success, organisations must track metrics that reflect both technical performance and cultural progress. The goal is to understand not just whether security processes are being followed, but whether they are making the software better, the team more efficient, and the business more resilient.

One of the most critical metrics is mean time to remediation (MTTR). This measures how quickly teams resolve security issues once they are identified. A low MTTR suggests that security concerns are being addressed efficiently, without creating significant drag on development velocity. It reflects not only the technical capability of the team but also the effectiveness of cross-functional collaboration between developers, security professionals, and operations engineers.

Change failure rate is another key indicator. This measures the percentage of releases that require hotfixes or rollbacks due to security flaws or other critical issues. A low change failure rate signals that security is being integrated effectively into the development pipeline, reducing the likelihood of disruptive post-deployment fixes. It also provides insight into the quality of testing, the robustness of automation, and the maturity of the team’s risk management practices.

Equally important is security test coverage. This metric assesses how much of the codebase undergoes automated security testing. High coverage ensures that vulnerabilities are detected early, when they are easier and cheaper to fix. It also reflects the organisation’s commitment to proactive security and its willingness to invest in the tools and practices necessary to sustain it.

The Power of Contextual Metrics

Metrics gain meaning when they are tied to context. MTTR, for example, is valuable on its own, but even more so when analysed alongside deployment frequency, team workload, and the severity of vulnerabilities. A team that resolves critical issues rapidly while maintaining a high rate of feature delivery is clearly functioning at a high level. In contrast, a low MTTR achieved by freezing feature development and diverting all resources to security patching might indicate deeper systemic problems.

Contextual metrics also help to balance the natural tension between speed and security. Deployment frequency, lead time for changes, and mean time to recovery are often used to assess development velocity. When these metrics are evaluated alongside security indicators like MTTR and change failure rate, teams can spot trade-offs and make informed decisions about how to optimise both speed and safety.

Moreover, contextual metrics can reveal cultural shifts. A rise in developer-initiated security fixes, for instance, suggests growing security awareness and ownership. An increase in collaborative threat modelling sessions or peer security reviews can indicate a healthy, security-first culture.

Measuring Cultural and Business Impact

Technical metrics, while essential, tell only part of the story. To fully assess DevSecOps success, organisations must also measure cultural and business impacts. These softer metrics often provide the clearest signal of long-term sustainability and value.

Developer engagement is a leading indicator of cultural maturity. Metrics might include the percentage of developers participating in security training, the frequency of voluntary security contributions (such as code reviews or threat modelling), and the number of security issues identified and fixed proactively by developers rather than by security auditors.

Another telling metric is the adoption rate of secure coding practices. Surveys, audits, or automated checks can reveal whether developers are consistently following guidelines for input validation, authentication, encryption, and other critical controls. Growth in these behaviours reflects a cultural shift where security becomes an intrinsic part of development, not an external obligation.

On the business side, metrics should connect security efforts to outcomes that matter to leadership. Reduction in breach incidents, decreased downtime related to security flaws, and improved compliance posture can all demonstrate how DevSecOps is reducing risk. Customer satisfaction scores, net promoter scores (NPS), and even revenue growth tied to faster, more secure releases can further reinforce the business value of security investments.

Real-World Example: Turning Metrics Into Momentum

Consider a large healthcare technology provider that undertook a major DevSecOps transformation. Initially, the security team tracked only basic metrics: the number of scans conducted and the count of vulnerabilities identified. These numbers created anxiety rather than clarity. Developers felt scrutinised but unsupported, and leadership questioned the return on security investments.

Recognising the need for a new approach, the company redefined its metrics strategy. They began tracking MTTR, change failure rate, and security test coverage across all development teams. They added developer engagement metrics, such as training participation and peer review activity. Importantly, they also monitored business indicators, including the time-to-market for new features and the frequency of security-related customer support incidents.

Within a year, MTTR dropped by 40 per cent, change failure rate fell by 30 per cent, and security test coverage rose to over 90 per cent. Developer engagement surged, with over 75 per cent of engineers completing advanced security training. Perhaps most telling, the number of security-related customer complaints declined sharply, and leadership reported greater confidence in the organisation’s ability to deliver secure, reliable software.

The metrics did more than measure—they motivated. By providing a holistic view of progress and fostering accountability across teams, the new measurement framework turned DevSecOps from a series of isolated activities into a cohesive, business-aligned strategy.

Using Metrics to Drive Continuous Improvement

Metrics should not be static. As teams mature, so too must the way they measure success. A robust metrics strategy supports continuous improvement by identifying not only current performance but also opportunities for growth.

Organisations should establish regular review cycles to assess their metrics. Are the numbers still relevant? Are they driving the desired behaviours? Are they aligned with evolving business goals and threat landscapes?

Additionally, teams should be empowered to question and refine their metrics. Developers, security professionals, and operations staff can offer valuable insights into which metrics are meaningful and which may be causing unintended consequences or creating unnecessary overhead.

Finally, transparency is key. Metrics should be shared openly across teams and with leadership. When everyone understands what is being measured and why, alignment improves, and collaboration deepens.

A Final Reflection: Measuring What Matters Most

Measuring DevSecOps success is not merely an exercise in data collection. It is a strategic discipline that reveals how well an organisation is balancing the demands of speed, security, and collaboration. The right metrics do not just inform—they inspire. They provide clarity amidst complexity, turning abstract goals into actionable insights.

For leaders, the challenge is to resist the allure of easy metrics and instead seek those that reflect true progress. For teams, the opportunity is to embrace measurement not as a burden but as a tool for empowerment and growth.

Ultimately, the most important metric of all may be this: when a new security challenge arises—as it inevitably will—how swiftly, confidently, and collaboratively can your teams respond? If the answer reflects resilience, agility, and shared purpose, then your DevSecOps journey is not only on track but flourishing.