Presenting the Ultimate Guide to Getting Started with Application Security

Creating an Application Security Program Doesn’t Have to Be Like Climbing Everest

Creating an application security program can be a daunting task – especially when you are starting from scratch! When you are beginning with nothing, the idea of creating a comprehensive and advanced application security program must feel like standing at the bottom of Mount Everest with your North Face jacket and a backpack full of Clif Bars. In short, you feel woefully unprepared for the journey ahead.

But creating an application security program doesn’t have to be so daunting. No one expects a novice climber to jump right into climbing Everest. Even the most experienced mountaineers tackle Everest by first looking to the experiences of those who have gone before them, then achieving milestone successes and finally pushing themselves to new heights. Creating an application security program follows a similar path. Companies of all sizes have created and executed successful application security programs, and they’ve done so by following standard patterns of planning, executing, measuring and expanding their programs.  

Once companies recognize the need to secure the application layer, there are three ways in which organizations typically approach application security: the ad-hoc, baseline and advanced program approaches. Which approach your company chooses depends on internal factors, such as overall IT security maturity of the organization, the organization’s appetite for risk and an understanding of the role applications play in increasing risk. Wherever you begin your application security journey, your goal should be to mature over time to have an advanced program.

Using the experiences of companies that have created and scaled successful application security programs, we pulled together a guide that outlines how your organization, regardless of size, resources or industry, can enact an application security program that will reduce the risk associated with building, buying and borrowing software.  I'm happy to introduce The Ultimate Guide to Getting Started With Application Security. We hope you enjoy the guide and share it with others who may find it helpful.