Survey: AppSec Maturity Hindered by Staffing, Budgets, Vulnerabilities

Survey: AppSec Maturity Hindered by Staffing, Budgets, Vulnerabilities

October 31, 2023 at 01:01PM

A recent report from the Purple Book Community highlights the challenges faced by companies in achieving application security (AppSec) maturity. These challenges include a shortage of AppSec engineers, slow vulnerability remediation, and the increasing reliance on cloud infrastructure. Insufficient funding is also identified as a major obstacle. The report emphasizes the need for organizations to prioritize AppSec and implement comprehensive security measures to protect against threats. The Purple Book Community has developed a Scalable Software Security Maturity Model (S3M2) to assist organizations in improving their software security practices.

Key Takeaways from Meeting Notes:

1. The lack of a comprehensive application security (AppSec) framework is a concern for many companies, as it hinders their ability to protect themselves against growing cybersecurity threats.
2. Obstacles such as staffing issues, insufficient budgets, and a lack of organizational awareness of AppSec initiatives contribute to the inadequate positioning of companies in terms of cybersecurity.
3. The “State of Application Security Operations” report highlights trends including a shortage of AppSec engineers, prolonged vulnerability remediation time, and the increasing prominence of cloud-based infrastructure.
4. The shortage of AppSec engineers limits the ability to respond to threats and vulnerabilities, hindering the creation and deployment of proactive security measures.
5. Critical or high-severity vulnerabilities are frequently present in product releases, demonstrating the need for strong vulnerability management practices.
6. Slow remediation time for vulnerabilities further complicates the security landscape and highlights the importance of efficient vulnerability detection and resolution processes.
7. The migration to cloud-based infrastructure is prominent, making cloud-based application security critical for organizations.
8. Insufficient funding is a major barrier to achieving AppSec maturity, with many organizations unable to allocate resources for both personnel and processes.
9. Despite progress, a majority of organizations still have work to do in achieving AppSec maturity, with only a small percentage considering their AppSec programs to be advanced.
10. The Purple Book Community has developed a Scalable Software Security Maturity Model (S3M2) to help organizations assess and improve their software security practices.

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