Developers are not security experts! I’ve heard this exclamation time and again and I wonder, why not? And should they be?

There is no denying that software teams must work to address a number of security concerns today. But we’re still learning and actively developing best practices. We’re still figuring out — sometimes through trial and error — the best way to tackle security issues that won’t negatively interfere with delivering functional (and secure) software.

When it comes to developers securing software, there is only a subset of prevention and mitigation strategies that make sense to put on a developer’s plate. Even then, an expectation that all developers by default are equipped to handle this additional workload is unreasonable.

This session is targeted toward developers and anyone wanting to improve or prevent circumstances that send many devs hurtling toward burnout. I will include explanations of security related terms and lingo that are streaming into our development environments; share typical places a developer needs to look to shore up applications including dependencies, packaging, and supply chain concerns; and discuss the plethora of scanning tools available to developers today and how they work. You will learn how to integrate a measure of security that makes sense into your already existing development processes and how to introduce a security culture to your development team in a healthy way. Leave with a better understanding of application security needed from a developer’s perspective, some stats to plead your case if needed, and a sense of empowerment.

Most importantly, don’t lose heart! We’re getting better and better at this and the future looks bright!