No one doubts the importance of cybersecurity in web development — and yet, often in the development cycle, we neglect to prioritize it across each sprint and into the final product. Making cybersecurity a priority throughout every development sprint cycle is necessary to combat the tide of digital attacks threatening the modern web. But how can you ensure your focus on cybersecurity throughout development?

Achieving optimal results takes commitment. This will entail setting clear and effective cybersecurity goals at every increment, making use of thorough testing tools, and following best practices. Exploring each of these processes in the context of a web development sprint can ensure your own development process prioritizes cybersecurity throughout.

Set Cybersecurity Goals for Each Sprint

Cybersecurity starts within the sprint planning stages — or it should if you are planning them effectively. That’s because each step in agile development should meet the needs of intended users and support the overarching goals of the project. If cybersecurity is not included within these goals, then you run the risk of exposing your platform to digital threats.

Instead, write effective, measurable, and attainable sprint goals. Effective sprint goals provide much-needed focus and clarity during an agile program increment. They should be specific and detail a path forward for the sprint with built-in measures of success.

For example, an effective cybersecurity goal might look like the following: implement an automated attack identification system with 98% accuracy.

Attack identification is crucial in building protections for a web application, but each sprint will have its own cybersecurity focus based on the overall plan and implementation schedule you put forward. If you’re unsure of what kind of metrics to strive for, look to international standards such as GDPR and the NIST CSF.

From here, development teams can gauge cybersecurity success within the development (Read more...)