For most of us, the idea of pulling 34,000 engineers away from their regular work to fix security flaws sounds unimaginable. But that’s exactly what happened at Microsoft (source). They found themselves in the middle of a cybersecurity crisis that forced them to launch the largest engineering effort in the company’s history—all because critical vulnerabilities went unchecked for too long.
It’s a reminder that no matter how amazing your engineering team is, reacting to security issues late in the game is always more expensive and chaotic than addressing them early. The good news is, there’s a way to avoid this: embed security into your development process right from the start. It’s not about overhauling how you work but about making security an ongoing, integrated part of how you build your systems.
Shift Security Left to Catch Issues Early
A proactive stance begins by embedding security into every stage of development. Shifting security left—integrating security measures early, not just at the end—allows your team to catch vulnerabilities before they become costly.
For example, you could implement vulnerability scanners into your continuous integration (CI) pipeline. These tools automatically check your code for outdated dependencies with known security risks, flagging them before they ever reach production. Let’s say your team uses a version of a database library with vulnerabilities; a scanner would catch that and automatically trigger a pull request to update the dependency without requiring your developers to lift a finger.
You could also intentionally build relationships with developers and InfoSec team members to grease the wheels of collaboration. If your data and software engineering teams are reaching out to the InfoSec team early and often, the chance of catching security issues early increases dramatically.
Automate Security Checks to Reduce Risks
Being proactive doesn’t mean adding more manual work for your team. One of the most efficient ways to enhance security is by automating key parts of the process. Tools like Snyk or Dependabot can continuously scan your codebase for vulnerabilities, flagging issues before they reach production. These tools can be integrated directly into your CI pipeline, ensuring every build is checked for outdated or insecure dependencies.
For example, Dependabot can automatically monitor your dependencies and submit pull requests to update vulnerable libraries. If your team is using a version of a package that has known vulnerabilities, Dependabot will catch it and initiate an update without requiring manual intervention. Similarly, Snyk not only identifies vulnerabilities but can also suggest fixes and provide patches that are ready to implement.
Another useful tool is SonarQube, which offers static code analysis to detect security risks by analyzing code patterns. This means you can catch issues like improper input validation or insecure coding practices before your code enters testing.
The point isn’t that these tools are groundbreaking—they’re not. The value lies in consistency. By automating security checks, you build a system that consistently catches issues before they escalate, allowing your team to focus on innovation rather than firefighting.
Get InfoSec Involved Early for Stronger Security
One of the most common mistakes teams make is leaving security to the very end of the development process. When vulnerabilities are discovered, it’s often too late for meaningful changes without major rewrites. This leads to higher costs, missed deadlines, and chaotic scrambles to fix issues.
Instead, involving InfoSec teams from the very beginning can dramatically reduce these risks. When security is part of the initial design and planning phases, you allow your team to spot potential vulnerabilities while the product is still in its early stages. For instance, if you’re designing an application that will handle sensitive customer data, having InfoSec present during the planning stages ensures that the architecture will be secure from the start. They might suggest encryption practices or highlight areas where user authentication needs to be stronger before any code is written. The result is fewer security surprises late in development, less time spent backtracking, and a more secure product overall.
To bootstrap this collaborative relationship, try hosting non-work fun activities (ideally in person) for your data and software engineering teams + their InfoSec points of contact. This informal relationship-building will tear down the paper walls that separate the two teams.
Build Security into Your DNA
The lesson from Microsoft’s security crisis is clear: reacting to security flaws after they surface is far more costly than embedding security from the start. By taking a proactive stance, automating your security processes, and involving InfoSec early—you’ll not only prevent vulnerabilities from spiraling out of control, but you’ll also create a culture where security is a continuous priority.