Collaboration between developers and security teams is critical for building secure and reliable software. However, due to differing priorities, knowledge gaps, and process challenges, several difficulties often arise. Below is a checklist of common issues observed in development and security interactions.
DevSec Conflict:
1. Communication and Collaboration
- Lack of a common technical language between developers and security teams.
- Security requirements communicated late or ambiguously.
- Developers perceive security as a blocker rather than an enabler.
- No structured communication channel for discussing vulnerabilities or controls.
- Security feedback is often reactive instead of continuous.
2. Conflicting Priorities
- Developers focus on delivery speed and feature completion, while security teams focus on minimizing risk.
- Tight project deadlines push security validation to later stages.
- Lack of alignment between business goals and security compliance efforts.
- Pressure from management to release quickly overrides secure coding practices.
3. Knowledge and Awareness Gaps
- Developers lack training in secure coding standards (e.g., OWASP Top 10).
- Security experts have limited understanding of modern development frameworks or CI/CD pipelines.
- No standardized internal documentation for secure design patterns.
- Developers rely on outdated or incomplete threat models.
4. Tooling and Integration Challenges
- Security tools (SAST, DAST, dependency scanners) not integrated into the development workflow.
- manual vulnerability scans cause bottlenecks in agile or DevOps environments.
- Discrepancy between development and security testing environments.
- Lack of automation in security testing and code review processes.
5. Process and Governance Issues
- No formal process for handling security exceptions or waivers.
- Security policies not tailored to the development context.
- Missing or outdated security review checklists for code and architecture.
- Poor visibility of risk acceptance decisions and audit trails.
6. Vulnerability Management Difficulties
- Security findings not prioritized based on business impact.
- Developers overwhelmed by lengthy vulnerability reports without clear remediation steps.
- No single source of truth for tracking and closing vulnerabilities.
- Lack of accountability for verifying remediation status.
7. Cultural and Organizational Barriers
- “Us vs. them” mindset between developers and security teams.
- Security teams often excluded from sprint planning or architectural discussions.
- Resistance to adopting secure development frameworks or guidelines.
- Security seen as a compliance activity rather than part of the software lifecycle.
8. Post-Deployment Gaps
- Limited collaboration during incident response or vulnerability patching.
- Inconsistent application of security monitoring in production.
- No clear ownership for maintaining security controls post-release.
- Absence of post-mortem reviews integrating both development and security insights.
9. Resource Constraints
- Shortage of skilled security engineers for code reviews.
- Limited budget for continuous security training and tools.
- Lack of management support for proactive security initiatives.
- Incomplete staffing for secure DevOps (DevSecOps) functions.
10. Compliance and Audit Friction
- Developers unaware of specific compliance requirements (e.g., SOC 2, PCI DSS).
- Security teams struggle to gather audit evidence from development systems.
- Misalignment between control implementation and practical feasibility.
- Delays in achieving certification due to unclear documentation ownership.
By reviewing and addressing these difficulties proactively, organizations can improve collaboration between developers and security teams, reduce risks, and build a stronger security culture within software development processes.