How Does Technical Debt Pose A Cybersecurity Risk

Ward Cunningham, co-author of the Agile Manifesto, who coined the term Technical Debt Cybersecurity Risk, explained this with a financial metaphor: Moving forward with the development of a new software application is like taking out a loan. Imagine creating a product using a completely new technology. You face many unknowns and there is some trial and error. You do the best you can with what you know now and move forward in the face of uncertainty.

Technical debt pose

Technical debt affect security

A vulnerability is defined as any flaw that could lead to the compromise of data, systems, brand reputation, etc. IT security risk represents the potential consequences for a company if an attacker successfully exploits these vulnerabilities. Developers and businesses must balance speed and functionality, usability and security.

Security Issues Can Technical Debt Cause

Dodgy software

Technical Debt is an overused term, says Rahul Telang, professor of information systems at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy. “Basically, it means you borrowed something to get the product out there, and now you have to pay the Cybersecurity Risk debt,” he explains. Telang notes that CISOs should recognize that every software development project will go through phases in which code must be refactored over time to address potential security holes.  CISOs need to have a structure in place to detect potential problems before deployment, he says, because it’s easy to overlook when the product is already in use.

2. Weak governance

Strong governance is essential to prevent technical debt from becoming a security issue. David Chaddock, director of cybersecurity business and IT consulting firm West Monroe, believes it’s important to ensure that the entire asset lifecycle is addressed during initial design and implementation, including the long-term operating costs and support resources needed to reduce the possibility.

3.Poor strategic alignment

According to Eugene Okwodu, director of Cybersecurity Risk solutions at Guidehouse, a global business and IT outsourcing firm, a CISO should work within the enterprise to understand technical debt and the right metrics to manage it. When IT and cybersecurity strategies collide, it’s common for technical debt to emerge. Okwodu notes that working with an internal project management office or involving outside help may be necessary to ensure adequate settlement and conflict resolution.

4.Neglecting or delaying modernization

In some cases, technical debt can take years to manifest. Aging technology, both hardware and software, poses a major security risk, says Okwodu. “Not only is this technology impossible to replace and repair in some cases, but it’s usually more connected and less understandable to current employees,” he explains, opening the way for potential security breaches.

5. Failing to adopt sound development practices

DevSecOps is more than just a buzzword and many security issues can be addressed and controlled when proper development practices are used. advises Keatron Evans, principal security researcher at the Infosec Institute, a technology training company.

6.Delayed testing

Delaying software security testing until later stages of development can lead to vulnerabilities that can be difficult, time-consuming, and expensive to remediate. warns Jeremy Dodson, CISO of DevOps consulting services provider labs.

7. Runaway complexity

According to Barry Goffe, senior director of platform strategy at low-code app development platform provider Out Systems, relying on too many development languages, tools, platforms, and frameworks is a significant cause of technical debt.  

Conclusion

Technical debt is a balancing act. It would be naive to assume that an organization can avoid technical debt altogether instead prevent the premature accumulation of technical debt and strategically manage it throughout the organization’s lifecycle to prioritize cybersecurity ticket to success.