How to benchmark your software security strategies

Evaluating the progress of your software security journey is essential, but it can be a considerable challenge. Tracking operational metrics doesn’t tell you whether you are doing the right things. Analyst reports are often too general to provide tactical direction. And companies hold their security plans so close to the vest, it makes competitive research nearly impossible.

Benchmarking can help you get a new software security initiative off the ground or navigate an existing one. It is different from other measurement techniques because it focuses on excellence, includes detailed comparisons, and pools confidential information among numerous organizations.

Consider these 10 tips to get the most out of your benchmarking assessment.

Benchmarking your software security initiative can tell you if you are keeping pace with your peers, or if you should accelerate your efforts to rise above the competition. The results of a benchmarking assessment can help you identify new security strategies and prioritize scarce resources to be most effective.

Where are you on your software security journey?

Benchmarking your security strategies against the activities of real-world organizations provides meaningful context to help you make decisions. The Building Software In Maturity Model (BSIMM) is an assessment framework based on data gathered from 100+ software security initiatives that are currently active. It categorizes 119 software security activities into three maturity “levels,” based on their rate of observation and complexity.

A BSIMM assessment gives you insight into how other organizations value security activities and an unbiased perspective on the strengths and weaknesses of your own program. Start with a free online assessment to see how your software security initiative stacks up.