A burnout security team? They’re everywhere. Yet, most organizations overlook one of the most critical vulnerabilities in their security posture: an overwhelmed and exhausted team.

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Because of the constant influx of security alerts and backlogs that seem to grow taller by the day, many teams are buried under a mountain of unresolved issues. Security teams are stretched to their limits. But this isn’t as simple as a productivity issue; it’s a serious risk to your organization’s overall security.

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So how about we change some things up? There are some strategies that your organization can adopt to regain control, reduce the friction on your security teams, and strengthen your defenses. Let’s improve your teams’ efficiency while making sure that your team has what it takes to protect your organization in the long run.

Table of Contents

1. Prioritize Continuous, High-Quality Training
2. Implement Strategic Security Automation
3. Build a Risk-Centric Culture in Engineering Teams
4. Communicate the Business Impact of Security Initiatives to Management
5. Training that is not only effective but also enjoyable

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Prioritize Continuous, High-Quality Training

One of the best ways to take the pressure off your security teams is through continuous, high-quality training. Cybercriminals are only getting more and more creative, and keeping your teams equipped with up-to-date skills is essential. Regular and ongoing training makes sure that every member of your teams are ready to tackle every threat that comes their way head-on.

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But not all training works. It’s important that you invest in training programs that are both practical and relevant. And high-quality training? It’s not just theoretical knowledge, your teams need hands-on experience to address real-world security challenges. When your team is well-trained, you can expect so much more than efficiency:

• A well-trained team can identify and mitigate threats before they become worse.
• Continuous training minimizes the risk of costly mistakes.
• Skilled teams deal with their tasks more efficiently, preventing burnout.
• Regular training boosts your team’s confidence in handling security threats.
• A consistently trained team can adapt more quickly to new security challenges.
• Ongoing training promotes better teamwork and communication across your security team.
• Continuous learning ensures that your organization remains resilient against today’s cyber threats.

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Implement Strategic Security Automation

Here’s another strategy to keep your security team stay ahead: implementing strategic security automation. Automation reduces the manual workload by streamlining processes and addressing repetitive tasks within the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Think about routine security checks and processes so that your team can put more of their energy into complex and high-priority issues that require their human expertise.

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However, you’re wasting your time if you’re only going to implement generic automation tools. To maximize effectiveness, you can create customized security automation tailored to the specific needs of your organization. This includes developing custom SAST (Static Application Security Testing) and DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing) rules.

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Things to Consider When Creating Custom SAST and DAST Tools:

1. Compatibility with your specific development languages, frameworks, and tools.
2. Focus on the most relevant security threats specific to your organization’s industry and risk profile.
3. The tool's ability to scale with your organization’s growth for future expansion without much work involved.
4. Integration capability with your existing CI/CD pipelines and development processes.
5. Plan for ongoing updates to the rules and tools to keep pace with security threats and industry best practices.
6. Ease of use and understanding based on your team’s learning curve.

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Build a Risk-Centric Culture in Engineering Teams

So, what does risk-centric culture mean? It’s about hammering security into the very fabric of your engineering teams’ mindset and processes. When engineering teams take ownership of security responsibilities—just as they do with other aspects of product development—the result is a huge reduction in vulnerabilities and an overall improvement in software quality.

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Positioning your security teams as facilitators and consultants instead of “gatekeepers” is important when promoting collaboration across departments. Think about it. When security teams act as partners who provide help and support instead of enforcers of strict policies, it leads to a more collaborative and productive environment.

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How to Start a Conversation

• Encourage engineering teams to consider security from the beginning of the development process instead of something that “has to be done”.
• Develop and share clear, actionable security guidelines that engineers can easily follow during their work.
• Offer ongoing education and resources to keep teams updated on the latest threats and security practices.
• Create forums or regular meetings where security and engineering teams can discuss risks, threats, and best practices.
• Recognize and reward teams when they successfully integrate security into their projects to reinforce the importance of their role in maintaining security.

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Communicate the Business Impact of Security Initiatives to Management

To secure buy-in for security initiatives, it’s important for security leaders to communicate the business impact of these efforts in a way that resonates with C-level executives and decision-makers. Knowing how to talk “business” is important—technical jargon alone won’t cut it. Instead, security needs should be translated into terms that show why they’re important to your organization’s broader business objectives.

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Another step: quantifying the impact of security investments. Metrics, compliance requirements, and potential risks will help you make a compelling case for why certain security investments are necessary. You can demonstrate how these initiatives contribute to avoiding expensive breaches while making sure of compliance and protecting your company’s reputation.

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Training that is not only effective but also enjoyable

Yes, your security teams are burned out, but it doesn’t mean that they don’t have what it takes. So now is the right time to take action. As someone who makes the decisions, you have the responsibility to make sure that your teams are prepared to face what’s in front of them, and that they are equipped to handle the demands of protecting your organization.

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When it comes to training, let me help you with that. AppSecEngineer’s interactive labs will keep your teams motivated while gaining the skills they need to keep your organization secured. Don’t wait for the next breach or team burnout—give your security teams the training that truly makes the difference.

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