If you’ve heard the term SBOM floating around, you may have wondered what it is, where it comes from, and how it impacts you in your software development work. We’ll get into all of that, but let’s start with a definition.

Third up in our series about the global move to make software more secure: Secure by Default. What’s it all about and how will it affect you and your team? Let’s get into it.

Keen to read the first and second post in this three-part series too?

We often talk about everyone needing cyber security: from the largest governments to the smallest businesses. We include budgets for it at a national level, and we encourage people through frameworks and regulations. We urge software teams to consider cyber security early and often through every element of the products – building secure systems by design and default.

So, you’ve read the first blog post in our series, about the global move to make software more secure — huzzah! We’re diving into the second one here. Keen to read the third (and last) one too?

The Secure by Design approach features heavily in the guide the Australian government put out together with international government agencies and partners. But what is Secure by Design, and how does this shift in mindset impact your work as a software developer or team lead? Let’s dive in.

Remember when we all realized that the responsibility for our global plastic pollution problem didn’t just lie with the consumer, but also with the manufacturer? 

The same is now happening for the tech sector.

This is the first blog post in a three-part series. Keen to read the second and third posts too?

You are a good person. You like to build things and solve problems. It’s not your fault. You also follow the rules. That’s not your fault either.

From our parents to our schooling, from our communities to the laws of the countries we live in – we are taught to behave from a very young age. While we are naturally inquisitive as children, we dial those behaviors down as we age. We remain curious and playful at our core, but we change our behavior in external situations, such as in the workplace, to fit the mold. And it doesn’t stop there.

It seems fitting that I’m writing this blog post in May. Early spring is the season for many exciting things, including some of the world’s most prominent developer and cyber security conferences. Whether you’re a leader in the engineering or security teams, we’re bombarded with new approaches and tools. Vendors are marketing to us, books are released, and conference talks feature throughout our news feeds.