Security integrated throughout the software development lifecycle , rather than being an afterthought at the end of the development pipeline . It makes security a shared responsibility across all teams and encourages developers to prioritize security issues at every stage of the application lifecycle .

DevSecOps involves significant cultural change - technologists need to leave behind narrow mindsets and embrace a more open and collaborative way of working , as well as developing new skills and knowledge outside of their own specific discipline .

It ’ s not always an easy transition but the benefits are genuinely game changing for everyone in the IT department , easing workloads , removing stress and freeing up time to focus on strategic priorities .

More than half of technologists admit that they feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of security threats and vulnerabilities that their organization is dealing with . IT teams simply haven ’ t got enough time to identify and properly analyze the number of threats they now face .

The only way around this problem is for retailers to integrate AI and Machine Learning ( ML ) into their application security strategies - to identify gaps , predict vulnerabilities and automate processes to remediate any security holes . Security teams know that they can ’ t afford to fall behind , as bad actors ramp up their use of AI and ML . In fact , 80 percent of retail technologists believe that AI will play an increasingly important role in addressing the challenges around speed , scale and skills that their organization faces in application security .

Technologists now need to develop plans to tackle these six challenges over the next 12 months , ensuring they have the right tools , insights and structures to adopt a security approach for the full application stack .

It ’ s time for retailers to shift their thinking . They have to recognize security as a critical part of the application lifecycle , from the very outset , and the foundation for accelerated and sustainable innovation in the years ahead . ■

For a list of the sources used in this article , please contact the editor .

James Harvey www . appdynamics . com

James Harvey is Executive CTO , EMEA , at Cisco AppDynamics . Cisco is the worldwide leader in technology that powers the internet . Cisco inspires new possibilities by reimagining your applications , securing your enterprise , transforming your infrastructure , and empowering your teams for a global and inclusive future .

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