Shifting perceptions about application security (AppSec) are fundamentally transforming how organizations safeguard the software that powers modern business. No longer the exclusive purview of centralized security teams, AppSec is now woven deep into the fabric of development, procurement, and product management. This evolving landscape, revealed in the latest Checkmarx CISO report and widely observed across the industry, highlights both newfound opportunities and emerging risks for organizations striving to balance innovation with security.
A defining trend in enterprise cybersecurity is the migration of AppSec ownership from specialized, centralized teams to the hands of developers and product groups. According to the Checkmarx 2025 CISO report, a striking 43% of product teams are now directly accountable for security in their software portfolios. This decentralization is more than an operational nuance—it’s a reflection of the DevSecOps movement, an approach that prioritizes integrating security throughout the software development lifecycle (SDLC), rather than treating it as a final checkpoint.
The underlying driver is both strategic and practical. Increasingly, organizations recognize that embedding security into every stage of development accelerates time-to-market, improves code quality, and reduces the likelihood of costly vulnerabilities slipping through undetected. DevSecOps not only encourages, but necessitates, cross-functional collaboration and the elimination of silos traditionally present between development, operations, and security.
This cultural shift is especially pronounced in Europe, where 56% of CISOs have observed a significant uptick in AppSec investment. In contrast, only around a third of their counterparts in North America and Asia-Pacific report similar budgetary enthusiasm. The reasons for Europe’s heightened focus are multifaceted, including stringent regulatory environments, rising cyber-attack volumes, and a growing expectation among customers that vendors can demonstrate robust security practices.
Security, therefore, is no longer a behind-the-scenes IT concern; it is a boardroom issue and a vital element of organizational reputation and resilience. This realignment is echoed by Jonathan Rende, Chief Product Officer at Checkmarx: “We’re witnessing a pivotal change: AppSec is now a competitive differentiator, a budget priority and a boardroom issue. As development teams take greater ownership, CISOs must focus on governance, strategy and collaboration to keep security outcomes on track.”
On the surface, this signals robust alignment between strategic priorities and financial commitment. Yet challenges remain. Larger budgets are only as effective as the governance structures, skilled workforce, and technological integration supporting their deployment.
This disparity bears watching. As global industries become more interconnected, variations in security posture could amplify systemic risk across supply chains and business partnerships.
To address this, some forward-thinking organizations are investing in smarter, AI-driven security platforms that offer context-aware alerting, automated prioritization, and integrated remediation workflows. However, the effectiveness of these investments hinges on the willingness of IT leaders to standardize toolsets and foster closer collaboration across traditionally siloed functions.
Performance dashboards and regular reviews provide transparency and enable course correction in real time—a key advantage in fast-changing threat environments.
Regulatory pressures, especially in Europe, will likely intensify—potentially catalyzing renewed investment and more stringent procurement processes elsewhere. Increased scrutiny from customers and business partners means that security will remain a key battleground for competitive differentiation.
However, organizations that treat AppSec as a collaborative, business-aligned function rather than a technical afterthought are best positioned to thrive. The CISO’s role will increasingly demand strategic vision, not just technical oversight, as they strive to balance innovation with robust risk management.
Ultimately, the winners in this new era will be those organizations that view security as an enabler of growth, customer confidence, and strategic advantage—never as a mere compliance checkbox. The evolving landscape demands resilience, flexibility, and above all, a culture where every team feels empowered to own and improve security outcomes. In this paradigm, AppSec is not just everyone’s responsibility. It’s everyone’s advantage.
Source: Petri IT Knowledgebase Security Teams No Longer Sole Owners of AppSec
The Democratization of Application Security
A defining trend in enterprise cybersecurity is the migration of AppSec ownership from specialized, centralized teams to the hands of developers and product groups. According to the Checkmarx 2025 CISO report, a striking 43% of product teams are now directly accountable for security in their software portfolios. This decentralization is more than an operational nuance—it’s a reflection of the DevSecOps movement, an approach that prioritizes integrating security throughout the software development lifecycle (SDLC), rather than treating it as a final checkpoint.The underlying driver is both strategic and practical. Increasingly, organizations recognize that embedding security into every stage of development accelerates time-to-market, improves code quality, and reduces the likelihood of costly vulnerabilities slipping through undetected. DevSecOps not only encourages, but necessitates, cross-functional collaboration and the elimination of silos traditionally present between development, operations, and security.
Security as a Competitive Differentiator and Procurement Priority
Application security considerations now permeate procurement processes, serving as a major determinant in technology purchasing decisions. Nearly half (49%) of CISOs surveyed in the Checkmarx study report that buyers regularly evaluate AppSec as part of their selection criteria, while 25% state that it’s always a factor.This cultural shift is especially pronounced in Europe, where 56% of CISOs have observed a significant uptick in AppSec investment. In contrast, only around a third of their counterparts in North America and Asia-Pacific report similar budgetary enthusiasm. The reasons for Europe’s heightened focus are multifaceted, including stringent regulatory environments, rising cyber-attack volumes, and a growing expectation among customers that vendors can demonstrate robust security practices.
Security, therefore, is no longer a behind-the-scenes IT concern; it is a boardroom issue and a vital element of organizational reputation and resilience. This realignment is echoed by Jonathan Rende, Chief Product Officer at Checkmarx: “We’re witnessing a pivotal change: AppSec is now a competitive differentiator, a budget priority and a boardroom issue. As development teams take greater ownership, CISOs must focus on governance, strategy and collaboration to keep security outcomes on track.”
Rising AppSec Budgets: Opportunity and Challenge
Investment trends underscore the high priority now accorded to application security. In 2023, 78% of CISOs reported increases in their AppSec budgets—40% describing those gains as substantial. Over 70% of respondents expect further budget growth in the coming year, with one in four anticipating significant jumps.On the surface, this signals robust alignment between strategic priorities and financial commitment. Yet challenges remain. Larger budgets are only as effective as the governance structures, skilled workforce, and technological integration supporting their deployment.
Geographic Disparities in AppSec Funding
A closer look at regional data reveals diverging levels of investment. In Europe, more than half of CISOs are benefiting from pronounced boosts in AppSec budgets, likely reflecting the pressure imposed by regulatory frameworks such as GDPR and the NIS2 Directive. North American and Asia-Pacific organizations, while not ignoring security, appear to be increasing budgets at a more measured pace.This disparity bears watching. As global industries become more interconnected, variations in security posture could amplify systemic risk across supply chains and business partnerships.
Persistent Barriers to Effective Application Security
Even as AppSec matures, several persistent and emerging challenges continue to hinder effectiveness:- Developer Readiness Gaps: Most developers still lack sufficient security training and the right tools to consistently write secure code. As security responsibility shifts left, this skills gap becomes both more visible and more consequential.
- Resource Constraints: Security teams face tight budgets, staff shortages, and aggressive development timelines, creating tension between rapid delivery and secure engineering practices.
- Limited CISO Access to Boardrooms: Alarmingly, 38% of CISOs lack direct visibility or access at the board level. This disconnect can hamper strategic alignment, making it harder to secure funding or shape risk management.
- Tool Fragmentation: Many organizations use a patchwork of security solutions that neither integrate well with each other nor tightly link to development pipelines. This fragmentation produces inefficiencies, generates alert fatigue, and increases the likelihood of vulnerabilities being missed or ignored.
Alert Fatigue: A Hidden Threat
One of the less-discussed but significant consequences of security tool sprawl is "alert fatigue." When development and security teams are inundated with excessive, poorly prioritized alerts—many of which are false positives or low risk—the result can be dangerous complacency. Real threats may go undetected as teams develop an unconscious habit of ignoring or quickly dismissing notifications.To address this, some forward-thinking organizations are investing in smarter, AI-driven security platforms that offer context-aware alerting, automated prioritization, and integrated remediation workflows. However, the effectiveness of these investments hinges on the willingness of IT leaders to standardize toolsets and foster closer collaboration across traditionally siloed functions.
Governance and Strategy: Recommendations for IT Leaders
Addressing the challenges highlighted in the Checkmarx report demands more than additional spending. Security leaders must reimagine governance models, reshape organizational culture, and align technical initiatives with business imperatives. The following best practices, validated across multiple industry studies and echoed by the latest research, provide a roadmap for sustained AppSec success:1. Define a Clear Governance Structure
Organizations should develop and communicate well-defined governance frameworks. Clarifying roles, responsibilities, and decision-making authority helps reduce confusion and ensures consistent accountability throughout the SDLC. For instance, a RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) chart can assign explicit AppSec roles not just to security teams, but also to developers, QA engineers, and product managers.2. Align Security with Business Objectives
Security should be reframed as a business enabler rather than a compliance obstacle. By integrating AppSec metrics and goals with broader organizational strategies—customer trust, innovation, regulatory compliance—CISOs can secure vital buy-in at the executive and board level. This approach helps position security as indispensable in achieving competitive advantage, rather than as a cost center.3. Foster a Culture of Shared Responsibility
A culture that frames security as a shared responsibility is proven to produce better outcomes. Cross-functional teams, regular security training tailored to developers, and joint ownership of secure delivery milestones are all vital. Encouraging open communication and celebrating successes in vulnerability remediation can further break down barriers between teams.4. Use Metrics to Drive Accountability
Effective metrics are essential for measuring AppSec performance and demonstrating the value of security initiatives. Organizations should look beyond technical indicators like vulnerability count, focusing also on risk exposure, time to remediate, and the actual adoption of secure coding tools and practices by developers.Performance dashboards and regular reviews provide transparency and enable course correction in real time—a key advantage in fast-changing threat environments.
5. Continuously Evolve Governance Models
Threats and technologies evolve rapidly; so must governance. Regularly reviewing and updating policies, tools, and procedural workflows ensures organizations remain agile, compliant, and resilient. It’s essential that these reviews involve not only security professionals, but also representatives from development, operations, and business units.Critical Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Emerging Risks
The broadening of AppSec responsibility brings clear advantages:- Agility and Speed: By embedding security in development cycles, organizations reduce the costly bottlenecks and last-minute rework that can occur when vulnerabilities are detected late.
- Cultural Uplift: Shared responsibility enhances cooperation, transparency, and trust across departments—ingredients essential for sustained security improvements.
- Customer and Market Trust: Demonstrating robust security practices is becoming a buyer requirement in many industries, serving as a lever for attracting and retaining business.
- Skills Shortage: Many developers remain under-prepared for their new security responsibilities, increasing the risk of insecure code and undetected vulnerabilities. Closing this gap requires significant investments in training and mentorship programs.
- Inconsistent Enforcement: Decentralization can breed inconsistency in how security policies are interpreted and applied, particularly in organizations without strong governance.
- Tool Overload: The proliferation of unintegrated security solutions can hinder rather than help, as teams become overwhelmed by alerts and workflows grow more complex.
AppSec in 2024 and Beyond: The Road Ahead
If current trends continue, AppSec will only become more central to business strategy. The rise of AI-powered development, the growth of open source adoption, and the proliferation of supply chain attacks add further complexity to already stretched security teams.Regulatory pressures, especially in Europe, will likely intensify—potentially catalyzing renewed investment and more stringent procurement processes elsewhere. Increased scrutiny from customers and business partners means that security will remain a key battleground for competitive differentiation.
However, organizations that treat AppSec as a collaborative, business-aligned function rather than a technical afterthought are best positioned to thrive. The CISO’s role will increasingly demand strategic vision, not just technical oversight, as they strive to balance innovation with robust risk management.
Practical Steps for IT Leaders
For IT leaders and CISOs seeking to accelerate their AppSec maturity, experts recommend the following actionable steps:- Prioritize AppSec Training: Invest in recurring, practical training programs tailored for developers and product teams. Tools such as secure coding bootcamps, real-world capture-the-flag exercises, and mentorship schemes can bridge the skills gap quickly.
- Standardize Your Toolchain: Rationalize and integrate security tools whenever possible. Select platforms that offer strong API support and can fit naturally within existing development pipelines.
- Engage the Board: Make regular, data-driven presentations to the board, emphasizing how AppSec investments directly influence business objectives like reputation, compliance, and innovation.
- Adopt ‘Build Security In’ Practices: Shift further left on the SDLC by mandating security reviews at every stage, from requirements definition to deployment and maintenance.
- Benchmark Progress: Regularly assess your organization’s AppSec maturity using established frameworks such as NIST or OWASP SAMM, and benchmark against industry peers to identify areas for improvement.
Conclusion: Embracing the New AppSec Paradigm
The transformation underway in application security marks a turning point for both IT and business leadership. While decentralized responsibility and increased budget allocations create new opportunities, true progress depends on clear governance, continuous learning, and the shared commitment of every stakeholder—from the C-suite to the coding desk.Ultimately, the winners in this new era will be those organizations that view security as an enabler of growth, customer confidence, and strategic advantage—never as a mere compliance checkbox. The evolving landscape demands resilience, flexibility, and above all, a culture where every team feels empowered to own and improve security outcomes. In this paradigm, AppSec is not just everyone’s responsibility. It’s everyone’s advantage.
Source: Petri IT Knowledgebase Security Teams No Longer Sole Owners of AppSec
