­
How mature is your Application Security Program? - All Articles - CISO Platform
(Posted on Behalf of Pushkal Mishra AVP IT & CISO, HDFC ERGO Health Insurance Ltd)
Business applications are vital for the successful functioning of any organization. Therefore, managing their information security risks are just as important as the business itself. If I ask about different measures you take to ensure security of your applications, you might reply with few initiatives such as periodic secure code reviews, external scans, vulnerability assessments & penetration testings and perhaps audits etc. But what If I asked how mature is your program?

One way to answer that would be to compare your program with the industry best practice and identify relative position of your organization. For example, if the industry benchmark is 2 (out of 3) and you are at 0.05, then there are many things that need your immediate attention.

So how do I measure vis-à-vis industry?

No alt text provided for this image

The answer to that would be finding the relevant maturity model. Although there are many models , I personally find BSIMM (Building Security IMaturity Model) very useful. It can be used as a measuring stick for software security. The model has 4 security domains broken into 12 security practice areas which are further subdivided into additional 3 levels emerging over 100 activities that can be leveraged to compare as well as improve the program. The most interesting part of this model is that there are over 120 participating firms across various industries sharing their approach of application security.

Start off by doing the gap assessment against BSIMM. Then pick the relevant industry benchmark and plot your practice against it through the spider chart (or anything similar) as below. This will help in visualization of your program's maturity.

No alt text provided for this image

Obviously, it is not feasible to take all the initiatives so depending on your business requirements, you can choose which initiative to take as not every organization can afford to invest in all of them. Below are the most common ones that all the participating companies are using:

No alt text provided for this image
Votes: 0
E-mail me when people leave their comments –

You need to be a member of CISO Platform to add comments!

Join CISO Platform

Join The Community Discussion

CISO Platform

A global community of 5K+ Senior IT Security executives and 40K+ subscribers with the vision of meaningful collaboration, knowledge, and intelligence sharing to fight the growing cyber security threats.

Join CISO Community Share Your Knowledge (Post A Blog)
 

 

 

CISO Platform Talks : Security FireSide Chat With A Top CISO or equivalent (Monthly)

  • Description:

    CISO Platform Talks: Security Fireside Chat With a Top CISO

    Join us for the CISOPlatform Fireside Chat, a power-packed 30-minute virtual conversation where we bring together some of the brightest minds in cybersecurity to share strategic insights, real-world experiences, and emerging trends. This exclusive monthly session is designed for senior cybersecurity leaders looking to stay ahead in an ever-evolving landscape.

    We’ve had the privilege of…

  • Created by: Biswajit Banerjee
  • Tags: ciso, fireside chat

CISO MeetUp: Executive Cocktail Reception @ Black Hat USA , Las Vegas 2025

  • Description:

    We are excited to invite you to the CISO MeetUp: Executive Cocktail Reception if you are there at the Black Hat Conference USA, Las Vegas 2025. This event is organized by EC-Council & FireCompass with CISOPlatform as proud community partner. 

    This evening is designed for Director-level and above cybersecurity professionals to connect, collaborate, and unwind in a relaxed setting. Enjoy…

  • Created by: Biswajit Banerjee
  • Tags: black hat 2025, ciso meetup, cocktail reception, usa events, cybersecurity events, ciso

6 City Playbook Round Table Series (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Chennai, Kolkata)

  • Description:

    Join us for an exclusive 6-city roundtable series across Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Chennai, and Kolkata. Curated for top cybersecurity leaders, this series will spotlight proven strategies, real-world insights, and impactful playbooks from the industry’s best.

    Network with peers, exchange ideas, and contribute to shaping the Top 100 Security Playbooks of the year.

    Date : Sept 2025 - Oct 2025

    Venue: Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune,…

  • Created by: Biswajit Banerjee

National Insider Risk Symposium, Washington DC, USA 2025

  • Description:

    We are excited to invite you to the 10th National Insider Risk Symposium, a premier forum bringing together leaders and experts from both the commercial and public sectors to address the evolving landscape of insider threats. CISOPlatform is a proud community partner for this event. 

    Event Details:
    Venue: National Housing Center, 1201 15th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20005
    Dates: September 17–18,…

  • Created by: Biswajit Banerjee
  • Tags: national insider risk symposium, ciso, cybersecurity events, usa events