3 Questions Your Software Development Organization Should Be Asking if You Want to Protect Your Source Code
In many startup to mid-sized software development organizations, the IT department doesn’t really exist.
It may consist of just one person or may involve members of the software development team pulling double duty. However, it’s important to remember that developing code is not the same skillset as running an effective IT department.
As a result of this issue, many software development companies inadvertently put their source code at risk, not to mention their go-to-market deadlines.
From ransomware and phishing attacks to password breaches, the list of cybersecurity threats goes on. These issues can not only affect an organization’s access to their own data, but can also affect their reputation with their customers — and a customer that doesn’t trust you won’t be a customer for long.
Want to make sure your software organization is on the right track with managing your IT? Ask yourself these 3 questions.
1. Does your company provide regular IT training about cybersecurity and commonly-used software to your employees?
If the answer is yes, congrats! You’re one of the few.
If the answer is no or maybe, it’s time to consider how this could put your software development organization at risk.
In a tech company, it’s safe to assume that most employees are tech savvy. They know not to respond to the prince of Nigeria looking to offload his vast fortune. However, just because your team can bypass the obvious threats doesn’t mean they won’t accidentally fall for a more complex scam.
It’s vital to offer regular training for password management, cybersecurity best practices, bring-your-own-device policies, and more. This way, your team can be part of the first line of defense against cybercriminals.
2. Does your company have a CIO or equivalent skillset for strategic planning and business alignment?
This is a critical aspect of business strategy that often gets put on the back burner, which can cost software development organizations their most important asset: their source code.
A CIO-level individual is responsible for ensuring the IT organization is as operationally mature as the rest of the company. This means putting a disaster recovery plan in place, ensuring the IT department has the resources they need to meet their demands, and constantly staying on top of new threats that may affect the company.
IT is not a “set-it-and-forget-it” industry. It is constantly moving and evolving, which means your software development organization requires someone who knows how to look out for the things that others with less knowledge might miss.
3. Does your company have Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery technologies and procedures to return you to business in case of critical outage or cyberattack?
If your software went down as a result of an attack or infrastructure outage, how would this affect your customers? Even if it only happened once in several years, an outage of any kind could decrease your credibility and reliability as a reputable organization. It would be doubly harmful if it took hours — or worse, days or weeks — to get back online.
Important for both B2B and B2C customers, your reputation matters. If customers can’t trust that you know what to do in case of a disaster — natural, cyber, or other — then they may choose to work with someone they can trust.
IT doesn’t have to be a burden or an unknown.
If any of these questions made you feel uneasy about the direction your software development organization is headed, it’s time to take a closer look at your IT department.
Download the IT Self Assessment which has 12 key questions that will help you determine the next steps you need to take to ensure your source code is safe and your go-to-market deadlines are met.
