The responsibility for security cannot be shouldered solely by security experts. Integrating security within the development process is no longer optional, it’s a necessity -- especially as systems become more complex. One of the most effective ways to help foster this cross-team collaboration is to create a security-first culture among the teams— Security Champions. The Checkmarx Security Champion Program empowers CISOs and App Sec leadership to support their teams by providing the necessary security guidance and education.  

Navigating the Security Landscape with Security Champions 

Security Champions don't just advocate for best security practices within their engineering teams; they become catalysts for fostering a greater security culture. How? They bridge the gap between security and development teams by facilitating communication, encouraging best practices, and bolstering security awareness. It’s important to note that their role is not to become new security experts, but instead, to act as liaisons and advocates of a more security-focused process. 

Introducing the Checkmarx Security Champion Program 

Checkmarx has developed an updated and dedicated program to help you build, nurture and empower your Security Champions. Our program aims to develop a network of security-conscious developers that are primed to help elevate their team's security posture. 

This immersive learning experience, built on the bedrock of our Codebashing platform, presents developers with an interactive, game-like environment. Developers can now learn about application security at their own pace, while also being equipped with the essential skills and knowledge they need in order to champion security within their teams. 

A Holistic Approach to Security Education 

The Checkmarx Security Champion Program contains useful information for the entire range of engineering roles, including back-end, front-end, DevOps, and QA. The program, developed by our application security researchers, includes more than 80 lessons focusing on secure code writing. When participants complete the training, they are awarded a Security Champion Program certificate that is issued by Checkmarx. Security Champion Program certificates are issued at various levels, ranging from 1 to 3.  

Within the program, your developers will: 

1. Learn To Stay Ahead of Threats: Developers will learn how to remain ahead of security threats by continuously learning about the latest security vulnerabilities and best practices, through regularly updated content. 

2. Think Like a Hacker: Our lessons are curated from an attacker's perspective, making the learning process both practical and relatable. 

3. Action-Oriented Learning: With hands-on exercises, developers can instantly apply their newfound knowledge and quickly observe the impact of their actions in real-world scenarios. 

A Culture Shift in Security Advocacy 

At Checkmarx, we understand that the goal of cultivating Security Champions goes well beyond just training— it’s nurturing an overarching security-conscious culture. Our program's influence extends beyond the Codebashing platform, because it also containing: 

1. Continuous Learning: The program provides bite-sized learning modules and personalized learning paths, that can assist in fostering an environment of ongoing security education. That kind of environment keeps developers well-versed in evolving threats and secure coding practices. 

2. Enhanced Engagement: Gamification helps keep developers engaged throughout their learning journey. This helps create a proactive security culture where secure coding education seamlessly blends into developers' daily routines. 

3. Codebashing Learning Paths: Tailored learning paths ensure that each developer acquires the appropriate skills that are aligned with their specific responsibilities, and helps promote accountability while empowering them to support security. 

Elevating Communication and Closing the Gap 

By directly linking lessons to vulnerabilities within developers' integrated development environments (IDEs), Codebashing facilitates communication between AppSec teams and developers. This helps unite two pivotal groups in a collaborative effort.  

Boost your security posture with Checkmarx Security Champion Program 

Application security education must be an integrated part of the development process. Checkmarx is committed to empowering your developers with the knowledge, tools, and support to become true Security Champions. Through the Checkmarx Security Champion Program, we lead the charge in transforming development teams into CISOs and App Sec extensions.