Security delivers the greatest impact when it is embedded early in the planning and design of digital systems. Security by Design reduces risks, avoids costly last-minute fixes and improves an organisation’s cyber resilience. Approaches like Shift Left and DevSecOps help identify vulnerabilities early, automate checks and build sustainable security into development processes. Organisations that treat security as a strategic priority create more stable, trustworthy and durable digital products.

Security by Design: Embedding Security Where It Matters Most

Cybersecurity fails rarely because of missing tools, but because security is addressed too late. Security by Design ensures that risks are considered from the very beginning, forming the foundation for robust and trustworthy digital systems.

Organisations that postpone security decisions until shortly before go-live face unnecessary risks, higher costs and avoidable operational disruptions. Early, strategic integration of security prevents exactly that.

Why Security Must Start Early

Digital products and platforms are becoming increasingly complex, and weaknesses in the foundation are difficult or impossible to fix later. Security by Design means:

  • identifying risks during planning
  • building security directly into the architecture
  • considering security as a first-class requirement

Studies consistently show that issues discovered late in the lifecycle are exponentially more expensive to fix than those addressed early. Treating security as an architectural concern reduces long-term costs and strengthens resilience.

Shift Left & DevSecOps: Practical Ways to Build Secure Software

Many modern organisations rely on Shift Left and DevSecOps to operationalise Security by Design. These approaches integrate security into processes and teams rather than treating it as a separate discipline.

Key practices include:

  • automated security tests in CI/CD pipelines
  • versioned, auditable policies (“Security as Code”)
  • continuous monitoring and clear feedback loops
  • shared responsibility across engineering, security and operations

The result: fewer vulnerabilities, more stable systems and faster release cycles.

Regulatory Requirements and Strategic Benefits

With the GDPR and the revised Swiss Data Protection Act, Security by Design is not merely best practice — it is a legal requirement. rganisations must implement appropriate technical and organisational measures from the design phase onward, including data minimisation, encryption and clear access controls.

Those who apply these principles consistently benefit twice: they meet regulatory expectations while strengthening the security and reliability of their digital landscape.

Conclusion

Security by Design is not an additional effort, but an investment in quality, resilience and trust. Organisations that consider security early develop faster, more reliably and more economically.

This article is based on the December edition of our column “Schlicht und einfach” in the Swiss IT Magazin Inside IT. The original text was written by Markus Schlichting, CEO of Karakun, who regularly explores fundamental technology topics and their real-world implications in this column.

If you want to think about security strategically and embed it sustainably into your development processes, Karakun is here to support you. Let’s talk.

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FAQ

What is Security by Design?

A development approach in which security considerations are integrated from the earliest stages of planning, architecture and implementation.

 

Why is late-stage security insufficient?

Issues discovered near go-live are harder to fix, more expensive and often lead to operational delays or vulnerabilities in production.

 

How does DevSecOps support Security by Design?

DevSecOps integrates security into development and operations workflows, supported by automation, shared responsibility and continuous feedback.

 

Is Security by Design legally required?

Yes. GDPR and Swiss revDSG require organisations to implement appropriate security measures from the design phase onward.

 

What is the business impact?

Lower costs, fewer incidents, stronger resilience and higher trust in digital products.