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* Using Security to Drive S...

# Using Security to Drive Software Development Efficiency

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By [Mohit Bhasin](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/author/mohit-bhasin/?ts=markdown "Posts by Mohit Bhasin")  
May 16, 2022  
4 minutes  
[Cloud Native Application Protection Platform](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/cloud-native-application-protection-platforms/?ts=markdown)  
[Cloud Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/cloud-security/category/cloud-security/?ts=markdown)  
[CNAPP](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/tag/cnapp/?ts=markdown)  
[Prisma Cloud](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/tag/prisma-cloud/?ts=markdown)

## **Cloud-Native Security Maturity: Using Security to Drive Software Development Efficiency**

Cloud security is a challenging concept that impacts both development and security teams because they share the responsibility of securing everything in their cloud environments.

As more and more organizations adopt cloud-native technologies, security teams need to implement the right security technologies, programs, and processes to mitigate risk.

Another challenge is that executing security programs is perceived as a roadblock by development and engineering teams. However, the truth is that enhanced cloud security programs actually help drive software development efficiencies.

Over the past two years, we've seen a rapid acceleration of cloud adoption across a spectrum of organizations. To learn more, we partnered with the market research firm [ESG](https://www.esg-global.com/). Then we surveyed 1,000 cybersecurity professionals knowledgeable about software development practices and outcomes at their organizations to uncover the maturity of their security programs and any measurable benefits.

**The result is a culmination of three years of study by ESG on cloud-native security maturation. The research confirms security maturity trends and benchmarks how mature security programs enable software development efficiencies. We found that organizations with mature security programs are 4.2 times more likely to have development teams that see their security teams as enablers to their business.**

Let's look at a few other takeaways from this year's [Cloud-Native Security Maturity e-book](https://start.paloaltonetworks.com/esg-maturity-model.html#Ebook).

## **Cloud-Native Adoption Is Driving the Need for Security**

Organizations are frequently moving critical workloads and applications to the cloud. 83% of respondents said they have at least several internally developed cloud-native applications pushed to production. In addition, they are also increasingly comfortable putting their critical applications into the cloud. The research revealed that mature organizations plan to quadruple their number of cloud-native business-critical applications over the next 12 months.

In our 2021 e-book: [*The Evolution of Cloud Native Security*](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/resources/ebooks/esg-evolution-of-cloud-native-security) --- 88% of respondents said they believed their cybersecurity program would need to evolve to secure their cloud-native applications and use of public cloud infrastructure. This data reveals that cloud-native adoption is driving the need for mature security programs in places that provide comprehensive protection.

We gathered unique insights into security program maturity and how it correlates to operational excellence.

## **Cloud Security Drives Better Business Outcomes**

Most organizations see security as either a barrier or an enabler to technology adoption. Driven by the need to protect company data and meet industry regulations, the ability to manage security and risk is critical.

The findings showed that today's business success depends on leveraging technology to deliver products and services efficiently. As business leverage cloud technologies, security is essential to protect valuable company and customer data. Thus, stronger security programs also contribute to better business outcomes.

[Read the e-book](https://start.paloaltonetworks.com/esg-maturity-model.html#Ebook) to find out which traits make up these groups and how they operate. The analysis shows clear connections between mature security programs and organizational outcomes.

Organizations that considered themselves to have a mature cloud security program stated the following benefits:

* Respond to vulnerabilities 28% faster than average.
* 4\.2X more likely to see security teams as business enablers.
* Experience fewer security incidents
* More confident about delivering secure code on time
* Low levels of team friction among security, development, and DevOps

Among all organizations, those with high levels of mature cloud security programs realize that this translates to higher revenue.

## **Get the E-Book, See the Data**

Discover more fascinating insights from *Cloud-Native Security Maturity: Using Security to Drive Software Development Efficiency 2022*.

Additional findings reveal why customers invest in cloud security programs, why security impacts product functionality and on-time delivery and how mature security programs enable organizations to beat revenue goals and the competition.

[**Take this five-minute assessment to see how you rank against your peers**](https://start.paloaltonetworks.com/esg-maturity-model.html#Assessment)

[**Download the e-book now**](https://start.paloaltonetworks.com/esg-maturity-model.html#Ebook)

[**View the free infographic**](https://start.paloaltonetworks.com/esg-maturity-model.html#Infographic)

*** ** * ** ***

## Related Blogs

### [Announcement](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/announcement/?ts=markdown), [Cloud Network Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/cloud-security/category/cloud-network-security/?ts=markdown), [Cloud Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/cloud-security/category/cloud-security/?ts=markdown), [Products and Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/products-and-services/?ts=markdown)

[#### Shift Happens, Be Ready With Code-to-Cloud CNAPP](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2022/09/code-to-cloud-cnapp/)

### [Announcement](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/announcement/?ts=markdown), [Cloud Native Application Protection Platform](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/cloud-native-application-protection-platforms/?ts=markdown), [Cloud Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/cloud-security/category/cloud-security/?ts=markdown), [CNAPP](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/cloud-security/category/cnapp/?ts=markdown), [Reports](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/reports/?ts=markdown)

[#### Where Cloud Security Stands Today and Where AI Breaks It](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2025/12/cloud-security-2025-report-insights/)

### [Cloud Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/cloud-security/?ts=markdown), [Points of View](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/points-of-view/?ts=markdown), [Predictions](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/predictions/?ts=markdown)

[#### Forecasting the 2025 Cloudscape](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2024/12/forecasting-the-2025-cloudscape/)

### [Announcement](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/announcement/?ts=markdown), [CNAPP](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/cloud-security/category/cnapp/?ts=markdown), [Company \& Culture](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/company-culture/?ts=markdown), [Reports](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/reports/?ts=markdown)

[#### Nikesh Arora on Mad Money](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2024/12/nikesh-arora-on-mad-money/)

### [Cloud Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/cloud-security/category/cloud-security/?ts=markdown), [Cloud Security Provider](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/cloud-security/category/cloud-security-provider/?ts=markdown), [Partners](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/partners/?ts=markdown), [Products and Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/products-and-services/?ts=markdown)

[#### Master Cloud Computing Risks with a Proactive, End-to-End Approach](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2023/12/master-cloud-computing-risks/)

### [Announcement](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/announcement/?ts=markdown), [Announcement](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/cloud-security/category/announcement/?ts=markdown), [Cloud Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/cloud-security/category/cloud-security/?ts=markdown), [CNAPP](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/cloud-security/category/cnapp/?ts=markdown), [Products and Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/products-and-services/?ts=markdown)

[#### Prisma Cloud: Darwin Release Introduces Code to Cloud Intelligence](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2023/10/announcing-innovations-cnapp-prisma-cloud/)

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