75% of developers worry about app security, but half lack dedicated security experts on their team

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WhiteHat Security released a report on Thursday revealing the gap between cybersecurity concerns and cybersecurity support involving applications. The majority (85%) of developers ranked security as very important to the coding and development process, and 75% said they worry about the security of these apps, the report found. 

Despite these concerns, nearly half of their teams lack an established cybersecurity expert. In place of a dedicated expert, 57% of participants said they incorporate app security tools. Respondents said they use these tools to scan for vulnerabilities daily (33%), weekly (29%), and monthly (20%), the report found.  

SEE: Special report: A winning strategy for cybersecurity (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

WhiteHat Security’s Developer Security Sentiment Study surveyed more than 100 industry professionals during DeveloperWeek Austin. Apps are not new to vulnerability: In 2018, 85% of mobile apps contained at least one common security vulnerability, a previous WhiteHat Security report found.   

This most recent study found that mobile app security is an ongoing problem. Some 43% of respondents said they still prioritize meeting their app release deadlines over security measures. With pressure to deliver functional apps by certain dates, coders either disregard security or take shortcuts to meet the deadline, the report found. 

Nearly 60% of developers said they are aware security should be a priority, but the pressure of meeting a deadline prevents them from treating it as…