Reinforcing secure development: Why shared coding foundations matter more than ever

Software delivery is accelerating. Teams are releasing features faster, adopting new frameworks, and integrating third-party components at pace. At the same time, security and resilience remain under scrutiny.

Our latest research shows the scale of the challenge. Almost half of senior IT decision makers say a lack of secure development and testing practices is a challenge for their business, while 55% report struggling with software and programming vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, coding, programming and web development skills are high priorities this year.

High-profile incidents such as Log4Shell demonstrate how vulnerabilities can emerge from widely used components and surface globally. Whilst security is often associated with well-known threats such as SQL injection or cross-site scripting, in practice, weaknesses frequently originate much earlier, in everyday coding and testing decisions, only becoming visible in production.

For programming and web development teams, reinforcing secure development is less about dramatic change and more about strengthening shared engineering foundations.

Why this matters for modern development teams

Secure development can sometimes be treated as a specialist concern. Yet most security outcomes are shaped by daily engineering decisions: how data is structured, how access is controlled, how dependencies are managed, and how thoroughly behaviour is tested.

Under delivery pressure, it is natural for teams to focus on milestones and feature sets. Over time, however, small, routine decisions can accumulate and introduce risk across applications and services. Testing scope may narrow when timelines are tight. Third-party libraries may be adopted without full visibility into their lifecycle or update posture.

The issue is rarely intent. It is consistency.

When secure coding and testing are reinforced, through training, as shared responsibilities across developers, QA engineers, DevOps and security roles, practices tend to be applied more predictably, even under pressure.

What secure development really means in practice

Secure development goes beyond defending against known attack patterns. It begins with core engineering principles that influence how systems behave over time.

This includes understanding how data is shared and exposed, how scope and encapsulation limit or extend access, and how inheritance can alter behaviour in subtle ways. It also involves recognising the difference between copying values and referencing shared objects, and appreciating how dynamic behaviour or runtime modification can affect reliability. In addition, informed use of third-party libraries and external components is critical. Individually, these concepts may appear technical or routine. Collectively, they shape how maintainable, predictable and resilient a codebase becomes.

Coding and web development courses delivered by our sister brand StayAhead, reinforce these foundations through structured, hands-on learning. Java Developer training explores object-oriented principles such as encapsulation and inheritance. Python Programming 2 examines runtime behaviour and testability. JavaScript and web development courses address package management and dependency handling. The focus is not only on how to implement features, but on understanding why code behaves the way it does.

Everyday coding decisions and hidden risk

Developers make countless small decisions each day that influence system behaviour.

Returning a variable may seem simple, yet it raises questions about who can modify that data and whether internal state is unintentionally exposed. Inherited behaviour may be extended in ways that introduce unexpected side effects. Dependencies may be introduced without full awareness of how external code evolves or interacts with the wider system.

When these questions are considered consistently, systems tend to be more robust. When they are overlooked, data integrity and resilience can be weakened.

Third-party components are particularly important in this context. Software supply chain guidance widely recognises dependencies as a potential source of risk. Without visibility and ongoing management, vulnerabilities may sit outside a team’s immediate awareness.

Training does not eliminate these risks. However, it can help strengthen engineering judgement by reinforcing foundational concepts and encouraging developers to question assumptions about how and why code behaves as it does.

The importance of testing foundations

Testing is another area where habit and discipline matter. Time constraints are a commonly cited barrier to broader testing effort. Under pressure, teams may prioritise core flows, leaving edge cases and failure scenarios less explored.

Code coverage metrics can provide reassurance yet may focus primarily on ‘happy paths’. The risk is not just untested code, but misplaced confidence in code quality.

Effective testing aims to build confidence that software behaves as expected across a range of realistic conditions. It typically includes:

• Independent, repeatable tests
• Isolation of the system under test
• Verification of both expected and unexpected paths
• Consideration of boundaries and edge cases

Mature teams often view testing as a way to challenge their own assumptions, actively exploring how code might fail rather than only confirming how it succeeds.

Our courses support this discipline through structured, hands-on practice. Unit Testing with JUnit covers testable code, mocking and repeatable testing habits. Python Programming 2 includes unit testing principles. Intermediate JavaScript explores modern testing approaches. The aim is to reinforce consistent quality practices that can be applied in day-to-day delivery.

The role of shared foundations across teams

When developers, testers and platform engineers align on baseline concepts – how data flows, how dependencies are managed, how tests are structured – diagnosing and resolving issues becomes more straightforward. Shared foundations can reduce dependency on individual specialists and support collaboration as systems scale.

This does not require a single rigid approach across every stack. Different technologies demand different techniques. However, reinforcing core principles across roles can help teams apply standards more consistently and adapt more confidently as complexity increases.

We support this through hands-on coding courses across core languages and web technologies, alongside testing-focused programmes delivered by our other sister brand, TSG Training. Depending on your environment, relevant training includes Unit Testing with JUnit, Core Spring (including Spring Security fundamentals), ASP.NET Core, or Git and GitHub, all of which contain principles for strengthening collaboration and shared practices.

Reinforcing secure development in your teams through training

As organisations prioritise coding, programming and web development capability, it is worth asking whether secure development and testing foundations are evolving at the same pace.

Training can support teams to:

• Strengthen secure coding fundamentals
• Think critically about everyday engineering decisions
• Reinforce consistent testing habits
• Build shared understanding across roles

The focus is on capability and behaviour, not tools alone.

We work with organisations to understand their tech stack and current gaps, helping shape a training programme aligned to your development environment and objectives.

To discuss how ILX can support your coding and web development teams, contact us to explore a tailored training approach that strengthens foundations while supporting delivery at pace.