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A 2022 report by the Consortium for Information & Software Quality (CISQ), titled "The Cost of Poor Software Quality in the US" sought to assess the causes of poor quality software and the impacts. Technical Debt was attributed with a total cost of over $1.52 trillion USD to the US economy making it the most predominant impact of poor software quality. In a nutshell, Technical Debt is accumulated when short-term solutions are prioritized over long-term ones, leading to hidden costs that must be addressed later. It makes sense that software development needs to be fast - software developers want their products to be first to market and evolve quickly to accumulate popular features. Hardware development, historically keeping pace with and now even outpacing Moore's Law, has bestowed immense compute power upon us. It only makes sense that this growing power will lead to rapid growth of software capabilities in order to leverage the hardware boom.
The complexity of software systems has increased, with modern applications comprising substantial lines of code. For instance, the Android operating system runs on approximately 12-15 million lines of code, while all Google services combined encompass around 2 billion lines [1]. The proliferation of software applications is also evident in platforms like GitHub, which, as of 2023, hosts over 85.7 million new repositories. The software market is expanding with an expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of between roughly 11% and 26% from 2024 to 2030 [2][3].
However, as your company expands its capabilities via technology, it's important to consider the costs associated with Technical Debt. In this article we will learn what we mean when we discuss "Technical Debt", the associated security risks, and finally, some approaches to Technical Debt Management, to guide your companies technological growth in a way that prevents future costs incurred by kicking the proverbial can down the road.
Technical Debt refers to the long-term costs of taking shortcuts during the development or maintenance of technology. In other words, prioritizing short-term solutions over long-term ones. Originally introduced by Ward Cunningham, one of the authors of the Agile Manifesto, Technical Debt is a metaphor for the compromises made to achieve short-term goals, such as faster delivery or reduced costs, at the expense of future flexibility, security, and productivity.
In software development, Technical Debt is often caused by rushing to deliver products to the market; forgoing proper documentation, and established software development principles - potentially leading to severe security outcomes. However, the concept of Technical Debt has become more broad, encompassing other areas of technology, including IT infrastructure and cybersecurity. For example, failing to upgrade legacy systems or implement proper governance protocols can also contribute to Technical Debt.
Martin Fowler, Chief Scientist at ThoughtWorks, described Technical Debt as incurring "interest payments," meaning the extra time and resources needed in the future to address the issues caused by earlier shortcuts. Fowler has emphasized the importance of managing this debt through strategies like refactoring—making gradual improvements to code without altering its functionality—to enhance readability, reduce complexity, and resolve vulnerabilities. Refactoring also ensures that some software developers are actively familiar with a piece of software rather than having it fall into obscurity.
While Technical Debt can have strategic benefits, such as prioritizing speed-to-market for a critical product, unmanaged or excessive Technical Debt can spiral out of control. Over time, this debt can lead to significant consequences, including reduced productivity, increased maintenance costs, and heightened security risks.
In cybersecurity, Technical Debt often intersects with security debt. This occurs when organizations delay implementing necessary security measures, such as patching vulnerabilities, adopting secure coding practices, or implementing a shift-left approach to cybersecurity. Such delays can create vulnerabilities that attackers exploit and lead to costly ransomware attacks, regulatory penalties, or reputational damage.
According to a report from Carnegie Melon University's Software Engineering Institute, Technical Debt can have multiple security implications including:
Rushed Development Increases the Chances of Vulnerabilities: Developing software too quickly and without oversight can introduce vulnerabilities and amplify security risks
Difficulty in Fixing Software Defects and Vulnerabilities: Complex and poorly designed systems hinder the ability to locate and address security issues effectively. Delayed fixes or rushed updates that are ineffective may leave systems exposed to attacks.
Compromised System Architecture: Poorly managed architectural decisions can limit the ability to implement robust security measures or adapt to evolving threats
Increased Maintenance Costs: Increased complexity and unresolved issues make maintenance and upgrades more expensive over time. In the long-term, Technical Debt increases costs for a system’s lifecycle, from development to operations.
Degraded System Qualities: Operational problems, such as performance degradation and data corruption can arise due to architectural flaws.
Increased Delays in Delivering New Features: Technical Debt slows down development cycles, making it harder to innovate quickly
Potential for Reputational Damage: Exposing customers to buggy software can increase the risk of losing contracts and suffering reputational damage
Reduced System Agility: Excessive complexity and interdependencies make it challenging to implement changes or enhancements
By recognizing and actively managing Technical Debt, organizations can mitigate its impact. Effective Technical Debt management minimizes risks, reduces long-term costs, and ensures a more adaptable and resilient IT infrastructure. Effectively managing Technical Debt requires proactive measures like DevSecOps, comprehensive risk assessment, and regular auditing of debt-related issues to mitigate the impact to security and operational performance.
Here are actionable steps to manage and mitigate Technical Debt:
Maintain a Culture of High Quality: Foster an organizational mindset that prioritizes code quality, security, and maintainability. Encourage teams to adopt best practices, such as peer code reviews, pair programming, and strict adherence to coding standards. Promote the importance of addressing Technical Debt as a routine part of development.
Develop Technical Debt Policies: Define program goals, stakeholders, ownership, governance processes, and success metrics. Align infrastructure and application goals with business priorities to ensure long-term value.
Provide Technical Training for Staff in Key Positions: Equip team members with up-to-date knowledge of modern development frameworks, secure coding practices, and tools for managing Technical Debt. Offer continuous learning opportunities through workshops, certifications, and mentorship programs to ensure staff can identify and mitigate Technical Debt effectively.
Implement DevSecOps to Ensure Product Quality: Embed security and quality checks into every stage of the development lifecycle. Use tools to automate testing, vulnerability scanning, and code analysis. Encourage collaboration among developers, security teams, and operations staff to deliver high-quality software with minimal Technical Debt.
Conduct Regular Health Assessments: Assess the health of infrastructure elements and document their lifecycle stages. Prioritize components based on business impact, risk, and value to focus remediation efforts effectively.
Apply Governance to Control Life Cycle Management: Implement infrastructure portfolio management to govern Technical Debt across its lifecycle. Ensure governance committees regularly review, update, and enforce life cycle plans.
Mitigate Cloud-Induced Technical Debt: Understand how cloud migration affects Technical Debt and address potential new challenges it introduces. Follow structured steps to minimize Technical Debt during cloud transitions.
Integrate DevSecOps Practices: Adopt continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) processes to detect and address Technical Debt early in development. Use automated tools for code quality, security checks, and architectural analysis.
Involve Stakeholders and Gain Consensus: Collaborate with business leaders, application owners, and security teams to build shared responsibility for Technical Debt management. Communicate the value of reducing Technical Debt to secure executive sponsorship and organizational buy-in.
Establish Clear Documentation Practices: Record Technical Debt items systematically to maintain visibility and accountability. Track dependencies, costs, and risks to ensure informed decision-making.
Implement Metrics to Monitor Success: Use measurable indicators like reduced defects, faster delivery times, and improved system resilience. Continuously evaluate and refine strategies based on performance data.
Technical Debt, a result of compromises made for short-term gains, poses significant security and operational risks if left unmanaged. It can lead to vulnerabilities, escalating costs, and reduced system agility. Effective management strategies—such as regular assessments, adopting DevSecOps practices, and integrating governance processes—can mitigate these risks. By proactively addressing Technical Debt, organizations enhance their security posture, reduce long-term costs, and ensure sustainable growth in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
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