Let’s be real—there are only so many checklists, playbooks, and policies you can read before your eyes glaze over. So we’re closing this guide the way every dev blog should end: with a snarky, BS-free FAQ. Straight answers to the real questions teams ask when trying to make secure development work without the corporate handbook energy.

Placeholder image: Image description: Sticky notes with common developer security questions on a whiteboard, some crossed out, some highlighted with sarcastic annotations.

How do I convince my developers that security isn’t just slowing them down?

Tell them it saves them from 2 AM fire drills when prod is on fire, makes PRs safer (less chance of revert hell), and helps land those juicy enterprise deals without 10 rounds of security questionnaires. Also: less paperwork and fewer meetings with people in suits. Win-win.

What are the absolute essential secure coding rules to start with for any team?

1. Don’t trust user input (ever).
   
2. Encode output like your job depends on it (because it might).
   
3. Don’t leak secrets (your AWS bill will thank you).
   If you nail these three, you’re already more secure than half the internet.
   
   

We have a small team and no dedicated security person. How can we realistically implement an SSDLC?

Start with the free stuff. GitLeaks in pre-commit. Semgrep in PRs. Trivy in CI. Make one dev the “security champion” for an hour a week. Automate what you can, delegate what you can’t. You’re not building Fort Knox—just making sure your house has locks.

How much does implementing an SSDLC and its associated tools typically cost?

Anywhere from “a few pizzas and a Friday hackathon” to “more than your CEO’s bonus.” But seriously: start lean. Open source tools are great. Aikido’s free tier helps you get started fast. And the ROI? Fewer bugs, faster deploys, and less triage time.

Which SSDLC framework (SAMM, SSDF, etc.) is best for a startup or SME?

Pick the one that doesn’t make you want to tear your hair out. NIST SSDF is a solid, practical starter. OWASP SAMM works great if you want more structure. Or just steal the best bits from both and call it “Our Awesome Secure Way of Doing Things™.” It’s fine.

How do we handle alert fatigue from security tools effectively?

Stop using tools that treat every semicolon as a threat. Prioritize ruthlessly. Focus on what’s actually exploitable. Use tools that show you context—not just CVE IDs and red triangles. (Hint: Aikido does exactly this by prioritizing what’s reachable, fixable, and in-prod.)

Insight: You don’t need a PhD in cyber to build secure software—you just need the right mindset, the right tools, and a team that doesn’t roll their eyes every time someone says “risk.” You’ve got this.