Why application security tools fail and how DevSecOps fixes security debt

Teams don’t need more alerts. They need application security solutions that cut through the noise and help them fix what matters.

Published via GitHub Executive Insights

Why traditional application security tools fall short

Organizations spend billions annually on cybersecurity tooling and services, with companies averaging more than 70 tools each. Yet security and developer teams still struggle to keep up with rising security debt—the amount of unresolved vulnerabilities that build up over time.

The primary reason for this? Traditional application security tools often fail to meet developer needs. These tools aren’t designed with developers in mind, despite developers being the ones tasked with remediation. The solutions require developers to context switch, forcing them to leave their familiar coding environments and workflows to run manual security tests—increasing cognitive load. Furthermore, most developers aren’t security experts, so fixing vulnerabilities takes far longer than it should.

The end result is that developer productivity gets drained and security debt continues to rise.

How security debt builds up in developer workflows

Additionally worrisome: when the security tools developers use surface issues, the alerts often provide little context and aren’t actionable. For example, many alerts are false positives. Others are low risk—meaning, if a malicious actor exploits one, there won’t be much harm. Overwhelmed by the alerts’ lack of usefulness and context, developers often end up ignoring them altogether and lose trust in their security tooling.

What teams don’t need is just more alerts, detection capabilities, or additional security tooling. They need solutions that go beyond discovery, helping them prioritize and scale remediation efforts to do what matters: securing new code and (even more importantly) paying down security debt.

Current GitHub customers: Quickly assess your secret exposure

GitHub’s secret risk assessment provides immediate, aggregated insights into your organization's exposure to leaked credentials. It helps you identify occurrences of publicly exposed secrets, evaluate internal exposure, and pinpoint the most common credential types at risk. Admins can run this assessment directly from their organization’s ‘Security’ tab, enabling rapid action to protect your organization from breaches.

Share this link with an org admin to run a secret risk assessment now.

Why DevSecOps is essential for scalable security tooling

Over the years, DevOps has transformed how many organizations build and ship software. However, one aspect of the software development lifecycle (SDLC) was left outside of the DevOps model: security. But then came along DevSecOps—which mindfully adds security to traditional DevOps by embedding automated security testing throughout the SDLC and into every aspect of DevOps culture, tooling, and processes. Put simply, DevSecOps is the natural evolution of DevOps, with security baked into the process.

Developer experience is key to fixing application security

DevSecOps is critical to getting application security right. A Harris poll found that nearly three in four developers responded that software supply chain security tools were debilitating to their productivity, while fewer than half of CISOs said they believed that developers were “very familiar” with the security risks associated with their tools and workflows. This disconnect between teams creates friction and helps no one. Developers need security tools embedded into their workflows so they can fix vulnerabilities without hindering creativity and productivity.

How GitHub makes application security part of the workflow

At GitHub, we experienced this firsthand. Which is why we began offering native security capabilities for free on all public repositories, and licensed features for private repositories. By integrating security into the development workflow, GitHub helps teams catch vulnerabilities early, reduce friction, and make security native to the development process.

The result? Developers spend less time chasing false positives and more time building secure, high-quality software.

AI-powered application security turns 'found' into 'fixed'

Thanks to advances in AI, organizations can scale their efforts and tackle security debt more effectively. With the new technology, developers no longer need to be security experts, as AI can help developers fix issues in real time. At GitHub, our goal is to augment, accelerate, and empower teams with AI—specifically through GitHub Copilot, the world’s most widely adopted AI developer tool. We started by automating tedious tasks for developers. Now, we’re extending that innovation to application security.

Our vision for security is simple: “Found means fixed.” With AI, developers can remediate vulnerabilities the moment they’re discovered—almost instantly and with just a few clicks. Copilot Autofix goes beyond just surfacing issues, as it provides automatically generated vulnerability analysis, detailed alert explanations, and, most importantly, AI-powered fixes. This ensures that security flaws don’t just get detected—they get resolved, helping developers stay focused on building great software.

The bottom line: reduce security debt and boost productivity

Traditional security tools create friction for developers, slowing productivity and increasing security debt. DevSecOps addresses these challenges by embedding security into the development workflow, enabling teams to remediate vulnerabilities faster and more effectively. With AI-powered solutions like GitHub Copilot and Copilot Autofix, developers can fix security issues in real time—without leaving their workflow. By shifting security left and automating remediation, organizations can reduce security debt, improve software quality, and empower developers to focus on innovation.

This content was taken from our gated ebook, Secure your code: The essential guide to managing security debt, providing a three-step action plan for reducing security debt. Download the ebook now to start your action plan >