Checkmarx snaps up Codebashing to boost secure coding development
Checkmarx has acquired Codebashing, an application security training company.
Security
The application security testing firm said on Monday that the deal is expected to improve Checkmarx's training and the education of development teams faced with an evolving and rapidly-changing IT environment, especially in relation to cybersecurity.
Financial details were not disclosed.
The security skills gap is something of a challenge for the enterprise. Cyberthreats are unlikely to ever go away, and there is a skills shortage of white hat researchers and threat teams to combat everything from homebrew ransomware to advanced persistent threats (APTs).
Training from the coding level may help plug the gap. According to Checkmarx, giving IT staff the chance to enhance their skillset with interactive tools will not only benefit developers in terms of education but will result in improved product security and a reduction of the time it takes to send applications to market.
Codebashing offers app security training for developers through gamification. The company believes that this approach "allows enterprises to grow their in-house security skills, which results in fewer vulnerabilities being introduced into code in the first place."
Traditional learning methods may not suit everyone and training courses can disrupt workflows, and so Codebashing tries to offer "bite size" training through games to suit developer schedules and hopefully improve learning retention without the need for irrelevant material and long courses.
"Checkmarx has been addressing the security skill challenge for over a decade and once we saw the value we can deliver to our customers by integrating Codebashing's platform within our solution offering, we knew this would be a game changer for the industry," said Emmanuel Benzaquen, CEO of Checkmarx.
See also: Cybercrime and cyberwar: A spotter's guide to the groups that are out to get you
Last week, Rapid7 acquired Komand, a security orchestration company which utilizes AI and analytics to streamline enterprise security processes.