Cybersecurity Starts Before Code: Shifting Security Left Is The New Competitive Edge

In the digital age, everyone in the industry is concerned and speaking about security. Security in systems is no longer an afterthought, and individuals in the field are advocating for including security concerns from the beginning of developing systems.

One professional who has consistently advanced this shift is Amit Jha, whose work in program management, AI/ML, and cybersecurity has shown that security, when embedded early, becomes a safeguard against further complications.

Amit currently applies his expertise at a leading technological enterprise, where he has championed Zero-Trust principles and governance models. He designed predictive allocation and tracking systems with built-in auditability and access controls, protecting sensitive engineering data while ensuring compliance with global standards. These initiatives not only secured critical hardware workflows but also demonstrated that robust governance could support, rather than slow down, innovation.

His contributions have been recognized beyond the leading technological enterprise as well. At a previous company, Amit earned Security Champion Recognition for embedding security awareness directly into engineering teams. Instead of treating cybersecurity as the responsibility of a separate department, he trained cross-functional staff (managers, testers and developers) on secure Agile delivery and threat modelling, which fostered a shared feeling of responsibility for maintaining security. By ensuring that security was considered in every sprint review and definition of done, teams reduced late-stage vulnerabilities.

Throughout his career, Amit has aligned projects with global frameworks such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, Zero-Trust Architecture, and the Cybersecurity Maturity Model. Leveraging his PMP, PMI-ACP, and Agile certifications, he has helped organizations meet both compliance demands and competitive needs.

At another major technical company, Amit contributed to an AI-powered system intelligence platform by integrating secure coding practices into Agile sprints and automating vulnerability scanning and compliance checks. This reduced post-release security issues and improved customer trust. On Project Pathfinder, the enterprise's Agile transformation program, he embedded security reviews into agile delivery models, rolled out training for developers and product owners on secure design, and created cross-functional playbooks for security integration. At his current enterprise, he designed predictive allocation and tracking systems for GPUs, servers, and AI chipsets (powerful computer components), introduced auditability and access control features directly into workflows and improved resilience against data misuse and insider threats.

These efforts brought in noticeable outcomes. For the AI-powered system intelligence platform, embedding security in Agile pipelines strengthened release quality and reduced security risks. At his current organisation, audit-ready allocation systems ensured stronger governance while protecting highly sensitive engineering data. By applying AI and machine learning to anomaly detection in allocation workflows, Amit enhanced proactive risk management. Across roles, his early integration of security practices helped teams avoid costly late-stage fixes, improving overall delivery efficiency.

While engaging in these activities, he tells us that there were some considerations that he had to look at. One major hurdle was the belief that security slows delivery. Many teams resisted adding reviews and controls early in the development process, fearing delays. Amit addressed this by showing that practices like secure coding, vulnerability and automated compliance checks actually reduced rework and improved release timelines. Another challenge was balancing governance with innovation, especially at his current enterprise, where building global hardware tracking systems required alignment across engineering, operations, and compliance. The complexity of processes and diverse priorities often created friction. Through clear workflows and early stakeholder engagement, he embedded compliance in ways that supported efficiency rather than hindering it.

Amit’s activities extend into published work as well. His contributions include Preventing Bank Fraud Using AI & ML (published), which explores how machine learning models can flag suspicious transactions early, and several upcoming pieces like: How to Prevent Social Media Fraud: A Multimodal Detection Framework, Face Recognition in Cyber-Physical Security, and Preventing Data Theft and Outlooker Detection. Each of these highlights his focus on embedding security early and using AI-driven methods, behavioural analytics and biometric identity verification to anticipate threats.

Reflecting on his career, Amit emphasizes that security is not an afterthought but a design principle. His work has shown that doing so reduces complexity and builds trust between customers and stakeholders. He points out that security and agility are not opposites. When threat modeling, automated vulnerability scanning, and secure coding are embedded early, teams release faster and with less rework. Looking to the future, he highlights three trends: the expansion of Zero-Trust principles into applications and supply chains, the growing role of AI in anomaly detection, fraud prevention and behavioural monitoring, and the rise of CI/CD pipelines that embed automated checks as standard practice. Plus, there is an increase in policy enforcement as part of the delivery lifecycle, making developers active contributors to security outcomes.

His strongest suggestion to organizations is to treat security as a shared responsibility rather than a separate function. By building awareness, providing training, and equipping teams with the right tools, companies can make security-first practices natural and sustainable. In Amit Jha’s words and work, embedding security earlier is a protective measure and an edge for future operations.

Published on: Friday, October 10, 2025, 05:56 PM IST