Startups face a security paradox. They’re increasingly targeted by attackers—smaller companies often have weaker defenses. But they can’t afford dedicated security teams. A 20-person startup can’t justify a full-time security engineer.
Security champions bridge this gap. They’re engineers embedded in product teams who advocate for security, serve as first responders for security questions, and ensure security is considered in development decisions.
What Security Champions Do
Security champions aren’t security experts. They’re regular engineers with additional security training and responsibility:
Security awareness: Champions remind teams to consider security during design and development. “Have we thought about authentication here?” “What happens if this input is malicious?”
First-line questions: When engineers have security questions, champions are the first contact. They can answer common questions and escalate complex ones.
Code review focus: Champions pay extra attention to security during code reviews—authentication, authorization, input validation, sensitive data handling.
Security training liaison: Champions coordinate security training for their teams and share learnings from security topics.
Incident response: During security incidents, champions help coordinate response within their teams.
Why Champions Work
Distributed Knowledge
Security knowledge concentrated in one team creates bottlenecks. Champions distribute security knowledge across the organization.
When every team has a security-aware member, security considerations happen naturally during development—not as an afterthought.
Scale
One security person can’t review everything a 50-person engineering organization produces. Ten security champions (20% of engineers) can cover far more ground.
Champions don’t replace security expertise—they extend its reach.
Context
Champions understand their team’s code, architecture, and workflows. External security reviewers lack this context. Champions spot issues that contextual familiarity reveals.
Culture
Champions normalize security conversations. When someone on every team thinks about security, security becomes part of engineering culture rather than an external imposition.
Building a Champion Program
Selection
Volunteers, not conscripts: Champions should want the role. Forced assignments create resentment and poor outcomes.
Diverse representation: Champions in every team ensure coverage. Champions from different backgrounds bring different perspectives.
Interest over expertise: Initial security expertise isn’t required. Interest and willingness to learn matter more.
Training
Champions need baseline security knowledge:
Foundation training: OWASP Top 10, secure coding principles, threat modeling basics. Every champion should complete this.
Ongoing training: Monthly or quarterly sessions on specific topics: authentication patterns, API security, container security.
External training: Conferences, workshops, certifications for interested champions.
Hands-on exercises: CTF competitions, vulnerability exercises, secure code review practice.
Support
Champions need support to be effective:
Time allocation: Dedicated time for security activities—not just on top of full engineering workload.
Expert access: When champions encounter complex issues, they need experts to consult.
Tools: Access to security scanning tools, vulnerability databases, and training resources.
Community: Regular champion meetings to share knowledge and support each other.
Recognition
Champion work should be recognized:
- Acknowledged in performance reviews
- Celebrated when contributions prevent issues
- Valued in career development discussions
Without recognition, champion work becomes thankless extra responsibility.
Champion Activities
During Development
- Review designs for security implications
- Participate in threat modeling sessions
- Focus on security during code review
- Ensure security requirements are considered
Security Practices
- Advocate for security testing in CI/CD
- Promote secure dependency management
- Encourage security documentation
- Drive adoption of security tools
Incidents
- Coordinate team response during incidents
- Help investigate security issues in their domain
- Ensure post-incident improvements happen
Learning
- Share security news and learnings with team
- Organize security lunch-and-learns
- Bring external training back to the team
Common Challenges
“I Don’t Have Time”
Security champion work competes with feature work. Without explicit time allocation, it gets deprioritized.
Solution: Make champion time explicit. “Champions spend 4 hours per week on security activities.” Protect this time.
“I’m Not an Expert”
Champions worry they’re not qualified. They compare themselves to security professionals and feel inadequate.
Solution: Reframe the role. Champions aren’t expected to be experts. They’re expected to ask questions, raise concerns, and escalate when needed. Expert backup exists for hard problems.
“Nobody Listens”
Champions raise concerns that get ignored for deadline pressure. This is demoralizing.
Solution: Leadership must back champions. When champions raise security concerns, they should be taken seriously. Champions need authority to block obviously insecure changes.
“Champion in Name Only”
Some organizations create champion programs without real investment. Champions have the title but no training, time, or support.
Solution: Champion programs need investment. Half-measures produce worse outcomes than no program—they create false confidence.
Scaling the Program
Startup Stage
At small scale (< 20 engineers):
- 2-3 champions
- Informal meetings
- Shared channel for security discussion
- External training as available
Growth Stage
At medium scale (20-100 engineers):
- Champion in each team
- Monthly champion meetings
- Structured training program
- Security expert available for escalation
Scale Stage
At larger scale (> 100 engineers):
- Champion program with formal structure
- Security team supporting champions
- Advanced training tracks
- Champion contribution to security strategy
Measuring Success
Leading Indicators
- Number of security concerns raised during development
- Security questions asked in champion channel
- Attendance at security training
- Champion participation in code reviews
Lagging Indicators
- Security issues found before production
- Vulnerability remediation time
- Security incidents originating from champion teams
- Security audit findings
Qualitative Feedback
- Do engineers feel security is part of their job?
- Do champions feel supported?
- Is security discussed naturally in development?
Key Takeaways
- Security champions distribute security knowledge across engineering teams
- Champions are regular engineers with extra training, not security experts
- Select volunteers, provide training and support, recognize contributions
- Champions review designs, focus on security in code review, and coordinate during incidents
- Protect champion time; without explicit allocation, it’s deprioritized
- Leadership must back champions when they raise concerns
- Scale champion programs as the organization grows