ThoughtWorks introduces a business security maturity model that shifts security from a specialist task to a business value driver, giving leaders a concrete framework to assess and improve security across 18 countries.
Security decisions are often left to a small team of specialists, creating a checkbox approach that stalls business value. ThoughtWorks built a business security maturity model that gives demand, supply, and delivery leaders a mental model to own security as a business concern. The model emerged from 36 research sessions in seven countries, pairing security experts with UX designers. It defines five maturity levels across dimensions like governance, risk reporting, security champion programs, and secure software delivery, each with concrete, measurable requirements. By translating security into business terms-customer value, market responsiveness, and responsible data use-the framework lets leaders prioritize investments, assess governance effectiveness, and track risk mitigation across projects. Regular assessments keep the model evolving and aligned with local market needs in all 18 ThoughtWorks country entities. Technical leaders can use this model to shift security left, embed security mindsets, and align security metrics with business outcomes, turning security from a compliance checkbox into a strategic differentiator.
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