In today’s engineering reality, where code moves at cloud speed, and attackers pivot just as fast, security teams aren’t facing a single attack path. They’re navigating a multiverse of possible outcomes. In one branch: clean releases, resilient architecture, and predictable risk. In another: emergency patches, late-night incident calls, and breach headlines.
The difference between the two often comes down to how, when, and whether your teams are trained to prevent vulnerabilities in the first place.
Our three-part series explores this vulnerability multiverse and demonstrates why proactive, role-specific security training is no longer optional—it’s foundational. We’ll examine why reactive, Just-in-Time approaches fall short, how whole-team skill building strengthens every stage of the SDLC, and how a more stable, predictable security reality is possible.
Just-in-Time (JIT) security training typically enters the picture after a flaw has already caused trouble. A scanner flags a high-risk issue, and the developer responsible gets routed to a generic learning module. It checks a box. It appeases an auditor. But it rarely addresses the underlying patterns that made the vulnerability possible.
JIT training is the AppSec equivalent of trying to repair a collapsing timeline after the damage is done. You can course-correct, but you can’t reclaim the lost velocity, rework costs, or trust eroded along the way.
NIST research1 confirms what CISOs have learned the hard way: the cost of fixing vulnerabilities multiplies dramatically the later they are discovered. Remediation during testing is 10-15x the cost of design stage fixes, while the same fix post-production skyrockets to 30-100x the cost.
| Phase | Relative Cost | Est $ Cost |
| Design | 1x | $100-$500 |
| Coding | ~5x | $500-$1,000 |
| Testing | ~10-15x | $1,500-$3,000 |
| Production | ~30-100x | $5,000-$15,000+ |
These deltas translate to hotfixes, unplanned downtime, regulatory exposure, PR cleanup, and disrupted roadmaps. JIT training merely treats the symptoms of systemic failure.
In the secure development multiverse, proactive training is the anchor that keeps things from unraveling. It equips developers and engineers with the context and tools they need before the first line of code is written, and long before the first vulnerability surfaces.
Proactive programs:
In a multiverse of potential outcomes, proactive training serves as the stabilizing force that prevents security from fracturing across timelines.
Anchor your security timeline before vulnerabilities appear. Explore role-based courses and hands-on cyber ranges from CMD+CTRL to equip teams with the skills to prevent breaches, not just react to them.