In an era where web applications and APIs form the backbone of digital business, ensuring that protection isn’t just bolted on — but built in — becomes critical. That’s why the badge framework from SecureIQLab, highlighting Secure-by-Design and Secure-by-Default principles, deserves attention.

What are the badges?

On their “Badges Offered” page, SecureIQLab defines two primary badges:

• Secure-by-Design: Evaluates vendors across three core product-development lifecycle principles:
  1. Take ownership of customer security outcomes
  2. Embrace Radical Transparency and Accountability
  3. Lead from the top. (SecureIQ Lab)
• Secure-by-Default: Assesses whether a product “ensures protection against the most prevalent threats and vulnerabilities without requiring additional configuration from the user.” It focuses on two principles:
  1. Take ownership of customer security outcomes
  2. Embrace Radical Transparency and Accountability. (SecureIQ Lab)

In essence: Secure-by-Design is about how the product was built; Secure-by-Default is about how safe it is “out of the box.”

Why this matters in the WAAP world

1. WAAP (Web Application & API Protection) is critical – and growing complex

Applications and APIs are everywhere now. The attack surface spans user-facing web apps, mobile clients, microservices, cloud functions, APIs, etc. Solutions in the WAAP space (such as cloud WAF, API gateways, etc) must address both known threats (e.g., OWASP Top 10) and emerging ones.
In fact, according to SecureIQLab’s 2025 WAAP study, only a select few vendors achieved both Secure-by-Design and Secure-by-Default badges. (Yahoo Finance)

2. Build-it-in vs retrofit matters

A WAAP solution that was designed with security intrinsically embedded (Secure-by-Design) is much more likely to catch subtle attack vectors, have solid architecture, and fewer weak points. SecureIQLab describes this: “Without enforcing a secure-by-design approach … the assurance of safeguarding everything the solution is intended to protect becomes uncertain.” (PR Newswire)

3. Out-of-the-box protection lowers risk

Many organizations adopt WAAP solutions but then don’t fully configure them, leaving gaps. A solution that is Secure-by-Default means it protects even before you’ve done extensive tuning or configuration. That is immensely valuable, especially in high-velocity cloud/DevOps environments.

4. Operational efficiency counts

It’s not enough to detect threats — the solution must also be efficient to deploy, manage, scale, and audit. SecureIQLab’s badge criteria tie into operational efficiency metrics, recognizing that too often a solution that’s “secure in theory” fails in practice because of operational or configuration burden. (AI-Tech Park)

5. Differentiation and trust in vendor ecosystem

Because very few vendors in SecureIQLab’s WAAP validation achieved both badges, these badges become a signal of maturity and seriousness. For buyers evaluating WAAP solutions, seeing a badge means the vendor has met defined criteria around design, default posture, transparency, and accountability.

Implications for security leaders & organizations

• When you evaluate WAAP solutions, ask: Does the vendor claim Secure-by-Design or Secure-by-Default? If yes, dig: How was that validated? What were the criteria?
• Check independent validation: SecureIQLab’s approach provides an objective, third-party lens. Their study showed only ~2 of 11 vendors achieved both badges in their 2025 WAAP validation. (Cyber Security Asean)
• Look for architecture and default-policy strength: How is the solution built? What protections are automatic? How much configuration is required before you’re “safe”?
• Consider operational cost and manageability: A high-security product that is cumbersome to deploy and run may reduce your actual protection (e.g., misconfiguration, unpatched rules, alert fatigue).
• Vendor transparency and accountability matter: The badge criteria emphasise transparency — meaning you should expect meaningful reporting, auditable controls, and perhaps some visibility into design/engineering practices (or at least trust indicators).

 Vendors achieving both badges:

• In the 2025 WAAP report, Traceable by Harness was one of only two vendors that earned both the Secure-by-Design and Secure-by-Default recognitions. It achieved “the highest design score and a perfect default configuration score.” (AI-Tech Park)
  • This means their product was built with security embedded (design) and works safe out-of-the-box (default) without requiring heavy configuration.
  • That’s exactly the kind of maturity these badges are meant to indicate.

• In the 2024 WAAP validation report (v3.0) by SecureIQLab, multiple vendors were tested. Examples include F5, Fortinet, Imperva in the “Leader” category for high overall security efficacy and operational efficiency. (SecureIQ Lab)
• For instance, Barracuda’s product earned a perfect score in the WAAP Vulnerability Assessment category (100 %) and thus met the Secure-by-Design criterion in that test. (SecureIQ Lab)
  • Note: Earning Secure-by-Design does not automatically mean a vendor earned Secure-by-Default.
• Overall: The 2025 study found only 2 out of 11 tested WAAP vendors had both badges. (Yahoo Finance)

Conclusion

The badge framework from SecureIQLab — Secure-by-Design and Secure-by-Default — provides a meaningful way to assess and differentiate WAAP solutions. In a world full of cloud-native apps, APIs, DevOps velocity, and evolving threat landscapes, building a solution right and deploying it safely out-of-the-box matters more than ever.

• When a vendor holds the Secure-by-Design badge → it signals the architecture, development lifecycle, and product hardening passed rigorous scrutiny.
• When the vendor also holds Secure-by-Default → it signals the solution is ready safe with minimal tuning/configuration.
• If a vendor has only one badge (or none) → then you as a buyer need to dig deeper: How much configuration is required? How much tuning and risk do we accept?
• The “both badges” scenario (like Traceable by Harness) represents a higher bar of maturity and readiness.

When you’re navigating WAAP strategy, let these badges serve as a signal—not the only decision point—but one highly relevant signal of maturity, trustworthiness, and alignment with best practice.

The post “Secure-by-Design” and “Secure-by-Default” Badges from SecureIQLab — and Why They Matter in WAAP appeared first on SecureIQ Lab.

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from SecureIQ Lab authored by Cameron Camp. Read the original post at: https://secureiqlab.com/secure-by-design-and-secure-by-default-badges-from-secureiqlab-and-why-they-matter-in-waap/