AI coding assistants are transforming software development. Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot—these tools write code, execute commands, and interact with external systems autonomously. They make developers dramatically more productive. They also introduce security risks that traditional DevSecOps never anticipated.

Before the Commit is the first comprehensive guide to securing AI-assisted development. Authors Danny Gershman and Dustin Hilgaertner introduce ModSecOps (Model Security Operations)—a practical framework for organizations that want AI’s productivity benefits without accepting unmanaged risk.

In September 2024, a Chinese state-sponsored group used an AI coding tool to autonomously attack thirty global targets across tech, finance, manufacturing, and government—the first documented large-scale cyber attack executed without substantial human intervention. But nation-state attacks are just the beginning. This book covers context poisoning, prompt injection, data exfiltration, shadow AI, supply chain vulnerabilities, and the emerging risk of AI sleeper agents.

ACTIONABLE DEFENSES

The book provides defense-in-depth strategies including LLM proxies for centralized governance, multi-agent review systems, human-in-the-loop patterns that prevent approval fatigue, least privilege architectures, and incident response procedures for AI compromise. You’ll find ready-to-use checklists, tool configurations, and threat model references.

WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR

Security engineers, developers using AI coding assistants, engineering leaders building AI adoption strategies, and compliance teams developing AI governance policies.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Danny Gershman and Dustin Hilgaertner bring over four decades of combined experience across defense, government, fintech, and commercial environments. They co-host Before the Commit, a podcast exploring AI coding security. Their approach comes from real experience securing AI systems in production—not theoretical frameworks that don't survive contact with reality. The AI revolution in software development is here. This book ensures you're prepared before the commit.