Introduction to DevSecOps

DevOps is a buzzword in the IT industry. With the rapid adoption of cloud, application development has become stronger, increasing the speed and agility of delivery processes. CI/CD results in faster time-to-market and improved stability. However, security is out of the picture.

DevSecOps is a transformational shift that incorporates security culture, practices, and tools in each phase of the DevOps processes. It provides security right from the first stage and automates security tasks in the later stages of SDLC. The objective is to maximize security through minimizing potential errors or gaps that may be vulnerable.

How It Works

How will a team know that it is delivering a secure application? To understand DevSecOps, all employees must take responsibility of the software’s security. Security is different from production. However, placing it as top priority may create friction between teams. This may happen due to lack of awareness. Right from the top management to developers, security must be integrated in daily tasks. Without a dedicated team of security professionals, it is hard to achieve speed and agility without the risk of important organizational data being compromised.

Currently, most organizations test for software vulnerabilities at the end of the SDLC, which is harmful. A robust and effective security approach incorporates security systems in planning, designing, and coding stages of automated testing.

1. Verify: Production reviews are useful in identifying errors quickly.
2. Data Visibility: Information about security threats or attacks should be shared across all departments to help everyone understand the potential vulnerabilities and act on it timely.
3. If some part of the cord is broken, fix it immediately and send it to the CI/CD pipeline ensuring thereby that all tests are completed before delivering the fixed code.

Benefits

DevSecOps reduces errors that often plague effective application development processes. By integrating security at the early stages of automation, it reduces the risks that can cause errors. Few benefits of DevSecOps include:

1. Promotes automation: Security architects do not have to configure the test console manually. It results in improved efficiency, fewer errors, and faster production.
2. Reduces Disputes: Security architects can make changes, adapt coverage, and increase process efficiency. Conflicts are reduced as problems are addressed in real time compared to changes made after the application is complete. It may be time consuming in the beginning, but with subsequent employee trainings, DevSecOps is easy to handle.
3. Testing systems: Security testing at the end of SDLC may cause unexpected issues or conflicts interfering with the product functionalities. This may lead to more testing time, thereby causing production delays leading to higher running costs. With DevSecOps, automated systems can be tested in real time, resulting in faster repairs.

Conclusion

It is hard to incorporate the mindset for DevSecOps. This organizational change requires a slow, deliberate approach. Implementing DevSecOps will create a collaborative environment where business stakeholders work with security architects and use appropriate tools for developing enterprise applications. There is no-one-size-fits all model.

With DevSecOps, enterprises can spend more time on strategic activities to add value to the customer rather than fixing security vulnerabilities in their application.

Reference links to read more:-

• https://blog.fuelusergroup.org/an-introduction-to-devsecops
• https://www.coveros.com/introduction-devsecops
• https://safestack.io/blog/secure-development-introduction-to-devsecops