Development, Security, and Operations (DevSecOps) enablement is the process of integrating security practices into the Development and Operations (DevOps) workflow. It aims to shift security considerations and responsibilities to earlier stages of software development and ensure that security is built into the entire development lifecycle.
Traditionally, security has been treated as a separate process – and often an afterthought – in software development. However, with the increasing number of cyber threats and frequency of attacks, the need to secure sensitive data is being prioritized above all else. This has resulted in organizations incorporating security practices into their DevOps processes.
By enabling DevSecOps, organizations can create a culture of shared responsibility for security, reduce the time to identify and address vulnerabilities, and build more secure and resilient software systems.
Key DevSecOps Principles and Best Practices
Following these key DevSecOps principles and best practices will help strengthen software security in the development and operations process.
- Shift-left approach: This best practice integrates security practices early in the software development process. Shift-left efforts would include conducting security assessments, threat modeling, and vulnerability scanning during the design and development phases.
- Automation and continuous integration: DevSecOps leverages automation tools and practices to enable continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD). Security checks, such as static code analysis, dynamic application scanning, and vulnerability scanning, are automated and integrated into the CI/CD pipeline.
- Collaboration and communication: DevSecOps promotes cross-functional collaboration and communication between development, operations, and security teams. Security professionals work closely with developers and operations personnel to understand the application architecture, identify potential security risks, and implement appropriate security measures.
- Security as code: Security policies, controls, and configurations are treated as code and managed through version control systems. This ensures that security measures are consistently applied and can be easily audited and tracked.
- Continuous monitoring and feedback: DevSecOps emphasizes ongoing monitoring of applications and infrastructure for security vulnerabilities and threats. Security logs and metrics are collected, analyzed, and fed back into the development process to identify areas for improvement.
Summary
The current threat landscape has required organizations to prioritize software security. This has resulted in security teams and their efforts being integrated – even prioritized — above developers and operations teams during software development. Understanding a few key DevSecOps principles and best practices will help ensure your organization’s software is hardened and safe from attacks.
