There are multiple stages that are involved in the process of software development. It is commonly called a pipeline or workflow that developers go through to finally produce software or an application. This means numerous teams and organizations may be a part of the procedure, which leads to the realization that security will be a significant concern at every step. Hence, this is where the idea of DevSecOps comes in. Read on to learn what DevSecOps is and how it is used to secure DevOps.
What is DevOps?
DevOps is a concept that refers to several practices and tools employed to enhance an organization’s ability to deliver software and applications at a fast rate. This is a different approach than the traditional methods because it specifically focuses on improving the process to speed up software delivery. It is beneficial to the organization as customers are served better and faster this way.
What is DevSecOps?
Apart from the factor of speed, it is also vital to take into consideration the idea of security. Security is an essential part of the developmental cycle. Therefore, DevSecOps is put into practice. It implies integrating security into every stage of the software development workflow. Essentially, it focuses on moving the component of security testing more toward the development part of the cycle or the initial stages.
This is done so that the final version of the software does not have security issues. The vulnerabilities would be removed before the final testing, and this enhances the efficiency of the overall cycle. The DevOps continuous integration and continuous delivery workflow involve all teams and individuals who are part of the software development cycle or SDLC to integrate security.
How to Make DevOps Secure?
The team should be trained to ensure that the code is developed and modified most securely. They should also continuously monitor the pipeline for any security vulnerability from the initial to the final stages of building and production. DevSecOps also incorporates automated security tests, which makes it convenient to detect security threats in the first few stages. This helps avoid any manual work, so it is faster and also more accurate.
It is a good option to collaborate on Git systems since many people work on the code. These Git systems allow for automated testing while code is being developed. Various such platforms exist with several features that can be put to use to scan for any vulnerabilities.
Moreover, security champions can be assigned who would take responsibility for the security of the overall cycle. This way, the flaws can be detected before the final security tests, and the developers would not have to trace back to discover the vulnerabilities. Thus, this helps save time and enhances the level of security in a systematic way.
Adding on, dynamic and interactive application security testing can be done to ensure the security of the software interfaces. Often, dynamic application security testing and static analysis security testing are combined to enhance the accuracy when the software is scanned and checked.
Furthermore, container building is also a key aspect of the SDLC. It is, therefore, crucial to monitor the runtime environment of the container and also carry out its behavioral analytics. This can enable the introduction of firewalls at different levels.
In addition, some other tools like Software Composition Analysis (SCA) and Static Application Security Testing (SAST) can be employed. SCA tools are used to identify open-source software dependencies. On the other hand, SAST involves a review of the source code so that sources of vulnerabilities can be detected. These are DevSecOps methods through which developers can discover potential vulnerabilities and get them out of the way earlier on to avoid any complexities in the later stages of software development.
Hence, DevSecOps can increase the transparency of the development process, and this comes as a benefit to the developers and the organization. It helps save time and reduce cost, and along with fast delivery, security is also taken care of.
Ending Note
Finding security concerns sooner in the SDLC is a crucial step. Furthermore, the only way to maintain an effective degree of security is to automate security regulations rather than employing manual procedures. Organizations that don’t think about security are much more likely to run into compliance and security problems as they get closer to the finish line. The organization would incur additional costs as a result of having to inspect the entire pipeline for security flaws. DevSecOps is, therefore, the best technique for enabling secure delivery.
