DevSecOps is a trending practice in application security that is built on the DevOps philosophy and takes this framework one step further. But what does DevSecOps actually entail? How does it relate to DevOps and site reliability engineering (SRE)? And what are the most important benefits of DevSecOps? Read on and find out!
what is DevSecOps?
DevSecOps – short for development, security and operations – is a practice that integrates security initiatives and practices at every stage of the software development cycle. The goal? Delivering robust and secure applications to the production environment and end users. DevSecOps can be seen as the modern, DevOps-based security component of the CI/CD pipeline.
Historically, security considerations and practices were often introduced later on in the development lifecycle. However, more sophisticated and dangerous cybersecurity attacks call for shorter, more frequent iterations. DevSecOps is an approach that views and treats security as a shared responsibility throughout the entire application and IT lifecycle. DevSecOps is all about built-in security and the automation of security checks in the pipeline.
DevSecOps, DevOps and SRE
DevSecOps is often mentioned in the same breath as DevOps and SRE. Not so strange, given the fact that there is definitely a strong link between the three. DevSecOps is a specialization that evolved from DevOps. You can see it as an extension of the DevOps practice that moves deeper into the realm of advanced security management.
DevOps strives to create an application, fix bugs and deploy updates, and optimize infrastructure to create the best product as quickly as possible, while DevSecOps’ main goal is providing security by automating, monitoring and applying security in every phase of the software development life cycle. One of the biggest differences between DevOps and DevSecOps is the timing of security practices. Where DevOps handles security issues at the end of the development process, DevSecOps applies security processes from start to finish.
SRE has the same roots as DevOps and DevSecOps, but focuses on ensuring that systems and tools work as expected on the underlying infrastructure. As a result, SRE experts are constantly monitoring key performance indicators (downtime, speed, latency) of critical applications and services. DevOps, SecDevOps and SRe are perfectly compatible and, when combined, allow you to cover all the important aspects of the application life cycle.
The benefits of DevSecOps
Implementing DecSecOps has several significant benefits. The most important ones are:
- DevSecOps allows you to standardize and automate your security environment. The result? Fewer errors and serious cost reductions.
- You can add automated tests (validation tests, verification authentication, authorization features) for security capabilities into the acceptance and test process.
- You get the opportunity to automate important security updates, such as patches for known and potentially dangerous vulnerabilities.
- Because DevSecOps prioritizes security in every phase of the development and testing process, you are able to increase the speed of recovery when a security incident occurs.
- DevSecOps can speed up many steps in the software development lifecycle (SDLC) and ensure that continuous code integrations and updates are handled at the ever-increasing speed of business.
- A strong and properly implemented DevSecOps framework includes processes that automatically integrate security functions across all software builds in a uniform manner. This highly structured approach creates a consistent, strong and robust security foundation.
- DevSecOps makes it easier to comply with regulatory requirements by adopting professional security practices and technologies throughout the entire organization.
Getting started with DevSecOps
When properly implemented, DevSecOps leads to enhanced application security, cross-team ownership, a more streamlined process of application delivery, and fewer security vulnerabilities. Do you want to get started with DevSecOps and reap the benefits of a properly implemented DevSecOps framework?
In that case, Techspire is ready to help you. Our DevSecOps approach focuses on the complete delivery pipeline. Your gains? More efficiency, a higher level of security, less maintenance work, a faster time-to-market, and lower costs. Would you like to know more? Give us a call at +31 (0)85 06 07 656 or send an email to info@techspire.nl and we’ll get back to you!
