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Vardhan NS

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originally published on Jun 19, 2023
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What Is DevSecOps?

If you’re in tech, you may have noticed the word ‘DevSecOps’ pop-up frequently in your feed. This is due to the expanding threat landscape and the increasing need for security in DevOps (erstwhile SDLC).

What Does DevSecOps Stand For?

Dev—the process of planning, coding, building, and testing software

Sec—the process of introducing and prioritizing security earlier in the SDLC

Ops—the process of deploying software and continuously monitoring its performance

Defining DevSecOps

DevSecOps is an evolution of DevOps, which involves integrating security best practices throughout every stage of software development. It emphasizes a cultural shift within the organization to actively prioritize security measures instead of overlooking them.

This change requires teams to ‘automate security testing’ and share the responsibility of application security and infrastructure security between three teams within engineering development, operations, and security. This is how the idea of DevSecOps came about.

DevSecOps - fostering collaboration
Collaboration between Dev - Sec - Ops

Combining these three disparate teams into a single, cohesive process fosters collaboration and enforces security measures at every stage of the software development lifecycle, from early design and development to deployment and continuing operations.

Why is DevSecOps important?

The security gaps in software development are becoming increasingly problematic. Traditional practices overlook security until the later stages of development or deployment. DevSecOps ensures security is built into every phase of SDLC, reducing vulnerabilities and minimizing risk.

Security Challenges in Traditional DevOps :

  • Late-stage security integration: Security is often treated as a final step rather than an on-going process; leading to expensive fixes and delays.
  • Manual security processes: Many traditional DevOps teams rely on manual security testing, which is slow and prone to human error.
  • Siloed security teams: Security teams often work independently from DevOps (development and operations), leading to misalignment, bottlenecks, and blind spots.
  • Lack of real-time threat detection: Without continuous monitoring and automated security testing, vulnerabilities tend to go unnoticed until after deployment.
  • Compliance risks: Organizations following traditional DevOps may struggle to meet regulatory requirements without built-in security controls.

Real World Security Breaches and How DevSecOps Helps

Example 1: Equifax Data Breach (2017) : 

  • What Happened ? : A vulnerability in an open-source component (Apache Struts) led to the exposure of sensitive data of 147 million people.
  • How DevSecOps Could Have Helped ? : DevSecOps emphasizes continuous monitoring and automated vulnerability scanning, which could have identified and patched the vulnerability before exploitation.

Example 2: SolarWinds Supply Chain Attack (2020) : 

  • What Happened? : Malicious code was injected into SolarWinds’ software updates, affecting thousands of organizations.
  • How DevSecOps Could Have Helped ? : DevSecOps promotes secure coding practices, continuous integration of security tools, and rigorous supply chain security checks to prevent such attacks.

Case Study: How an Organization Benefited from DevSecOps ?

Note: This is an OpsMx Case Study

A European multinational engineering and technology company was struggling with the following issues:

  • High Costs of Production Vulnerabilities – upwards of $5,000
  • Manual Security Assessments – leading to productivity loss
  • Knowledge Gap Between Teams – resulting in increased involvement of security teams
  • Scalability Issues – building up security tools from scratch for every project was time-consuming
  • Compliance Challenges – manual checks and audits consumed significant time and resources

To address these challenges, they implemented a centralized security platform that provided on-demand scanning capabilities. Such DevSecOps implementation led to significant improvements.

Results Achieved:

  • Cost Savings – early detection and resolution of vulnerabilities helped them save in excess of $1.8 million annually. 
  • Productivity Gains – automation reduced manual efforts, saving approximately 20,000 hours annually and resolving vulnerabilities 30% faster on average.
  • Enhanced Compliance – automated compliance checks and scorecards reduced audit preparation time by 40%.
  • Improved Scalability – on-demand security tools enabled scaling across multiple teams and projects, accelerating project timelines by 25%.
  • AI-Driven Insights – provided vulnerability insights and real-time analysis, with automated aggregation and prioritization of vulnerabilities.

Key Principles And Goals Of DevSecOps

To reiterate, DevSecOps was born out of the ideology of ‘Shift-left Security‘, meaning security practices should be implemented early and continuously within the DevOps workflow. The core principles of DevSecOps include security automation, continuous security, and cross-functional collaboration.

  1. Security automation – allows for consistent and repeatable security practices, such as automated testing, vulnerability scanning, and configuration management
  2. Continuous security in CI/CD – ensures that security controls are continually assessed and adjusted as needed within CI/CD pipelines
  3. Cross-functional collaboration – fosters communication and knowledge sharing among different teams, breaking down silos and enabling a holistic approach to security.

By addressing security early and continuously not only reduces the risk of vulnerabilities and breaches but also enhances the overall speed and efficiency of the software development process. By integrating security into DevOps practices, organizations can achieve a balance between speed, agility, and robust security measures, leading to more secure and reliable software applications.

Core Components of DevSecOps

There are several key components that are responsible for putting a good structure to DevSecOps. Here is that definitive DevSecOps components list:

  1. People: Cohesion between different teams within the bigger engineering team is key to instilling a strong DevSecOps culture. Not only should they all come together to understand the importance of ‘security’, but they should also be trained accordingly.
  2. Processes: While Continuous Integration/ Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) practices is a hallmark of DevOps, practices such as ‘Shifting Security to the Left’, a robust ‘Vulnerability Remediation’ and ‘Incident Response and Planning’ are key processes that determine the effectiveness of DevSecOps.
  3. Technology/Tools: At the end of the day, it is the tools that will automate and help teams achieve DevSecOps at scale. There is an entire section later in the blog addressing the DevSecOps tool list that must make up your tech stack. You can alternatively read this blog dedicated to AppSec and DevSecOps tools.
  4. Governance: DevSecOps is not just about ‘security’ in software development, but it is also about ‘security’ post deployment and during day-to-day operations. Policy Management (defining and enforcing security policies) and Compliance Management (adherence to industry standards and regulations) are fundamental to achieving governance in your software supply chain.
  5. Automation: While ‘Automation’ in DevOps was mainly about automating routine tasks and minimizing human toil; in DevSecOps the scope of automation extends to automating security checks and enforcing security guardrails.

Understanding DevOps vs DevSecOps

While DevOps is primarily concerned with streamlining the processes of development and operations, DevSecOps extends to include security as an integral part of the entire process. DevSecOps places a strong emphasis on identifying and addressing security vulnerabilities and risks from the beginning, promoting a culture of security awareness, and ensuring that security is not an afterthought but a core consideration throughout the software development and delivery lifecycle.

DevOps vs DevSecOps: A Tabular Comparison :

Parameters

DevOps

DevSecOps

Primary Goal

Speed and Efficiency in software delivery

Security of the application

Collaboration

Collab b/w Development and Operations teams

Collab b/w Development, Security and Operations teams

Automation

Development, testing and deployment processes

Security testing – SAST, DAST, SCA, Secrets, IaC, Artifacts/Binary, etc.

Incident Response

Mainly addresses performance or reliability issues

Addresses performance/ reliability issues as well as security incidents
Compliance

Not always a primary consideration

Meeting compliance standards and regulatory requirements is mandatory

 

Shift Left Security and DevSecOps :

Shift Left Security refers to moving security practices a step to the left in SDLC. It compliments the principles of DevSecOps which invokes security as early as possible in the development cycle, rather than being treated as an afterthought or a separate phase. 

This collaborative and integrated approach enables organizations to achieve a balance between speed, agility, and robust security measures, resulting in more secure and reliable software applications.

What led to the Rise in Shift-left Mentality?

By recognizing the importance of application security integration early and continuously throughout the software development lifecycle, DevSecOps builds upon DevOps principles by integrating security considerations, tools, and practices into the development and delivery process.

DevSecOps Architecture Diagram

DevSecOps Architecture
Architecture of DevSecOps in modern enterprises”

Key Processes & Tools in DevSecOps

Key Processes In DevSecOps

Here are the key processes typically involved in DevSecOps:

1. Code Analysis

Code analysis involves examining the source code for security vulnerabilities, coding flaws, and adherence to coding standards. Static Application Security Testing (SAST) tools analyze the codebase to identify potential weaknesses and vulnerabilities thereby helping developers fix security issues early in the development lifecycle.

2. Change Management

Change management is the process of planning, coordinating, and controlling changes to the software system. Changes that impact security such as, code modifications, infrastructure updates, or configuration changes, should be properly reviewed, approved, and tracked. This helps maintain the security posture and stability of the system throughout its lifecycle.

3. Compliance Management

Compliance management involves ensuring that the software and its development processes adhere to relevant regulations, industry standards, and security best practices. This involves assessing compliance requirements, implementing necessary controls, conducting audits, and documenting compliance activities. Compliance management helps organizations meet legal obligations and mitigate security risks.

4. Threat Modeling

Threat modeling is a proactive approach to identifying and mitigating security risks by systematically identifying potential threats, vulnerabilities, and attack vectors to the software system. By analyzing the system’s architecture and design, threat modeling helps organizations prioritize security controls and countermeasures, ensuring that security risks are addressed effectively.

5. Security Training

Security training is an essential component which involves educating developers, operations personnel, and other stakeholders about security best practices, secure coding techniques, emerging threats, and industry standards. Security training helps raise awareness, improve knowledge, and promote a security-focused mindset among the team members. It includes various techniques such as Static Application Security Testing (SAST), Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST), and Software Composition Analysis (SCA).

6. Incident Response and Recovery

Incident response processes help organizations establish a response plan, assign roles and responsibilities, and conduct drills to practice incident response procedures. The process includes detection, analysis, containment, eradication, and recovery steps to handle security incidents effectively.

7. Vulnerability Management

The vulnerability management process focuses on identifying, prioritizing, and remediating vulnerabilities. It includes scanning for vulnerabilities using automated tools, assessing their severity and impact, and establishing a process for timely remediation. This process often involves coordination between development and operations teams to address vulnerabilities promptly.

8. Secure Configuration Management

Secure configuration management ensures that application and infrastructure components are configured securely. It involves establishing security baselines, following industry best practices for secure configuration, and regularly reviewing and updating configurations to address security vulnerabilities and compliance requirements.

9. Continuous Integration and Deployment (CI/CD)

DevSecOps integrates security practices into the CI/CD pipeline. Security tests, vulnerability scanning, and compliance checks are automated and integrated into the build and deployment processes. This ensures that security assessments are performed consistently and vulnerabilities are addressed before deployment.

10. Continuous Monitoring

Continuous monitoring involves tracking and analyzing security events, application behavior, system performance, and user activities in real-time. It helps detect anomalies, security incidents, and potential vulnerabilities. Monitoring systems generate alerts for suspicious activities, providing valuable insights for incident response and security improvement.

Each of these processes contribute to the overall security posture of the software development and deployment lifecycle. They help identify and mitigate security risks, ensure compliance with regulations, and foster a culture of security awareness and accountability.

DevSecOps Tools

Moving on from processes, the next step to truly achieve DevSecOps is tools, albeit the right ones. Below is a list of DevSecOps tools that should be used during different stages of the SDLC:

  1. Static Application Security Testing (SAST) – Semgrep, Sonarqube
  2. Git Posture Scanning – OpenSSF
  3. Software Composition Analysis (SCA) – Trivy, Grype
  4. Secrets Scanning – Trivy
  5. Image / Binary Scanning – Trivy, Grype
  6. Open Source Risk – OpsMx
  7. Artifact Scanning – Trivy, Grype
  8. Mobile Application Protection (MAP) – MobSF
  9. Infrastructure as Code (IAC) Security – Terrascan, Kubescape
  10. Container Scanning – Kubescape
  11. Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) – OWASP ZAP
  12. Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) – ScoutSuite, Kubescape
  13. Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) – Sift
  14. Tool Chain Risk – OpsMx

By no means is this a definitive list of DevSecOps tools. The selection of tools must depend on specific project requirements, technology stack, and organizational preferences. It’s important to choose the tools that best fit your needs while also improving your application security posture.

Benefits of Adopting DevSecOps

  1. Early Risk Mitigation:  Integrating security best practices from the start enables early vulnerability identification and mitigation, reducing the risk of security incidents
  2. Increased Security: Integrating security from the development phase ensures a proactive approach involving continuous monitoring, testing, and improvement, rather than a reactive approach
  3. Faster Issue Resolution: Automating security testing and continuous monitoring within the DevOps workflow enables swift identification and remediation of vulnerabilities and security issues
  4. Improved Policy Compliance: DevSecOps enforces early compliance with regulatory requirements, mitigating legal and financial risks associated with non-compliance
  5. Improved Collaboration: Involving developers, operations, and security teams early in development improves collaboration and cultivates a culture of security awareness
  6. Enhanced Software Quality and Stability: Early issue resolution, prevents vulnerabilities impacting software performance, reliability, and user experience, thereby enhancing overall quality and stability
  7. Strengthened Trust and Reputation: Embracing DevSecOps demonstrates a commitment to security and builds trust with stakeholders, ultimately enhancing an organization’s reputation and competitive edge
  8. Cost Savings: Early issue resolution through automated security testing prevents the costly need for emergency patches and post-deployment fixes, resulting in long-term cost savings.
DevSecOps Benefits

Best Practices of DevSecOps

  1. Understand the current Security Posture:

    First, assess the current security status of applications before implementing security measures or controls.

  2. Integration and Automation:

    a. Emphasize automation over relying solely on point security or scanning tools.

    b. Automation helps in scaling processes and reduces the risk of inconsistencies in manual activities or reviews.

  3. Integrating with the right tools for Deduplication and Collaboration:

    Integration would help in deduplicating the results or the vulnerability root cause and help prioritizing the vulnerabilities to be fixed. This also helps in better collaboration.

  4. Avoid Rip and Replace:

    a. When adopting new DevSecOps tools, focus on reusing existing features and investments for added value.

    b. Avoid a complete rip-and-replace approach.

  5. Robust Monitoring and Log Analysis:

    Implement a strong strategy for monitoring and log analysis to identify and respond to security incidents effectively.

  6. Shift Left Security:

    a. “Shift left” by addressing security requirements and testing early in the software development cycle.

    b. This includes conducting threat modeling, security code reviews, and security testing as integral parts of the development process.

Here’s a dedicated blog covering the “Top 10 DevSecOps Best Practices” that teams can implement now. 

Key Features of DevSecOps

1. CI/CD Integration:

a. Automated security tests in the CI/CD pipeline ensure every build is tested for vulnerabilities.

b. Automating deployments with built-in security checks maintains a secure production environment.

2. Shift-Left Security:

a. Integrate security practices from the initial stages of development, like threat modeling and secure design.

b. Detect and address vulnerabilities early in the development process.

3. Automated Security Tools:

a. Automating security testing and incorporating the use of tools that automate security testing is essential

b. Tools can automate processes such as SAST, DAST, SCA, IaC Testing, Container and Image security, Vulnerability Management, Secrets Scanning and more.

4. Continuous Monitoring and Incident Response:

a. Use tools like Splunk, Prometheus, and ELK Stack for real-time monitoring of applications and infrastructure.

b. Implement SOAR tools (e.g., Demisto, Phantom) for automated incident response.

5. Collaboration and Culture:

a. Promote collaboration between development, operations, and security teams.

b. Provide continuous education and training on security best practices.

6. Policy and Compliance Management:

a. Continuously verify systems comply with industry regulations using automated compliance checks.

b. Enforce security policies across development and deployment processes.

7. Vulnerability Management:

a. Regularly scan applications and infrastructure for vulnerabilities.

b. Automate the prioritization and prompt remediation of vulnerabilities.

8. Metrics and Reporting:

a. Track key security performance indicators (KPIs) like detected and resolved vulnerabilities.

b. Provide clear and actionable security reports to stakeholders.

Frequently Asked Questions about DevSecOps :

1. How is DevOps different from DevSecOps?

DevOps places emphasis on collaboration between Development and Operations teams to speed up software delivery and improve efficiency. 

DevSecOps builds upon this by placing more emphasis on Security. It embeds security best practices in the DevOps pipeline or CI/CD pipeline so that security is addressed from the early stages of SDLC.

2. Why does DevSecOps matter in today’s software development? 

DevSecOps today matters more than ever because of the increasing number of security and cyber threats. By incorporating security measures from the onset of development, such threats can be avoided or at the very least mitigated without much loss.

3. How does DevSecOps enhance security? 

DevSecOps enhances security through:

Automating security scans (e.g., code review, vulnerability scanning, etc.).

  • Supporting ongoing monitoring for threats.
  • Promoting a culture of joint responsibility for security among teams.

4. What are the principal elements of a DevSecOps pipeline? 

The principal elements of a DevSecOps pipeline are:

  • Vulnerability Scanning—SAST, SCA, Secrets Scans, Artifact/Binary/ Image Scans, etc.
  • Security Performance Testing—DAST, penetration testing, XSS, etc. 
  • Compliance Checks—ensuring releases/deployments adhere to industry/internal policies.
  • Continuous Monitoring—for real-time threat detection and response.

5. What are the challenges to implementing DevSecOps?

Organizations trying to implement DevSecOps might find the following challenges:

  • Resistance to cultural change by teams.
  • Absence of security skills among developers.
  • Balancing speed and security in high-velocity development environments.
  • Incorporating legacy systems with modern DevSecOps practices.

6. What are some popular DevSecOps tools? 

Some popular DevSecOps tools are:

  • Static Application Security Testing (SAST) – Semgrep, Sonarqube
  • Git Posture Scanning – OpenSSF
  • Software Composition Analysis (SCA) – Trivy, Grype
  • Secrets Scanning – Trivy
  • Image / Binary Scanning – Trivy, Grype
  • Open Source Risk – OpsMx
  • Artifact Scanning – Trivy, Grype
  • Mobile Application Protection (MAP) – MobSF
  • Infrastructure as Code (IAC) Security – Terrascan, Kubescape
  • Container Scanning – Kubescape
  • Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) – OWASP ZAP
  • Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) – ScoutSuite, Kubescape
  • Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) – Sift
  • Tool Chain Risk – OpsMx

7. How does DevSecOps address compliance and regulatory requirements?

If defined/implemented correctly, DevSecOps pipeline will be able to automate compliance checks and enforce security policies throughout the pipeline. In case of non-compliance, the deployment in a pipeline does not get promoted to the next stage and the concerned personnel are notified.

8. What is “Shift-Left Security” in DevSecOps?

Shift-Left Security refers to the early implementation of security best practices in the software development process. Doing so lowers costs incurred from last-minute fixes and saves precious man-hours of security and development teams.

9. Can DevSecOps function with legacy systems? 

Yes, DevSecOps can be used on legacy systems, but with planning. Methods such as containerization, microservices, and incremental security patches can modernize legacy systems while ensuring security.

10. How do you measure the success of DevSecOps? 

You can consider DevSecOps to be a success/ effective if: 

  • Vulnerabilities found in production reduces over time 
  • MTTD (Time to detect) and MTTR (remediate) for security vulnerabilities decrease
  • Compliance audit pass rates improve
  • Secure deployment frequency is healthy

11. What is required of a DevSecOps team? 

A DevSecOps team needs a combination of the following skills:

  • Understanding of DevOps tools and practices.
  • Proficiency in cybersecurity (e.g., threat modeling, vulnerability assessment).
  • Experience in automation and scripting.
  • Compliance and regulatory requirements understanding.

12. Is DevSecOps only for big organizations?

Absolutely not. Organizations and teams of any size can implement DevSecOps and find it useful, including Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs). As long as their goal is to reduce security vulnerabilities in production and improve the security posture, they’ll find benefits.

13. How does DevSecOps influence the speed of software delivery?

Although security integration may seem to delay delivery speed/frequency, DevSecOps in fact accelerates the overall process by automating security testing and minimizing the need for last-minute patches. This results in quicker, and more stable releases as a whole.

14. What are some practical examples of DevSecOps in practice?

Organizations such as Netflix, Amazon, and Google have effectively adopted DevSecOps to secure their cloud-native applications and infrastructure. Processes such as Automated security scans and continuous monitoring are implemented by some of the largest enterprises to ensure high standards in security.

15. How do I start with DevSecOps?

To start with DevSecOps:

  • Evaluate your existing development and security processes.
  • Educate your teams on DevSecOps principles and tools.
  • Begin small by adding security to one pipeline.

Vardhan NS

Vardhan is a technologist and a marketing professional, currently working as a Sr. PMM at OpsMx. His strength lies in understanding complex technologies, and explaining them in un-complicated ways. Vardhan is a passionate Product Marketer with a keen focus on Content, helping brands Position themselves uniquely with clear messaging and competitive differentiation. Outside of work, he is an athlete that is passionate about Football, Swimming and Surfing.

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