Understanding DevSecOps: What it is and the Definition You Need to Know

The world of software development has seen significant shifts in recent years as organizations look to improve their efficiency and security. DevSecOps, a relatively new concept, has become an essential approach for many, transforming how software is developed, maintained, and protected. As cyber threats continue to grow and evolve, the integration of DevSecOps has become increasingly important, leading to a 69% increase in adoption according to a 2019 DevSecOps community survey. In this comprehensive glossary, we’ll explore the definition of DevSecOps, how it works, its benefits, use cases, best practices, and recommended resources to learn more.

“DevSecOps is not about tools or technology, it’s about collaboration and culture, where security is everyone’s responsibility.” – Gene Kim

What is DevSecOps? Definition of Development, Security, Operations

DevSecOps is a combination of the words “Development,” “Security,” and “Operations.” It is a software engineering culture and practice that aims to unify software development (Dev), security (Sec), and operations (Ops) into a single, cohesive process. DevSecOps builds upon the principles of DevOps, which emphasizes continuous integration, continuous delivery, and the collaboration between development and operations teams. The addition of security in DevSecOps makes it an integral part of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), ensuring that security is incorporated at every stage rather than being treated as an afterthought.

ℹ️ Synonyms: Secure DevOps, DevOpsSec, SecDevOps

How it Works

At its core, DevSecOps involves integrating security measures, tools, and procedures within an organization’s DevOps pipeline. By doing so, security becomes a continuous, automated process that is conducted throughout the entire SDLC. This includes activities such as:

– Security risk assessments during the planning phase
– Automated code scanning during the development phase
– Vulnerability scanning and assessments during the testing phase
– Continuous monitoring and logging of software and infrastructure during deployment and operation

The primary goal of DevSecOps is to identify and address potential security vulnerabilities and flaws as early as possible in the development process to reduce the risk of exploitation.

Benefits of using DevSecOps

• Faster time to market: By automating security tasks and integrating them into the development process, DevSecOps helps accelerate the creation and release of new products and services.
• Improved security: DevSecOps reduces the risk of security breaches by identifying and addressing vulnerabilities early in the SDLC, minimizing the likelihood of data breaches and other cyberattacks.
• Greater collaboration: By promoting communication and teamwork between development, security, and operations teams, DevSecOps helps create a more unified, efficient working environment.
• Reduced costs: By identifying and fixing security vulnerabilities before they become critical problems, DevSecOps can significantly reduce the monetary and labor costs associated with incident management and remediation.
• Higher levels of compliance: By incorporating security measures throughout the SDLC, DevSecOps helps ensure that organizations meet industry-specific regulations and standards, avoiding potential fines and penalties.

DevSecOps use cases

Several industries and organizations have adopted DevSecOps practices to improve their security posture and workflow efficiency, including:

– Financial services: Banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions are prime targets for cyberattacks due to the sensitive data they handle. DevSecOps helps these organizations detect vulnerabilities earlier and deploy security patches faster, reducing the risk of costly data breaches.
– Healthcare: With strict regulatory requirements and high-value personal health information at risk, healthcare providers and organizations must prioritize security. DevSecOps enables them to achieve this by integrating security into the entire SDLC.
– Government agencies: National and local governments face cybersecurity challenges, including protecting citizen data and maintaining critical infrastructure. DevSecOps practices help these agencies build secure software and respond quickly to emerging threats.
– Retail and e-commerce: As more consumers shop online, the retail industry faces growing cybersecurity risks. Implementing DevSecOps helps these organizations develop more secure websites and applications to protect customer data and transactions.

Code Examples

// Simple Node.js example of DevSecOps using Express and Helmet for security

// Import necessary libraries
const express = require("express");
const helmet = require("helmet");

// Initialize Express app
const app = express();

// Apply Helmet middleware for security
app.use(helmet());

// Define a simple route
app.get("/", (req, res) => {
  res.send("Welcome to our DevSecOps example!");
});

// Start server
const port = process.env.PORT || 3000;
app.listen(port, () => {
  console.log(`Server is running on port ${port}`);
});

Best Practices

To maximize the benefits of DevSecOps, organizations should equip their teams with the necessary tools and resources while fostering a strong security culture from the top down. This process includes staying up-to-date with emerging cybersecurity threats and relevant technologies, leveraging automation tools and processes, and encouraging continuous collaboration and communication between different teams within the organization. Implementing regular security awareness training and education programs can also help to cement the importance of security within the organization’s overall culture.

Most recommended books about DevSecOps

If you’re interested in learning more about DevSecOps, consider adding these highly recommended books to your reading list:

1. DevOps Handbook: How to Create World-Class Agility, Reliability, and Security in Technology Organizations, by Gene Kim, Patrick Debois, John Willis, and Jez Humble
2. Security Automation with Ansible 2, by Madhu Akula and Akash Mahajan
3. Continuous Delivery: Reliable Software Releases Through Build, Test, and Deployment Automation, by Jez Humble and David Farley
4. Effective DevOps: Building a Culture of Collaboration, Affinity, and Tooling at Scale, by Jennifer Davis and Ryn Daniels
5. Securing DevOps: Security in the Cloud, by Julien Vehent

Conclusion

As the software development landscape continues to evolve, DevSecOps has emerged as an essential strategy for organizations looking to improve both their efficiency and security. By integrating security practices throughout the entire software development lifecycle, DevSecOps helps to identify and mitigate potential vulnerabilities before they become critical issues. Its growing importance in various industries underlines the need for businesses to embrace this approach if they want to stay secure and competitive in today’s ever-changing digital landscape.

Tags: agile, automation, cybersecurity, definition, deployment.