Organizations can gain a lot from using secure DevOps. However, achieving a safe DevOps setting shouldn’t be the ultimate objective. Integrating security from the ground up, securing the entire architecture, automating the security, using this technology to test the environment and the codes, and responding instantly to issues are all crucial for DevOps security. Companies can use this to prevent data breaches and better secure their products, as well as their customers’ personal information and proprietary systems.
The goal of the DevSecOps concept is to develop a security-conscious mindset in the DevOps team. Together, DevOps teams and cybersecurity and system security experts work to find better, more streamlined approaches to delivering code securely within an agile framework. By focusing on resolving bottlenecks in the current ecosystem, DevSecOps works to close the communication gaps between IT and security.
When companies make the shift from the traditional DevOps concept to the DevSecOps philosophy, they get many benefits.
- efficiency and effectiveness in operations have been increased.
- Improvements in the quality and quantity of inter-departmental communication within the company
- A more nimble approach to security.
- Improved infrastructure for continuous integration and quality control.
- Vulnerabilities in software and hardware are simpler to spot.
- More time and energy can be spent on strategic endeavours.
- Additional environmental clarity.
- Greater potential for growth in the cloud.
- improved profitability.
The Critical Components of a DevSecOps
Environment Microservice-Based Infrastructure
Successful target DevSecOps relies on atomic, single-purpose modules with clearly defined APIs and operations. Organizations may better prepare for change by continuously monitoring, upgrading, and fine-tuning their microservice-based infrastructure.
Organizational online assets need to be monitored, verified for access, and defined more precisely using hybrid cloud environments, software-defined networking, and network micro-segmentation.
A never-ending cycle of feedback
Following communication, feedback is a critical part of the DevSecOps ecosystem. In order to better understand the security of a system or platform, it is important to establish a constant feedback loop between developers and machines. In addition to keeping everyone informed of potential threats to the DevOps environment, this kind of real-time, continuous feedback can help organizations put in place the right policies and rule sets, which in turn can keep the application security testing tools up-to-date and relevant in terms of the security status of the organization’s software/network/platform.
This kind of ongoing feedback loop serves more as a facilitator of business than a deterrent since it enables enterprises to always maintain readiness and preparedness.
Accurate Robotic Process Automation
And finally, the effectiveness of the DevSecOps environment relies heavily on ongoing and targeted automation. The friction between development and security teams over software/platform security can be mitigated by integrating automation into the software development life cycle early on to handle both existing and potential concerns as efficiently and cheaply as possible.
An increasing number of open-source solutions are available to aid businesses in automating their security measures.
- Unit testing frameworks, bug trackers, SAST, and DAST are all supported by the Continuum Security tool, which operates on a BDD-Security architecture. Those features that aren’t built into IriusRisk can be accessed through the tool’s open Application Programming Interface.
- This technology, called White Source, is designed to fix security holes in open-source software by warning developers of potential dangers at every stage of the development process. It works with 200 languages and does thorough checks on the licensing, quality, and security of all open-source programs.
- ThreatModeler is a platform that analyses software based on functional data provided by developers and then reports on any security flaws found. There are also practical inputs and security test cases provided to facilitate quick and simple security deployment.
- During the deployment phase, you can use Evident.io to evaluate and control cloud security risks, especially on Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services. Continuous monitoring, early threat detection, and threat mitigation are all features of the Evident Security Platform (ESP).
- As an example of an excellent tool for managing the security of a DevSecOps pipeline from beginning to end, Aqua Security is a great choice. Processes and controls for ensuring security during runtime are extremely stringent. All aspects of the containerized environment can be managed with this, and the pipeline is protected from any potential vulnerabilities.
There is a plethora of alternative options available to businesses for automating their DevSecOps infrastructure. The RASP & IAST tools from Contrast Security, the IMMUNIO RASP tool, and the Checkmarx SAST utility are all examples.
Moving to the Left
Keeping to antiquated waterfall practices in today’s agile development environment is a sure-fire way to fail.
Organizations should make a leftward shift to successfully deploy DevSecOps. They need to incorporate deployments and testing from the get-go and keep doing so all the way until the end, when the software/platform in issue is completely secure. As an example, Etsy and Amazon each perform over a thousand deployments daily to detect security risks. A highly adaptive DevSecOps ecosystem prevents the rate of new development from slowing down and guarantees that the quality of new developments remains high.
This “shit left” mentality not only speeds up development, but also reduces security risks, mitigates the ones that already exist, and fixes them for the lowest possible price and with the least amount of harm done to the product or platform.
The DevSecOps Operating System:
Seven Guidelines for a Smooth Transition
- Put security in place early on and all along the production process.
- Security should be automated.
- Methodically monitoring and tracking each program stack can help you determine which ones need updating.
- Run regular vulnerability assessments, code discovery tests, and code dependency checks like the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Dependency Check.
- Manage the DevSecOps ecosystem with strict policies.
- By dividing the work into smaller, more manageable pieces, deployments will be more reliable.
- Improve the transparency and traceability of the pipeline from code planning to code updates to release with one-click compliance reporting.
Conclusion
Companies that adopt DevSecOps will not only be able to develop, operate, and provide cutting-edge software/applications, but also reap substantial financial and technical benefits. DevOps security should be a top priority for every company in 2019 that wants to maintain its position as an industry leader.
