Originally published by New Context.
DevSecOps is a new way of making security a focal point in any DevOps practice. Building security into the foundation of an application or program allows enterprises to protect their product and users without issuing hundreds of patches and updates. The funny thing is, if people were doing it right from the beginning, there would be no need to change DevOps to DevSecOps. Security should have been part of the approach from the start.
Security should always be fundamental, but in a rush to develop new ideas or to deliver applications faster, it may get overlooked—which, ironically, is precisely what happened with DevOps. Establishing a security ecosystem during the development stage and maintaining it throughout the lifecycle is the only way to overcome this issue. A proactive approach is the best method for building in the essentials of DevSecOps.
DevOps is an oft-touted method of development, but it’s not perfect. One big area of opportunity lies in security. The adoption of DevOps practices may create oversights that lead to more vulnerable products. There are a few reasons for this:
While these limitations are certainly concerning, that doesn’t make DevOps ineffective. Organizations just need to take a few more measures to grow their DevOps program into a DevSecOps system that fully embraces security.
Companies that embed security into their DevOps approach report they’re able to solve almost half of their critical problems in under a day. However, embedding security can mean a lot of different things. Typically, as long as it comprises recognition, simplification, automation, and measurement, an organization can enjoy the benefits of DevOps without security risks.
Organizations must recognize the data they have, the risk it presents, and current threats to their industry. A clear understanding of regulations, compliance requirements, and laws is necessary to build governance into the ecosystem. Cyber threat intelligence provides awareness of risks as they emerge. Precise data tagging establishes proper confidentiality levels based on need.
Program transparency makes abnormalities visible within the system and speeds response. Immutable logs and consistent monitoring aid in discovering and troubleshooting security and operational issues. All these components come together to create the knowledge necessary to recognize indicators of risk.
Simple tasks are often the best ones as they lead to repeatable and manageable processes. A good example is in Infrastructure as Code (IaC). Repeatable, simplified code permits organizations to scale their infrastructure while protecting the data within. As the complexity is low, so is the risk of human error.
Security orchestration could fall under the “simplify” umbrella because it’s about turning a hundred different processes into a single centralized one. Disparate security operations center tools are combined and tasks completed in a consolidated console.
Continuous delivery and deployment is a method of enforced automation in all parts of the development lifecycle. Tests occur systematically and allow developers to identify and remediate issues such as vulnerabilities and weaknesses earlier in the software development life cycle. Automation captures problems when they’re still small and easy to correct before filtering through the entire application.
This area is also one that eliminates the risk of human error—one of the biggest threats to the development process. Tools like Static Application Security Testing and Dynamic Application Security Testing occur during builds, staging, and release to guarantee delivery of the best possible code.
Measurement isn’t something that should happen at the end-stage. It must occur consistently throughout the program lifecycle, assessing items like deployment frequency, lead time for changes, change failure rate, and time to restore service. This way, administrators can take advantage of opportunities to streamline tasks, improve efficiency, and minimize threats. No security program is ever perfect, but consistent measurement gets it as close as possible.
Of course, the single best way to turn DevOps to DevSecOps is to have a complete third party audit. With an unbiased expert’s critical eye, enhancements and opportunities for improvement are possible. The audit works in conjunction with the existing DevOps program for a holistic approach to end-to-end security.
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