DEVOPSdigest

Patrick Debois, the godfather of DevOps, once tweeted: "DevOps is about removing the friction between silos. All the rest is engineering." His idea, which grew into DevSecOps, integrates developers, IT operations, quality assurance, and InfoSec teams' security approaches in the software development lifecycle (SDLC), helping to address vulnerabilities proactively rather than discover them later in the game.

As cyber threats grow increasingly sophisticated, the need for robust security measures has never been more urgent. Last year saw an escalation in cyberattacks, with over 343 million victims, and between 2021 and 2023, data breaches rose by 72%. A DevSecOps approach is a must-have for businesses that want to curb this surge and deliver secure, high-quality software.

But how easy is it to implement a DevSecOps mindset — as well as its processes — into established teams and internal workflows?

The answer lies in addressing the typical vulnerabilities affecting many DevSecOps teams, such as departmental silos and a delayed security posture. By identifying these weaknesses, businesses can identify the appropriate strategies to mitigate them, ensuring that DevSecOps delivers its full potential in safeguarding software and data. Let's dive in.

Diagnosing Your DevSecOps Team

There are a few tell-tale signs that your company is struggling and missing its core security focus.

A clear red flag is when development and security teams work in silos, as this can lead to issues with accountability. When tasks aren't completed — or, on the other hand, completed twice — it typically confirms that there's poor internal communication, leading to businesses wasting time and money.

Your IT employees may spend half their day, or 4.2 hours, looking for relevant information. Data like this supports the widespread issue affecting many IT teams who continue to avoid knowledge sharing across departments, leading to a lack of collaboration and inefficient processes.

Another warning sign to put an end to is only addressing vulnerabilities post-deployment, which is the opposite goal of a DevSecOps mindset. For example, if a development team is working on integrating a third-party API, they may prioritize their own internal process to meet a tight deadline. However, this means a thorough security assessment is deferred to the testing phase. So, once launched, the security team may identify significant vulnerabilities in the API integration.

Security flaws identified post-deployment put the application and data at a greater risk of attack. Plus, patching vulnerabilities after release can be more complex and time-consuming than catching them earlier on in development, leading to delayed timelines.

While identifying the problems within DevSecOps teams can be frustrating, it's the first step toward finding their solutions

Building a Robust DevSecOps Strategy

New technology and tools can significantly improve a DevSecOps team's strategy. However, these tools will only work with teams that foster collaboration and embrace shared responsibility.

Businesses need to start at the top and ensure all DevSecOps team members accept a continuous security focus: Security isn't a one-time event; it's an ongoing process. Leaders must encourage open communication between development, security, and operation teams, which can be achieved with regular meetings and shared communication platforms that facilitate constant collaboration.

Developers must learn secure coding practices when building their models, while security and operations teams need to better understand development workflows to create practical security measures. Peer-to-peer communication and training are about partnership, not conflict, and effective DevSecOps thrives on collaboration, not finger-pointing.

Only once these personnel changes are implemented can a DevSecOps team successfully execute a shift left security approach and leverage the benefits of technology automation and efficiency.

Once internal harmony is achieved, DevSecOps teams can begin consolidating automation and efficiency into their workflows by integrating security testing tools within the CI/CD pipelines. Their first port of call is to agree on a set of tools that align with their application stack, security requirements, and team expertise. This might include Static Application Security Testing (SAST), Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST), and Software Composition Analysis (SCA) scanning tools. These tools can then be integrated at various stages of the pipeline.

For instance, SAST can be used during the build phase — when code changes are easier to implement — while DAST and SCA are more suitable for later stages. Together, these tools ensure that automated security testing shields and notifies DevSecOps teams across the entire application codebase and infrastructure.

Best Practices in 2024

Implementing a shift-left security mindset into DevSecOps isn't straightforward, but with some best practices, it can be simplified.

Threat modeling is a proactive security measure that identifies and prioritizes threats and vulnerabilities in information systems. It makes an ideal best practice for supporting a security-focused mindset. Established threat modeling frameworks like STRIDE or PASTA are commonly used to structure the process. For example, STRIDE is a mnemonic-based approach that's suitable for smaller projects or teams with limited security expertise and ideal for common attack types. Threat modeling frameworks help teams prioritize threats based on their risk factor and allow them to develop appropriate countermeasures.

However, for any upheaval and change to be accepted and successful, there needs to be a leader. DevSecOps teams need to identify their change champion to increase their chances of success. Research from Prosci on change management found that sponsor effectiveness is critical to project success, as "projects with an extremely effective sponsor met or exceeded objectives more than twice as often as those with a very ineffective sponsor."

Teams should look for individuals with a strong understanding of development and security practices, excellent communication skills, and a passion for improving security practices. Moreover, champions should be provided with resources and training in leadership, communication, and coaching to help them communicate and guide their teams. This will allow them to create a community of champions to share knowledge and best practices.

We live in an age defined by constant digital transformation, and while this comes with a myriad of benefits, it also goes hand-in-hand with escalating cyber threats. Therefore DevSecOps is no longer a luxury but a necessity. By examining team capabilities, aligning security goals with business objectives, and adopting proven best practices, companies can protect their organizations against vulnerabilities.