What is DevSecOps & how does it differ from traditional security practices?

Organizations have become increasingly concerned with information security in an era of increasing cyber threats. Traditional security practices have been the norm for decades, but with the rise of DevOps, a new approach to security has emerged: DevSecOps. 

DevSecOps is a software development approach that aims to integrate security into the entire software development lifecycle, from design to deployment and beyond. It emphasizes the importance of collaboration and communication between operations, development, and security teams to ensure that security is not a second thought but a core part of the development process.

In traditional security practices, security is often viewed as a separate function from development and operations, with security teams responsible for assessing and managing risks after the software has been developed. This approach can lead to delays and inconsistencies in security assessments and a lack of accountability and ownership of security risks.

In this blog, we will discuss how does DevSecOps differ from traditional security and what are some of its features and benefits:

Why move away from the traditional approach to security

The traditional approach to security involves a reactive approach. Security is often an afterthought, with testing and patching occurring only after software development is completed. This approach can lead to vulnerabilities and security breaches that can be costly and damaging to an organization.

DevSecOps is different because it integrates security into every stage of the software 

development process, emphasizing the importance of security as a shared responsibility, with everyone involved in the development process actively enhancing security measures. By integrating security into the development process, organizations can identify and address security issues before they become significant problems.

DevSecOps also emphasizes collaboration between different teams. In traditional security practices, security teams often work in isolation from development and operations teams. In DevSecOps, security, development, and operations teams work together to identify and address security issues. Collaboration ensures that everyone involved in the development process knows security risks and actively mitigates them.

Challenges with traditional security measures

There are several challenges when applying traditional security measures to a DevOps environment. Although these methods have worked in the past, newer forms of cyber threats have dampened their effect leading to various challenges, as listed below. 

1. Limited Scope: Traditional security practices focus on protecting the network’s perimeter and preventing external threats from getting in. However, with the rise of cloud computing, mobile devices, and remote work, the perimeter has become more fluid, making it harder to protect.
2. Lack of Flexibility: Traditional security practices often rely on a one-size-fits-all approach, which can be rigid and inflexible. This approach may not be suitable for organizations with unique security needs or adapting quickly to new threats or changing environments.
3. Limited Visibility: Traditional security practices may not provide adequate visibility into network activity or user behavior. This lack of visibility makes it difficult to detect and respond to security incidents, such as data breaches or malware infections.
4. Overreliance on Passwords: Traditional security practices often rely on passwords for authentication, which can be easily compromised. Hackers can use various techniques, such as phishing or brute-force attacks, to steal passwords and gain access to sensitive information.
5. Difficulty in Keeping Up-to-Date: Traditional security practices may not be able to keep up with the rapidly changing threat landscape. New threats and vulnerabilities emerge daily, and it can be challenging to keep up with them using traditional security practices.

Benefits of DevSecOps

There are several benefits of using DevSecOps, including improved security, faster time-to-market, and enhanced collaboration between teams.

• Integration of security into the development process: By integrating security into the development process, vulnerabilities can be identified and addressed early on, reducing the risk of security breaches. This approach also ensures that security is a shared responsibility across teams rather than just the security team’s responsibility.
• Emphasis on collaboration: faster time-to-market. Integrating security into the development process can address issues more quickly, reducing the time it takes to get the software to market. This can give organizations a competitive advantage, allowing them to release new products and features faster than their competitors. 
• Automation of security processes: DevSecOps uses automation to streamline security processes and ensure they are consistent and repeatable. This helps reduce the risk of human error and ensures that security processes are applied consistently across an organization’s applications.
• Continuous monitoring: DevSecOps involves continuous monitoring of applications and infrastructure to detect and respond to security threats in real time. This helps to ensure that security issues are identified and addressed as soon as possible.
• Shared responsibility: DevSecOps involves shared responsibility for security among all teams involved in development. This helps to ensure that security is everyone’s responsibility and that developers are empowered to identify and address security issues as they arise.
• Faster time-to-market: Integrating security into the development process can address issues more quickly, reducing the time it takes to get the software to market. This can give organizations a competitive advantage, allowing them to release new products and features faster than their competitors. 

Conclusion

DevSecOps is a new approach to security that emphasizes collaboration, automation, and continuous monitoring, unlike traditional security practices in integrating security into every stage of the software development process. By taking a proactive approach to security, organizations can identify and address security issues early on before they become major problems. DevSecOps is quickly becoming the standard for information security, and organizations will be better equipped to protect themselves from cyber threats.