DevSecOps, a software development approach incorporating development, security, and operations is fast becoming the preferred method for software teams. Its ability to incorporate risk management at the development stage – rather than after – is what sets it apart from other methods and helps companies leverage the impressive benefits of DevSecOps methodology.
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“Instilling risk management into the foundation of software development and engineering projects has vast benefits for everyone involved with the product. From shorter launch times, to more secure products, and even easier compliance approval processes, DevSecOps is a methodology worth considering.” - Lauro Chavez, Managing Partner, Silent Sector |
Moreover, the DevSecOps market is booming. Its annual growth rate is 30.76% and is set to be worth nearly $42 billion by 2030. The number of teams adopting DevSecOps is equally as impressive. 60% of rapid development teams use a DevSecOps approach. In 2021, DevSecOps was the preferred method for 36% of all software developers.
It’s clear that DevSecOps is the new popular kid on the software development block. However, the benefits it provides to those who build, sell, manage, and use DevSecOps developed solutions indicate it’s not going away anytime soon. Today, we’ll discuss why DevSecOps has lasting power and how businesses can benefit from it.
In this blog we will explore:
- The history of DevSecOps
- 7 DevSecOps Benefits
- Potential DevSecOps Challenges
The History of DevSecOps
DevSecOps emerged as an evolution of the DevOps methodology, which integrates development and operations to improve collaboration and accelerate software delivery.
While DevOps helps speed up development projects, security isn’t addressed until late in the development cycle. This led to significant project delays to address those risks or left notable vulnerabilities exposed.
To overcome these challenges, developers began addressing security risks and considerations much earlier in the process; this quickly became known as DevSecOps. Security practices are embedded throughout the entire development process, ensuring that risk is managed at the onset of any project.
By merging security with DevOps, DevSecOps maintains the agility and efficiency of DevOps and fortifies applications against cyber threats, meeting the growing demand for secure, reliable software.
Why DevSecOps? 7 Benefits Everyone Should Know.
Faster Time to Market
Compared to other methods, Agile, Waterfall and DevOps, DevSecOps can reduce development project times significantly. By addressing security concerns continuously and early, DevSecOps helps in reducing the overall time to market for new software releases.
This is particularly beneficial for businesses that need to deploy updates and new features rapidly to stay competitive, without compromising on security risks or compliance requirements.
Enhanced Security Posture
Strong security measures are a must in 2024. With new cyber attacks happening every 39 seconds, and compliance requirements for software security increasing, implementing strategies to develop mature security postures is essential.
DevSecOps incorporates elements of security that enhance a product's security posture (and those who use it) throughout its lifecycle. From building secure foundations to embedding proactive risk assessments and continuous monitoring, products built with a DevSecOps approach foster stronger, robust security postures.
Higher Quality Software
With continuous monitoring and testing built into the lifecycle of a product, DevSecOps helps retain and improve the quality of a product. Automated testing and proactive security measures ensure that any issues are identified and resolved early, reducing the likelihood of defects.
For instance, while checking software for security vulnerabilities, other non-security issues such as performance concerns, bugs, and code inefficiencies can also be detected and addressed before user experience is affected. This comprehensive approach ensures the final product is secure and also performs optimally, enhancing overall quality and user satisfaction.
Cost-Efficiency
DevSecOps reduces development costs in a number of areas across a product's development and lifecycle. Examples of these include:
- Early Detection of Issues: By identifying and fixing security vulnerabilities and other defects early in the development process, DevSecOps minimizes the need for costly rework and patches post-deployment.
- Reduced Downtime: Continuous monitoring and proactive security measures reduce the likelihood of security breaches and system downtime, saving costs associated with incident response and lost productivity.
- Compliance Automation: Automated compliance checks streamline the process of meeting regulatory requirements, reducing the manual effort and associated costs involved in compliance management.
- Improved Resource Allocation: Efficient use of automated tools and processes allows development teams to focus on innovation and high-value tasks, optimizing resource allocation and reducing operational costs.
Increased Collaboration
DevSecOps fosters a culture of collaboration by integrating development, security, and operations teams from the outset. This approach breaks down silos, encouraging shared responsibility for security and quality.
Enhanced communication and better teamwork lead to more efficient workflows and faster problem resolution. A collaborative environment ensures that security is considered at every stage, resulting in more secure and reliable software while improving overall team morale and productivity.
Streamline Compliance
DevSecOps automates compliance checks, ensuring that security policies and regulatory requirements are consistently applied throughout the development lifecycle. Continuous monitoring and documentation simplify the process of maintaining compliance, reducing the risk of non-compliance penalties.
This proactive approach helps organizations stay up-to-date with evolving regulations and standards, ensuring that all security and compliance measures are integrated seamlessly into the development process, ultimately saving time and resources.
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“Achieving compliance requirements for a new product or service can be less complicated and time consuming if built using a DevSecOps framework. This is because the regulatory frameworks the product will eventually need to adhere to should have been identified in the early stages of its development and accommodated into its design.” - Lauro Chavez, Managing Partner, Silent Sector |
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Greater Customer Trust (and Revenue Potential)
Implementing DevSecOps demonstrates a strong commitment to security, which effectively builds customer trust and loyalty. It shows your product proactively addresses security vulnerabilities and ensures robust data protection, which is crucial to all companies to prevent door-closing data breaches and cyberattacks.
Moreover, companies that adopt DevSecOps can more easily meet the necessary compliance requirements potential customers require, making them an attractive option over other options without the same compliance standards.
Potential Challenges of DevSecOps
While DevSecOps benefits are compelling and persuasive, there is no such thing as a perfect solution. To truly understand why DevSecOps is important, or if it’s best for your needs, it’s important to know what potential challenges it can present.
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Process Feature |
The Potential Challenge |
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Cultural Shift |
Resistance to Change: Shifting from traditional practices to DevSecOps requires significant cultural change, often met with resistance. Collaboration Hurdles: Integrating teams requires overcoming existing silos and fostering effective communication. |
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Tool Integration |
Complex Toolchains: Ensuring various development, security, and operations tools work seamlessly together is complex and time-consuming. Automation and Consistency: Achieving consistent automation across different tools and processes requires careful planning. |
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Skill Gaps |
Need for Cross-Disciplinary Skills: Finding or training team members with expertise in development, security, and operations is challenging and is exacerbated by the current global developer shortage. Continuous Learning: Keeping up with the latest threats, tools, and practices requires ongoing education and training. |
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Security Integration |
Early and Continuous Security: Integrating security checks early and continuously without slowing down development is challenging and may not be necessary for all projects. Managing False Positives: Automated tools can generate false positives, slowing the development process. |
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Compliance and Governance |
Regulatory Complexity: Ensuring compliance with various regulatory standards is complex and requires significant effort. Auditing and Reporting: Robust auditing and reporting mechanisms to demonstrate compliance are resource-intensive. |
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Resource Allocation |
Initial Investment: Implementing DevSecOps requires an initial investment in tools, training, and process changes, which can be hard to justify. Ongoing Maintenance: Continuous investment in maintaining and updating DevSecOps practices and tools is necessary, requiring adequate investment into resources. |
Adopt DevSecOps Processes Seamlessly with Silent Sector
Shifting to a new development process like DevSecOps isn’t straightforward. Despite the numerous benefits this change will bring, it can be difficult to make the transition. For instance, meeting new security requirements earlier than expected may mean investing in new people, resources, and tools.
At Silent Sector, we can help make the transition easier and less cumbersome so you can speed up launch times, attract new business, and be confident your products are secure. We’re cybersecurity experts who have helped over 100 companies leverage cybersecurity to grow their business.
Schedule a call with our team to learn how we can help the DevSecOps process easier for you.