DevSecOps Best Practices: Key Strategies for Secure and Efficient Development

Shifting to a DevSecOps approach is a smart move for dev teams. Not only does it help software products be more secure, but it enables developers to meet compliance requirements and launch new products more easily. By opting for known DevSecOps best practices, teams can realize the benefits of including security into the development process sooner.

The core principle of the DevSecOps development methodology is to integrate security and risk management into every step of the software development lifecycle while fostering the continuous integration and continuous delivery aspects of the DevOps approach. It enables developers to build software faster, more efficiently – and more securely – than ever before.

When implementing a DevSecOps strategy into your organization, it’s important to follow best practices. In this article we’ll discuss what DevSecOps best practices you should consider now.

Understanding the Core Principles of DevSecOps

Every process and tool added to your DevSecOps toolkit should support the foundations and principles of DevSecOps methodology. It’s not just about adding security considerations earlier in the development process, it’s about making sure your efforts align with the overall intention of a DevSecOps strategy.

What are the core principles of DevSecOps? Generally speaking, they are the actions taken to make software development as secure and efficient as possible through the use of:

• Shift-Left: Shift-Left is a principle that emphasizes addressing security concerns as early as possible in the software development lifecycle (SDLC). A 2021 GitLab report stated 70% of security teams have shifted security left.
  
  This approach involves moving security practices to the left, or earlier stages, of the development process to make security as equally important as other key project aspects.

• Automation: Automation is the cornerstone of efficiency in DevSecOps processes. Automation tools eliminate manual processes that are tedious, time consuming, and susceptible to human error. It also allows developers without a security background to apply DevSecOps with minimal upskilling.
• Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD): DevSecOps enhances traditional CI/CD DevOps pipelines by incorporating security checks at every stage. This ensures that code and security measures are being regularly monitored, revised, and adjusted based on stakeholder feedback at several points during the dev process.
• Collaboration: One of the most critical principles of DevSecOps is fostering collaboration among development, operations, and security teams. By breaking down silos and encouraging cross-functional teamwork, organizations can ensure security considerations are integrated seamlessly into the development process. 

Source: Qentelli

11 DevSecOps Best Practices

1. Security as Code

Security as Code involves treating security policies and practices as part of the codebase, ensuring they are version-controlled, tested, and deployed just like application code. With security as code, risk management is embedded into the code itself.

2. Access Control

Strict access control measures in the development stage are essential for maintaining software security and compliance. By limiting access to sensitive data and critical systems, only authorized personnel can make changes, reducing the risk of unauthorized modifications and potential security breaches. 

For example, implementing role-based access control (RBAC) ensures that team members have the minimum necessary permissions, minimizing the attack surface. 

3. Enable Security Testing Automations

Automated security testing is to identify and address vulnerabilities during the development process, not leaving them to be discovered by hackers post-launch. However, manual methods require time and resources. 

Automated tests, however, enable continuous security validation without manual intervention, saving time and reducing human error. Automated tools can quickly scan code, configurations, and dependencies to detect potential issues early.

Example of tools used to automate security testing include:

• Static Application Security Testing (SAST)
• Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)
• Container Security Tools
• And others

4. Ethical Hacking

Incorporating ethical hacking practices, such as threat modeling and penetration testing, at strategic stages of the development process is a best practice in DevSecOps. These techniques help identify and address potential vulnerabilities early, ensuring robust security. 

By simulating real-world attacks and proactively analyzing potential threats, teams can strengthen their security posture and mitigate risks before they reach production.

5. Security Training

Initial and ongoing security training is a crucial best practice in DevSecOps. This is to ensure the people implementing these processes understand security basics and relevant information.

By educating team members on cybersecurity and risk management practices, organizations ensure that everyone is aware of potential threats and understands how to mitigate them. Regular training sessions help keep skills up to date and reinforce a culture of security awareness, enabling teams to respond effectively to new and evolving security challenges.

6. Continuous Monitoring and Logging

Continuous monitoring and logging are critical for maintaining security in DevSecOps. By constantly observing systems and capturing logs, teams can quickly detect and respond to security incidents.

Key capabilities of continuous monitoring and logging include:

• Real-time alerts: Get immediate notification of potential security issues.
• Comprehensive visibility: Gain detailed insights into system behavior and anomalies.
• Proactive threat detection: Enables early identification and mitigation of vulnerabilities.

7. Incident Response Planning

Ensuring teams can quickly and effectively address security incidents at every stage of a project is vital for building secure, resilient software. Establishing an incident response plan early in the development process is essential to the DevSecOps approach. 

By doing so, organizations can minimize damage, recover faster, and maintain trust with users. Incident response plans should be aligned with a softwares intended security framework. For instance, a software that will access, manage, or store medical records should have an incident response plan that meets HIPAA compliance requirements.

8. Configuration Management

Effective security configuration management is vital for maintaining a secure development environment. Poor management can lead to vulnerabilities and increased risks. 35% of all cyber incidents are from poor security configurations.

In a DevSecOps approach, managing configurations involves:

• Defining and managing secure configurations for all systems and environments.
• Automating configuration changes to ensure consistency.
• Maintaining version control for configuration files.
• Regularly auditing configurations to detect and fix deviations.

By implementing these practices, teams can prevent unauthorized changes, reduce misconfigurations, and ensure a secure development process.

9. Foster a Security-First Mindset

For DevSecOps to be truly successful, it has to be adopted across all departments and stakeholders involved in a project. This involves making security a priority at every level, from executives to developers. 

Encouraging open communication about security issues, providing regular training, and integrating security goals into performance metrics helps ensure that everyone is aligned and committed to maintaining a secure development environment.

10. Data Encryption

Protecting sensitive information throughout the software development lifecycle requires robust data encryption. By encrypting data both at rest and in transit, organizations can prevent unauthorized access and breaches. 

Implementing strong encryption protocols ensures that even if data is intercepted or accessed by unauthorized parties, it remains unreadable. Regularly updating encryption methods and securely managing encryption keys are vital practices for maintaining strong data protection in DevSecOps.

11. Seek Expert Guidance 

Working with a cybersecurity expert can significantly enhance the efficiency and security of your DevSecOps practices. Experts bring specialized knowledge and experience to help identify vulnerabilities, implement effective DevSecOps techniques, and ensure compliance with industry standards. 

By seeking expert guidance, organizations can develop robust security strategies, streamline workflows, and stay ahead of emerging threats, ultimately building more secure and resilient software.

Master DevSecOps Practices: Partner with Cybersecurity Experts

Making security a priority in software development with DevSecOps practices gives companies more than just the ability to build secure solutions efficiently. It also paves the way to outshine competitors and become more attractive to vendors, users, and regulators.

However, adding security automations and other tools often isn't enough and without proper planning, a poorly implemented DevSecOps program can lead to more risks than benefits. To avoid this reality, partner with security experts that can show you how to embrace DevSecOps processes so they help your company grow and excel. 

At Silent Sector, we can be your partner in achieving your DevSecOps goals. We help companies develop security strategies that help them reach business and security goals. We’ve helped numerous companies with a focus on building security strategies that increase growth potential, and we can help you too.

Book a meeting with our team to start honing your DevSecOps approach.