In today’s fast-paced digital world, organisations face a challenging balancing act: delivering software quickly while ensuring it’s secure.
By Nic Evans, head of business agility at iOCO Digital
Traditional approaches that treat security as an afterthought or a final checkpoint before deployment simply can’t keep pace with modern development cycles. This is where DevSecOps enters the picture.
What is DevSecOps?
DevSecOps takes an existing DevOps practice to the next level. DevSecOps (Development, Security, and Operations) is an approach that integrates security practices within the DevOps process. Rather than treating security as a separate phase handled by a specialised team at the end of development, DevSecOps makes security a shared responsibility throughout the entire software development lifecycle.
The motto of DevSecOps is “software, safer, sooner” – emphasising that security should be built in from the beginning, not bolted on at the end.
Why DevSecOps matters now more than ever
Several factors make DevSecOps essential for modern organisations. These include accelerated development cycles, complex tech ecosystems, persistent cyber threats, and growing regulatory pressures.
With release cycles shrinking from months to weeks or even days, traditional security reviews create unacceptable bottlenecks. Modern applications rely heavily on open-source components, APIs, and microservices, expanding the attack surface.
Organisations face constant attacks using increasingly sophisticated methods, targeting vulnerabilities at every level, and growing compliance requirements across industries mandate better security practices and demonstrable controls. Companies therefore need to constantly keep security in mind.
Companies that integrate security into their development lifecycle through DevSecOps can gain up to 30% reduction in security-related incidents and 50% faster vulnerability remediation time, not to mention more streamlined compliance audits and reporting. Ensuring higher confidence in software security and stability, DevSecOps guarantees speed and safety.
Core elements of a successful DevSecOps implementation
DevSecOps emphasises two key principles – reducing risk through proactive measures and fostering trust by openly demonstrating a commitment to data protection. This can be achieved by incorporating the following fundamentals:
- Shift left: Security from the start – The “shift left” principle encourages moving security considerations earlier in the development process. This includes threat modelling during design phases, incorporating security requirements as part of user stories, developer security training, and security-focused code reviews.
- Automation is Essential – Manual security processes can’t scale with modern development velocity. Effective DevSecOps requires automating security wherever possible. The most common areas where automation offers immediate benefits include: automated static application security testing (SAST); dynamic application security testing (DAST); software composition analysis (SCA); container security scanning; and infrastructure as code (IaC) security validation.
- Binary management – Understanding what’s in your applications is fundamental to security. Companies must track all dependencies and their versions, and they must scan binaries for vulnerabilities, not just their source code. They should also implement policies to block problematic components.
- Cultural transformation – DevSecOps is as much about culture as it is about tools. Security awareness training for all development team members is therefore essential, as is recognition for proactive security practices. Companies should facilitate clear communication channels between teams in order to foster a security-driven culture, focusing on shared responsibility for security outcomes.
- Continuous monitoring and feedback – Security doesn’t end at deployment. The development team should also incorporate continuous monitoring and feedback to ensure that all bases are covered, at all times. For example, runtime application monitoring and vulnerability scanning in production will; proactively identify any gaps, while regular security assessments and penetration testing will ensure that there are no vulnerabilities that can be exploited. Feedback loops to development teams are also vital in order to ensure that there are no oversights as a result of communication breakdowns.
Getting started with DevSecOps
Begin your DevSecOps journey with these practical steps:
- Assess your current state: Understand your existing development practices, security controls, and team structures.
- Start small: Choose a pilot project or application to implement DevSecOps practices.
- Invest in training: Ensure teams understand security concepts relevant to their roles.
- Build your toolchain: Select and integrate security tools that fit your development environment.
- Measure progress: Define metrics that track both security improvements and development velocity.
Companies that integrate DevSecOps into their operations will gain immediate benefits. These include:
- Faster, more secure delivery: Finding and fixing security issues early in development is faster and less expensive than remediation after deployment.
- Improved collaboration: Breaking down silos between development, security, and operations teams fosters better communication and shared responsibility.
- Enhanced visibility: Continuous monitoring provides real-time insights into application security status and potential vulnerabilities.
- Automated security: Security checks integrated into automated pipelines ensure consistent application of security controls without manual intervention.
- Proactive risk management: Early identification of security issues allows for better prioritisation and handling of risks before they impact production.
DevSecOps isn’t just a set of practices or tools, it represents a fundamental shift in how organisations approach software security. By making security an integral part of the development process rather than a gatekeeper at the end, companies can deliver better, more secure software at the speed modern business demands.
The journey to DevSecOps maturity takes time and commitment, but the rewards – reduced security risks, faster delivery, and improved collaboration between teams – make it well worth the investment. In a world where security threats and competitive pressures continue to intensify, DevSecOps isn’t optional, it’s essential for sustainable success.