Build and release secure applications faster with DevSecOps

DevOps is an essential part of the software development process. Enterprises of today have moved on from the traditional approach of software development to leverage DevOps to ensure faster deployment of software in a fast-paced work environment. It is a mix of tools and practices that enables software developers to build reliable and automated development processes.  

Prior to formalizing a DevOps process, security checks were performed at the end of the application development process because security was given less importance, due to the focus remained on quickly building and releasing applications. In case a security threat was detected in the later stages of a software’s development process, the developers would rework on the codes and implement security patches. This scenario was extremely time consuming and proved to be inefficient in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). 

With emergence of new technologies, development practices, and shift to agile cloud computing platforms, developers are now able to able to create a more secure software development environment. 

Introducing DevSecOps (development + security + operations), a set of security practices implemented by developers throughout SDLC. From integration to testing and from software delivery to periodic software releases, DevSecOps combines application and infrastructure security into the DevOps processes and tools. Building applications on the cloud offers extensive automation and resource scalability, developers are today prioritizing security automation from stage 1 in SDLC. Security automation drastically reduces the chances of production attacks and increases chances of achieving security goals.  

Various security controls are available to the developers which can be integrated in the DevOps process to detect any vulnerability early on so that a correct resolution plan can be created. Go through the below listed techniques: 

Planning Development 

The most important stage in any application development process is planning. This being the first stage, developers or project managers need to have clear and concise strategies as to how the development process should be. Peer reviews is one of the great ways to identify the security coding standards. Developers also take a structured approach to evaluate security of applications by modelling the application to see how an attacker might look at it. This is known as threat modelling which allows the developer to gain full knowledge about application security and prepare risk mitigation plan. 

Integrating Plugins 

The IDE (Integrated Development Environment) security plugin is usually used before a developer writes the code and commits it in the repository. When this plugin is implemented at the start of the development pipeline, it identifies various security issues within the IDE environment. This helps developers get early insights about the potential security risks that may lie in the written code. 

Security Testing 

This is a technique in which the current state of security of the written code is scanned to make timely improvements. The security checks can be carried by IDE plugins, scanning of source code, or pre-commit hooks in GitHub. 

Empowering Teams 

DevOps engineers and security engineers need to constantly collaborate to check the security posture of an application throughout the development process. A well-designed and automated DevSecOps process can significantly reduce the time-to-market of business functionalities. 

In 2021, GitLab released a report titled ‘Global DevSecOps Survey’ which included a certain statistic that pointed at how there is a DevOps culture shift among the developer community. ‘Almost 60% of developers who participated in the survey said they are now able to release code 2X faster than before because of DevOps’. And with significant adoption of DevSecOps along with building security teams within the organization, the software development team are now building cloud-native applications that are secure and compliant in every aspect. 

Many organizations look at DevOps and DevSecOps as merely tools that can help them build modern and secure applications. But it is not just about adoption of latest technologies. To successfully implement and experience the benefits of these technologies, CTOs or other decision makers need to equally invest in processes and people. These tools will do their job, but people need to be skilled and trained to improve the development process for business advantage.  

Image Source: Microsoft Tech Community

Get started with Motifworks 

Motifworks helps organizations build a DevSecOps architecture on Azure. By utilizing multiple services on Azure such Azure Bords, Azure Pipelines, Azure Policies, and Azure Monitor, our experts work closely with teams to solve issues related to code build / deployment automation, gated governance, environment management, testing automation, and security.  Motifworks believes in collaboration and so we bring together the development, testing, system administration, and security team to develop and deliver an excellent & secure software. 

Our experts follow a proven methodology that shows reduction of software development timelines by 60% and reduction of overall project costs by more than 50%. Through this, Motifworks aim to help organizations build secure applications that can positively impact their operations, maintain reputation in the industry, and offer better & safer experiences to their end users.