Five DevSecOps Best Practices CISOs Should Embrace

The popularity of DevSecOps has been steadily increasing. In recent years, enterprises that have integrated their development and operations teams under a DevOps model have generally been successful in releasing code considerably faster.

The three key pillars of DevOps include agility, speed, and collaboration. However, security presents extraordinary challenges for DevOps teams.

DevOps and DevSecOps teams need to be mindful of a number of potential security concerns, from protecting production environments to safeguarding the application development process.

The DevSecOps strategy implementation process is complex. While there are not any predetermined stages from a textbook that may operate as a roadmap, here are some best practices that every company should consider before commencing its DevSecOps journey.

Employ the least-privileged approach

When allowing access to DevOps resources, it is often advisable to adhere to the principle of least privilege. This entails granting users only the rights necessary for them to carry out their tasks and nothing more. The biggest threat to cybersecurity is posed by employees, which is why it is so crucial to follow this advice. This is frequently due to a lack of knowledge or expertise in maintaining firms’ digital security at all times rather than malicious intent.

Also Read: Five Stumbling Blocks Enterprises Must Overcome to Deploy DevSecOps

Automate every security check

DevOps teams have adopted the approach of automating everything related to CI/CD pipelines. The same idea holds true when utilizing DevSecOps techniques to develop secure applications. Determining what can be automated requires carefully reviewing each phase of the secure application delivery workflow. Then, firms can construct a prioritized list based on importance and needed work. Additionally, businesses must proceed down the list until every sensible item has been automated.

Though challenging, continue with threat modeling

Before moving to DevSecOps, professionals in the field advise conducting threat modeling and risk assessments. An exercise in threat modeling can assist security organizations in better understanding threats to their assets, the types and sensitivity of their assets, the current controls in place to safeguard those assets, and any control gaps that need to be filled.

These evaluations can aid in locating application architecture and design issues that other security measures might have overlooked. Threat modeling in a DevOps context might be intricate because it is thought to slow down a CI/CD environment’s velocity.

Fostering teams to build security in

It’s easier said than done to “bake security in,” despite the fact that it makes perfect sense. Lack of knowledge, tools, or procedures for integrating security into software is one of the main issues that teams encounter. To ensure that teams can create secure software, giving them the tools they need to accomplish this goal is essential.

Before even developing the first line of code for the software, security must be ensured. Threat modeling and architectural reviews are security activities that can help determine the security needs and controls that will be used during the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Giving development teams adequate training on how to produce secure code and resolve security concerns is crucial when executing the requirements and controls.

Also Read: Effective Collaboration Between IT and HR is Critical to Better Cybersecurity

Ensuring visibility into security flaws also contributes to awareness-building and crucial feedback loops for finding and addressing those vulnerabilities. For instance, using IDE-based scanners to find vulnerable code right at the developer’s workstation is one technique to provide immediate feedback on the code. Thanks to such technology, developers may write secure programs and patch flaws early.

Staff upskilling and training

Any DevSecOps program that is a success will put money into the staff’s professional growth. Learning media must be adaptable and customized, and training must be grounded in organizational goals, policies, and standards for software security. Businesses must give new personnel the necessary training and resources to accomplish their jobs properly and to contribute to the successful launch of safe software if they are to foster and develop strong security staff.

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