DevSecOps stands for Development, Security, and Operations. It is an evolution of the DevOps practice that integrates security practices throughout the software development lifecycle instead of treating security as an afterthought.
In traditional software development, security reviews and testing often occur late in the release process. This approach can lead to vulnerabilities being discovered just before deployment, causing delays and costly rework. In a DevSecOps approach, security is embedded into each phase of the pipeline – from planning and coding to building, testing, deploying, and monitoring.
Key principles of DevSecOps include:
- Continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines that incorporate security scanning and automated testing.
- Collaboration between development, operations, and security teams to ensure that security requirements and best practices are understood and implemented.
- Infrastructure as code (IaC) and configuration management tools that make it easier to apply and audit security controls consistently.
- Monitoring and logging to detect and respond to threats in real time.
By embracing DevSecOps, organizations can deliver software faster without sacrificing security. It encourages a culture of shared responsibility where everyone is accountable for security, resulting in more resilient applications and infrastructure.