DevSecOps Automation: How Does it Help?
DevSecOps is a key component in companies’ efforts to build strong security into the software products they create. The methodology brings together security and development teams in a joint mission to deliver high-quality, reliable and secure software.
Why is DevSecOps Needed
One of the reasons why DevSecOps is such a valuable model to adopt is that cybersecurity is oftentimes not a top priority with development efforts. Getting products completed and out to users quickly is far more important to organizations than ensuring that the software is secure and free of vulnerabilities. For many developments teams, security is an afterthought—or not a thought at all.
DevSecOps makes cybersecurity a basic component of the development lifecycle, integrating security into every phase of development—from design through integration, testing, deployment, and delivery. The methodology, which is related to the DevOps model, anticipates possible threats and vulnerabilities and addresses them before software products are released into production.
Automation is Critical for Making DevSecOps Work
For DevSecOps to be most effective for development and security teams, it needs to be automated. Automation, in fact, can play a significant role in making DevSecOps a strategic initiative for companies.
There are multiple reasons why DevSecOps needs to be an automated process. One is that security is baked into the process and is part of the workflow, not an external step. Security then becomes an integral part of the development process instead of an afterthought.
In addition, automation can enable teams to deliver greater value by eliminating manual efforts. If tasks such as checking for software vulnerabilities can be handled automatically, that frees up teams to pursue more productive and innovative pursuits.
Furthermore, automation can decrease the number of errors that occur with a manual approach. Anytime people are doing something manually, there is a possibility for mistakes to be introduced. These mistakes can lead to software vulnerabilities that in turn lead to costly security breaches.
Automation also creates more transparency in the end-to-end development lifecycle, which is important when teams need to identify when or how certain actions were taken to fix a vulnerability or make other changes.
By automating DevSecOps, organizations can see a number of benefits. For example, they can more quickly apply patches to vulnerabilities and deliver products to customers or internal end users in a more timely manner. This is vital at a time when secure software is essential for running a digital business.
If automation is applied to the DevSecOps process, security is much less likely to be sacrificed for speed—but in fact contributes to the successful delivery of high-quality products. Security becomes a part of the development process in a way that doesn’t slow things down.
Finally, DevSecOps automation can help organizations meet compliance requirements. Cybersecurity compliance includes internal security compliance and external regulatory compliance. In some industries, such as healthcare and financial services, complying with data security and privacy regulations is extremely important.
By using the right vulnerability management tools within DevSecOps, organizations can automate compliance validation and reporting throughout the DevOps lifecycle. In this way they can pass audits more easily and avoid costly regulatory fines and lawsuits.
