Industry commentators and speculators frequently mix DevOps and DevSecOps when discussing IT.
Even though these seem like complicated phrases, they're relatively easy to understand and could have a prominent impact on the software development sector in the future.
A lot of businesses are moving away from DevOps and toward DevSecOps approaches.
However, what are the precise distinctions between DevOps and DevSecOps?
This comprehensive tutorial will cover all the essentials of DevOps and the software development lifecycle, along with a description of why DevSecOps is considered a distinct technique.
What is DevOps?
DevOps is the first and unique methodology that combines two computer science foci. Based only on the name, you can reasonably infer what these components are.
Software development is instructed as "Dev" and information technology operations or services as "Ops."
Therefore, software development operations/services, or Dev + Ops equals DevOps.
Let's make things simpler. What is the true meaning of DevOps?
The purpose is to increase software production and improvement speed by utilizing continuous intelligence, automation, combination, and collaboration.
Developers will have more control over the infrastructure of their products and be able to put software performance above all other considerations if they emphasize DevOps principles throughout the development cycle.
A reputable IT company must be able to release high-quality products and software fixes regularly without any delays or interruptions. Developers can concentrate on techniques or processes that make it easier to routinely and reliably achieve their deadlines.
DevOps Methodologies
Anybody familiar with the industry knows that DevOps techniques consist of essential elements or tactics. Here's a quick summary of it.
1. Microservices
Most microservice developers employ microservice structures to increase and optimize production rates. These structures create software from a collection of committed services. Microservices can run through virtual machines or containers.
2. IaC
The infrastructure-as-a-code (IaC) approach uses code to automate and operate a combination of computing devices, both virtual and physical.
Developers use Infrastructure as a Service to automate support for IT operations, which reduces the amount of labor required for specific tasks and can frequently reduce the part of time lost on IT operations management.
3. PaC
Comparably, PaC refers to automating control policies for operations through functional code.
Some systems may involve, for instance, adhering to the organization's guidelines for appropriate technology use, following security standards for IT systems, and so on.
By using management tools and account controls, developers can automate the application of policies by preparing them in a code format.
What is SecOps?
"SecOps" is an acronym that combines two distinct ideas, just like its cousin. "Sec" stands for cybersecurity, as you already figured.
"Ops" refers to information technology operations or services, carrying over from the previous topic. The term "SecOps" thus describes the approach or concentration on processes that improve security throughout a development pipeline.
SecOps aims to achieve:
- Prioritize cybersecurity throughout the entire development process to boost security
- Ensuring that security is ever-evolving.
- As a result, all stakeholders involved in creating and safeguarding a particular application share accountability for security.
In short, SecOps is more concerned with security, whereas DevOps is more concerned with software development, consistent output, and the development lifecycle.
What Is the True Meaning of DevSecOps?
DevSecOps is a hybrid of DevOps and SecOps, merging the two approaches to build a cyclical system that integrates knowledge and techniques from technology operations, cybersecurity, and software development domains.
The objective of this methodology is evident since DevSecOps integrates automated security practices with automated development activities.
DevSecOps entails automating as much of the software product development lifecycle as possible and implementing security procedures far earlier.
You may combine the advantages of the previous two approaches and achieve distant agile development methods by automating, standardizing, and moving your security procedures to the left.
Prioritizing security
Security protocols and processes will be put in place before the application in question or before the program is too far along to be adequately secured if security is moved upstream in the development pipeline.
Only until codebases are confirmed to be suitably secure may application development cycles proceed by adhering to this technique and philosophy.
It keeps IT organizations from dealing with awkward security breaches or problems that arise later on because of something that can be discovered earlier in the development process.
Constant Feedback Cycles
The emphasis on ongoing feedback loops is also crucial. All team members, including those in charge of operations, security, and raw development, will automatically be informed about new features, policies, and development procedures by positioning these kinds of feedback loops into place.
Moreover, ongoing input will ensure that any automated procedures may continuously monitor the software for security flaws or alerts. While using this methodology, real-time notifications or problems with the code base during compilation are ordinary and possible.
Types of DevSecOps
Furthermore, there are two forms of DevSecOps to be aware of.
1. Security as a code
The fundamental goal of SaC approaches is to integrate security protocols with standard DevOps techniques, policies, and automated technologies. Implementing modifications to essential infrastructure and promptly testing for defects or security risks is a good illustration.
It simplifies and increases the significance of testing, and it is feasible that the DevOps team is aware of and supports these secure coding techniques.
2. Infrastructure as a code
IaC is also used in DevOps procedures and processes. Managed services for software infrastructure are becoming more and more accessible to businesses, mainly due to cloud computing and virtualization.
Using code-based configuration files to manage your infrastructure can help you decrease the complexity that can mask security flaws and increase the overall possible level of DevSecOps.
Advantages of DevSecOps
Let’s understand some of the advantages of DevSecOps.
1. Lowering Expenses
Adopting security earlier in development cycles results in cost savings for many companies and enterprises.
It makes sense when security flaws are uncovered early in the development lifecycle. They can be fixed quickly and simply, saving you money on future expensive security patch installations.
This is particularly true while upholding legal compliance concerning consumer security.
2. Apprehending the application
Despite its slightness, this advantage is significant. It also means that regular developers will become more familiar with security procedures and generate more secure code by default without needing to be corrected, at least eventually. DevSecOps integrates security into standard DevOps services.
DevSecOps standards and practices undoubtedly involve a few growing pains, but the potential benefits are satisfactorily worth the effort.
DevOps vs DevSecOps: Similarities
The following are some significant parallels between the two approaches.
1. Working together and communicating
Collaboration and efficient team communication are critical components of both DevOps and DevSecOps.
They advocate for the dismantling of organizational silos and the development of a shared responsibility culture in which developers, operational staff, and security experts collaborate to achieve shared objectives.
2. Constant Enhancement
Continuous improvement is embraced by both DevOps and DevSecOps. They push teams to use iterative development cycles, solicit input, and gradually improve software development and delivery procedures. Both approaches rely heavily on testing, feedback loops, and ongoing monitoring.
3. Joint Accountability for Excellence
Both DevOps and DevSecOps share responsibility for quality assurance. Instead of having distinct QA teams, the entire team is in charge of making sure the software is of a high standard. Software of a higher caliber can be created by identifying and fixing problems early in the development lifecycle through the integration of testing and quality checks.
4. A Customer-First Mentality
Delivering value and satisfying client needs are highly valued in both approaches. Teams may prioritize additions and enhancements that meet consumer expectations by consistently integrating customer feedback and insights into the development process. It leads to the creation of more customer-centric goods and services.
DevOps vs DevSecOps: Differences
Software development approaches such as DevOps and DevSecOps have different goals and methods, even though they have a lot in common.
1. The Prioritization of Security Procedures
The integration of security is where DevOps and DevSecOps diverge most. Although DevOps emphasizes cooperation between operations and development to optimize the software development lifecycle, security is not a fundamental part of the approach.
However, security is introduced by DevSecOps as an integral and vital part of the software development and delivery process. It emphasizes security issues and promotes security as code to make sure that potential security consequences are assumed at every development level.
As opposed to addressing vulnerabilities after the fact or in the wake of a security incident, this strategy encourages the proactive identification and mitigation of vulnerabilities.
2. Engagement of the Team and Culture
To guarantee continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD), developers and IT operations personnel work together primarily in a DevOps environment. The goal is to establish a setting that facilitates software development, testing, and release more frequently, quickly, and reliably.
On the other hand, DevSecOps extends this collaborative culture to the security team. This paradigm effectively breaks down the silos between the development, operations, and security teams by making everyone in the SDL accountable for security. The security by all and for all idea originated from the DevSecOps strategy, which turns security into a shared responsibility.
3. When to Integrate Security
Teams in a traditional DevOps model usually apply security principles as an afterthought, usually near the conclusion of the SDL. Delays and complexities may result from this late-stage integration, particularly if you find serious security vulnerabilities.
By incorporating security procedures from the project's genesis and throughout all development stages, DevSecOps aims to overcome this problem. Due to the shift-left approach to security, possible situations are found and fixed earlier in the process, producing more dependable and secure final products.
4. Automated Systems and Tools
While both DevOps and DevSecOps use a range of technologies for effective process management and automation, DevSecOps employs solutions that are specially made to integrate and automate security checks and controls. These can include security threat identification and management technologies such as code analysis tools, automated security tests, and continuous monitoring tools.
Final Thoughts
The decision between DevOps and DevSecOps in the software development space is founded on the particular requirements and goals of your company. DevOps prioritizes efficiency and teamwork, allowing for quicker delivery and higher-quality results. By incorporating security into every stage of the development process and proactively detecting and addressing vulnerabilities, DevSecOps goes above and beyond.
Selecting between DevOps and DevSecOps is not mutually exclusive. Businesses can start with DevOps and move toward DevSecOps as security becomes more necessary.
Realizing the full potential of your software development processes and producing safe, excellent solutions depend on finding the ideal balance between efficiency, security, and cooperation.