What is DevSecOps?
DevSecOps (Development, Security, and Operations) is a software development approach that integrates security practices into every stage of the development lifecycle, from planning through deployment and operations.
Quick Answer
DevSecOps shifts security "left" in the development process by automating security testing, implementing security controls in CI/CD pipelines, and making security everyone's responsibility rather than a final-stage gate. This allows teams to deploy faster while maintaining security.
Core Principles
- Shift Left: Integrate security early in development, not after
- Automation: Automate security testing and compliance checks
- Shared Responsibility: Security is everyone's job, not just security team's
- Continuous Security: Security testing at every stage, not just before release
- Rapid Feedback: Immediate security feedback to developers
DevSecOps vs DevOps
DevOps:
Focuses on speed and collaboration between development and operations. Security often treated as separate concern.
DevSecOps:
Adds security as a core pillar alongside development and operations. Security automated into every stage, not bolted on at the end.
Key Components
Automated Security Testing
- SAST (Static Application Security Testing): Scan code for vulnerabilities before compilation
- DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing): Test running applications for security issues
- SCA (Software Composition Analysis): Identify vulnerabilities in dependencies
- Container Scanning: Check container images for security issues
Secure CI/CD Pipelines
Security gates integrated into continuous integration and deployment pipelines. Automated checks run on every commit, preventing vulnerable code from reaching production.
Infrastructure Security
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) security scanning, secrets management, network security controls, and cloud security posture management.
Benefits
- 60-80% reduction in critical vulnerabilities
- 3-5x increase in deployment frequency
- 70% faster security issue remediation
- Continuous compliance with security standards
- Better collaboration between security and development teams
- Lower costs through early vulnerability detection
Implementation Timeline
Basic Implementation (6-8 weeks):
SAST/DAST in CI/CD, dependency scanning, basic secrets management
Comprehensive Implementation (12-16 weeks):
Full security automation, compliance controls, runtime security, team training
Need Help Implementing DevSecOps?
Pilotcore provides DevSecOps implementation, security automation, and team training. Our CISSP-certified engineers have helped 90+ teams adopt DevSecOps practices.
