The cost of bugs in production.

Did you know? 🚨 Fixing a security bug in production is at least 30 times more expensive than fixing it during the design phase, that is if it doesn't get maliciously exploited before then! This stark figure really highlights the critical importance of including Dev*Sec*Ops into your SSDLC!

What is DevSecOps?

DevSecOps is the deep integration of security practices into the DevOps process, ensuring security is a shared responsibility throughout the entire software engineering process and that it's considered at every stage.

Key Best Practices

⬅️ Shift Left: Move security earlier in the SSDLC through not only early security testing, but security design too. Start thinking about security when all you have is a block diagram of a new idea and begin your threat modelling early.

Why? Catching vulnerabilities early reduces costs and risks. It's much easier in the long run to build secure first systems, rather than having to bolt on and patch later on!

🤖 Automated Security Testing: Implement security scans in your CI/CD pipeline.

How? Use various SAST, DAST (Static/Dynamic AppSec Testing), and SCA (Software Composition Analysis) tools that work for your languages for continuous security assessment throughout development

💾 Security as Code: Treat security configurations and policies as code. Can be achieved in various forms through Infrastructure as Code, Policy as Code and Compliance as Code

Benefit: Ensures consistency and allows version control of security measures. Also reduces the age-old problem of 'human error'!

🚨 Continuous Monitoring: Implement real-time monitoring of applications and infrastructure.

Result: Rapid detection and response to potential security incidents.

Pro Tip 💡

Start small: Choose one area of your SSDLC to implement automated security testing. Gradually expand as your team becomes more comfortable with the process.

Common Challenges

Resistance to change and lack of security expertise in development teams are frequent hurdles. It's possible to overcome these problems by fostering a security-first culture and bringing teams along with you through the change. Listen to what they have a hard time with and the reasons they don't want to implement security measures. Working *with* people rather than being an opaque blocker is obviously inherently much more inclusive, and this in turn builds more engaged and more secure teams!

Oh! And that extra 'S'? Secure! Much like putting the Sec in DevSecOps, explicitly stating security as your objective helps to continually refocus on that goal.