Summary: Overview of DevSecOps and foundational steps to build a secure SDLC.
What Is DevSecOps?
DevSecOps is the practice of integrating security into every stage of the software development lifecycle. Instead of security being a final checkpoint, it becomes part of how teams build, test, and deploy code.
This ensures secure software delivery at the speed modern organizations demand.
Why DevSecOps Matters
- Traditional security slows down delivery when bolted on last-minute
- DevSecOps empowers teams to automate and shift security earlier
- Security becomes everyone’s job, not just the InfoSec team
Core Principles
- Shift Left — Catch security issues early during development
- Automate Everything — Run scans and checks in CI/CD pipelines
- Shared Responsibility — Developers, ops, and security collaborate
- Continuous Visibility — Monitor apps and infrastructure in real time
How to Get Started
- Map Your Existing SDLC
Identify how software is currently planned, built, tested, and released. Find where security is missing or manual. - Build a Security-First Culture
Align Development, Security, and Operation teams around shared goals and accountability. - Choose Your Tools
- Version control: GitHub or GitLab
- Pipelines: GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins
- IaC: Terraform, Pulumi
- Security scanners: Trivy, Semgrep, Checkov, Snyk
- Automate Security Gates
Add SAST, dependency checks, and infrastructure scanning into your build workflows. - Set Secure Defaults
Enforce MFA, use least-privilege roles and IAM, and store secrets securely (e.g., AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault). - Start Small, Iterate Fast
Apply DevSecOps practices to one app or service. Track results and scale out improvements.
Final Thought
DevSecOps isn’t a destination. It’s a journey that starts by making security continuous, collaborative, and automated. Start simple, improve consistently, and treat security like code.