Challenges and security blindspot in DevSecOps
Despite the widespread adoption of DevOps, many companies still struggle with cultural issues that limit the influence of security practitioners in DevSecOps practices, which are essential for developing next-generation cloud applications and services.
According to a GitLab survey of nearly 4,300 respondents on DevSecOps in 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic “encouraged teams to embrace cutting-edge DevOps technologies” such as Kubernetes and artificial intelligence.
84 percent of developers said they were releasing new software faster than ever before, and one in five said they were releasing new code 10 times faster, according to a GitLab survey.
A Glimpse of DevSecOps
Gone are the days of tossing around a “full fat” release in the hope that it will work well in production. Today, it is all about team collaboration, short sprints, productivity, quick releases, and stricter go-to-market windows. It is about adapting to the modern landscape.
That’s where DevOps comes in. DevOps is an extended agile approach that encourages intense collaboration between the development and operations teams. DevOps is an ideal fit for organizations looking to reduce day-to-day vulnerabilities, increase speed and agility, and practice advanced software development lifecycle with maximum efficiency.
DevSecOps is a shared responsibility of every team to integrate security into each phase of the DevOps pipeline by automating codes and emphasizing the creation of robust and secure software. DevOps with the added dimension of ‘Security’ that emerged in practice to overcome the bottlenecks of traditional security methods that slowed the software delivery process. DevSecOps aims to incorporate security into all stages of the SDLC.
DevOps requires you to move at breakneck speed. There can be no such thing as a manual in that process. You will never be successful if you do not have automation.
— Chris Romeo, Security Journey’s CEO, Principal Consultant, and Co-Founder
DevSecOps’ Key Components
Development operations and security are inextricably linked. Combining a well-developed application with a secure system can assist businesses in achieving rapid time-to-market, security, and agility. Let’s take a closer look at how DevSecOps can help embed security at each stage:
- Development Phase: Analyze code in small chunks to identify security gaps and deliver them quickly.
- Change Management phase: Increased speed and efficiency allow businesses to submit changes for evaluation more quickly.
- The phase of threat identification: Teams can identify potential emerging threats and remain responsive and cautious to their changes.
- Security across CI/CD pipelines: To create a secure finished product, include security aspects at every stage of CI/CD.
The Challenges in Adopting DevSecOps
Developers had become more comfortable with newer and faster development processes. However, the adoption of DevSecOps is still perceived by many as slowing down the development even though the security mandates have become increasingly important. There are still roadblocks to overcome before achieving true DevSecOps, the report notes.
There is still an issue with security testing. According to the GitLab survey, 42 percent of respondents said security testing occurs too late in the development process. A similar proportion said it was difficult to process and fix security vulnerabilities.
Despite this, 72 percent of security professionals polled said their organizations were making “good” or “strong” security efforts, up from 59 percent the previous year.
With lingering uncertainty about who is in charge of security, GitLab vice president of security Johnathan Hunt stated that “a more clear delineation of responsibilities and adoption of new tools is required to completely shift security left.”
Long-standing challenges in DevOps continue to exist in DevSecOps
The report confirms the predictions of analyst firm Gartner, which predicted that in 2020, 75% of DevOps initiatives would fail to meet expectations due to ongoing issues with organizational learning and change.
A recent survey of 317 IT executives conducted by cybersecurity vendor Vectra AI identified some of the most problematic issues, with nearly one-third of the companies surveyed still having no formal sign-off on new software versions before pushing them into production.
Blind Spots
With 64 percent of companies deploying new services weekly or more frequently, Vector AI warned of “blind spots” that would only grow as companies increased their investments in cloud platforms.
“The cloud has grown so large that securely configuring it with ongoing confidence is nearly impossible,” the company stated, noting that “risk exponentially increases as more people are granted access to the [cloud] environment.”
Surprisingly, some regions are feeling the effects of the drag more than others. For example, only 37% of Asia-Pacific respondents to Puppet’s 2021 State of DevOps Report said culture was a barrier to the evolution of DevOps practices in their organization, well below the global average of 47%, while 23% said technology was more of an issue.
Cultural factors impeding progress in DevOps were identified as a “very specific set of challenges,” including cultures that discourage risk, have unclear responsibilities, deprioritize fast flow optimization, and fail to include sufficient feedback loops. All of these factors contribute to the accumulation of issues over time, potentially resulting in stagnation, which causes many organizations to plateau after only completing a portion of their DevOps transformation.
Cultivate Best Practices for DevSecOps
DevSecOps security is regarded as a panacea for bringing speed, agility, and innovation to software-powered businesses. When implementing DevSecOps, keep the following practices in mind:
- Secure Coding should be practiced.
Secure coding practices during the development phase reduce development vulnerabilities and the security risk of critical information.
- Automation at an Early Stage
Using automated security tests throughout the SDLC aids in the discovery of potential security issues in the code and searches for vulnerabilities in real-time while the application is running.
- Don’t be gatekeepers; instead, build guardrails.
Every stakeholder in the DevOps process contributes. Make security a shared responsibility.
- Technology and People Processes
A good mix of people, processes, and technology is essential for a smooth workflow. ‘Security champions’ — individuals who understand DevSecOps. ‘Consensus framework’ — the process increases the level of development security.
Conclusion
DevSecOps is a cure-all for many organizations, but its adoption is still hampered by several factors. The reasons for this include a lack of awareness about DevSecOps, budget constraints, an uninvited culture shift for employees, and a lack of clarity on how to proceed.
Use Galaxy’s DevOps experts to improve security, accelerate development, ramp-up test cycles, and deliver faster and higher-quality builds. Speak with our experts today to learn more about how security aspects can benefit your organization.
About Galaxy Weblinks
We specialize in delivering end-to-end software design & development services and have hands-on experience with mobile app and site design in agile development environments. Our designers, engineers, and developers help improve security, reliability and features to make sure your business application and IT structure scale and remain secure.
