We all know that DevOps teams are responsible for creating software ideas and bringing them to life. Over the years, DevOps teams have changed drastically. Earlier, enterprises focused more on the speed of software development. It is because the cybersecurity threats were less for enterprises. At present, increased cyberattacks are a concern for DevOps teams. They are forced to think of security while developing software solutions. Many enterprises are relying on DevSecOps processes optimized by AIOps solutions to develop secure applications and software solutions. Still, there are many IT experts unaware of the DevSecOps processes. Read on to understand why DevSecOps is the future of secure software development.

What is the issue with the agile methodology?

Before we understand the importance of DevSecOps, it is essential to understand the agile methodology for software development. The agile methodology for software development focuses on speed and flexibility. Before the inception of DevSecOps, it was a dependable methodology for software development. Many enterprises use the agile methodology for software development to date. Enterprises don’t want to wait for years to release a new product. It is why they depend on agile methodology to develop software products quickly. Agile can also help deliver updates quickly and keep up the service availability.

Agile also provides software developers with much-needed flexibility. The products can be changed or updated after reviewing customer feedback. The entire software development process is broken down into small processes. It helps the developers to deliver updates frequently and easily. Even though the agile methodology is the most popular, it has some flaws. The complexity of software development processes has increased, and agile methodology cannot keep up. As a result, enterprises fail to enhance service availability/reliability with an agile methodology for software development.

Agile focuses on quickly launching new products and services. Software developers have less time to focus on the security aspect. New products with security loopholes might be launched in the market. Updates are also delivered quickly in agile without thinking about security. Even the traditional waterfall method requires a security check at the end of the development process. However, the same is not the case with the agile methodology for software development. Cybersecurity threats have drained the resources of many enterprises. Security is the foremost concern for software developers in 2023. It is where the agile methodology fails, and DevSecOps processes come into the picture.

DevSecOps is the right choice for software development

DevSecOps is a security-centric approach to software development. It involves software development, security, and IT operations teams working together. With DevSecOps, security is embedded within the software development process from the start. Security does not remain an afterthought with DevSecOps. Since security is embedded with the software solutions from the start, service availability remains high. However, DevSecOps does not compromise the speed and flexibility of the software development process. Software products are launched at the same speed with enhanced security. The entire DevSecOps strategy focuses on three main areas, that are:

Automation of security processes

Traditional DevOps processes use automation to enhance the speed of software development. However, DevSecOps uses automation for both speed and security. DevSecOps is not all about the automation of the software development process. Instead, it focuses on automating security testing for software products. Since the security processes are automated, software developers do not have to worry about them. They can continue to develop applications while testing will happen automatically in the background. If the automated security systems raise any concerns, it means developers have to take a second look at the particular software product.

Automation is essential to ensure security testing happens at frequent intervals. Security testing is required after every step of the software development process. Automation can also help implement a wide range of security tests for software products. Organizations can be more than sure about the security of their products when they are finally launched in the market. Enterprises are also searching for reliable automation technologies to improve security and service reliability.

In recent times, AIOps has emerged as the right solution for DevSecOps automation. An AIOps based analytics platform has the power to automatically perform security tests. It also analyses the performance data of software products during trial runs. If any abnormality is discovered, an AIOps based analytics platform will identify it immediately. Software developers can collect rich insights from an AIOps-led system. It will help them remove the vulnerabilities of the software product.

Collaboration between different teams

DevSecOps is a synergy between the development, operations, and security teams. If the communication is not good enough between the teams, a DevSecOps strategy might fail. Security and operations teams will share their concerns after every step of software development. Developers will incorporate the changes while they are developing a product. It might be hard to add security patches after a product is finalized. It is the organization’s responsibility to add an effective communication channel for different teams to collaborate. When different teams address security issues, new vulnerabilities are discovered. In the future, security testing will require different angles. It is because new cyber-attacks are originating that are threats to enterprises.

Security-centric culture

The culture of the company is essential for DevSecOps’ success. A company that prioritizes speed over security will never achieve DevSecOps success. An enterprise must be ready to embrace the change with DevSecOps. Also, there is no choice for enterprises considering the rising cybersecurity challenges around the world. Often, we hear news of organizations losing sensitive data to malicious actors. When security is the priority of the organization, the organization can preserve its service reliability. It might be a challenge as internal employees might resist the change. However, enterprises can provide them with the right tools to ease the burden.

Conclusion

DevSecOps is the need of the hour, considering the rising security threats. In 2023, an enterprise cannot launch a software product with security issues. Hackers will easily exploit loopholes and steal sensitive data. AIOps solutions are the best for enterprises to implement DevSecOps processes. Form a DevSecOps strategy now for enhanced IT security!