Do you want an effective solution to keep pace with modern software development without compromising security? Like you, many enterprises must combine cybersecurity with software development to accelerate platform and application development. The only way to make them work together is “DevSecOps.”
“The DevSecOps model is a transformative approach that promotes a security-by-design culture by incorporating secure development and deployment practices in the SDLC.”
DevSecOps is the key to harmonizing the conflicting objectives of developers, operations teams, and cybersecurity experts. It’s not just a methodology; it’s a mindset that advocates integrating security seamlessly into every phase of the Software Development Lifecycle. Want to know how to use DevSecOps tools in the SDLC? Let’s explore nine unique ways to utilize DevSecOps!
The Importance Of DevSecOps Culture For Improved SDLC Security
In the pursuit of integrating security into the SDLC, it’s essential to recognize that DevSecOps is not just about adopting a set of tools and practices. Instead, DevSecOps is to build a culture of security consciousness that permeates the software’s long-term success. Listing here the reasons why enterprises must focus on building a collaborative DevSecOps culture:
Security Ownership
Everyone is equally responsible for security in a DevSecOps culture. Hence, the operational teams and security professionals must share ownership and follow proactive security measures.
Shift-Left Mentality
With DevSecOps, enterprises can implement security measures from the first stage of SDLC. Teams can use different DevSecOps tools to address security issues and remediate the problems before production release.
Rapid Detection and Response
DevSecOps culture values security by allowing DevOps professionals to respond swiftly to various security threats. It helps protect the system from sudden breakdowns.
Collaboration With Continuous Learning
Embracing a DevSecOps culture helps the teams work together closely and help each other with continuous skill development. As everyone follows security practices, it becomes easy to establish transparency among the teams about the ultimate business objectives.
Introducing Top DevSecOps Tools For Different SDLC Phases
DevSecOps tools enhance DevOps security throughout the CI/CD pipelines of SDLC. They automate security testing and bolster security without impeding development speed. These tools serve two key purposes:
- Detect and address vulnerabilities continuously to reduce risks
- Enable security teams to monitor projects efficiently and reduce manual oversight
Different teams use different DevSecOps tools and techniques to inject security at every stage of SDLC. Let’s review the top in-demand tools for different phases of SDLC:
Tools for Stage 1: Plan
In this phase, teams perform a security analysis to outline the plan for security testing using the following tools:
- IriusRisk: A popular planning tool for threat detection.
- Jira Software: Tool for incident management and tracking.
- Slack: Tool to communicate and chat with the team members.
Tools for Stage 2: Build
The build phase starts when the developers commit the software code. Popular DevSecOps tools used in this phase include:
- Git Workflow: A popular version control system to track down code changes.
- SourceClear: Tool to identify open-source component vulnerabilities.
- Retire.js: Tool to identify outdated JavaScript libraries and frameworks.
Tools for Stage 3: Test
After the Build Phase, the test phase initiates in SDLC to test the deployment in stage or testing environments. It uses Dynamic App Security Testing tools to detect defects in applications. The popular open-source DevSecOps tools for testing are:
- Nessus: Comprehensive vulnerability scanner for network and web application security testing.
- AppScan: IBM’s app security testing tool to find and fix vulnerabilities in web/mobile apps.
- Nessus: Comprehensive vulnerability scanner for network and web application security testing.
Tools for Stage 4: Deploy
After successful testing, developers deploy the build artifact with the help of runtime verification tools like Tripwire and Osquery. Developers also use the following configuration management tools to incorporate security measures during the release phase:
- Ansible: Automates application deployment, configuration, and orchestration.
- Puppet: Manages infrastructure as code, ensuring consistent configurations.
- Docker: Containerization platform for secure application packaging and deployment.
- HashiCorp Terraform: Infrastructure provisioning and management using code.
- Chef: Automates infrastructure deployment and configuration management.
Tools for Stage 5: Observe
The final phase of SDLC is to monitor the application functionalities and performance after it is live for users. In the final stage, enterprises mainly use the following DevSecOps tools to monitor and observe the application:
- Prometheus: An open-source alerting toolkit designed for reliability and scalability.
- ELK Stack: A powerful combination for centralized logging and visualization of app data.
- New Relic: A monitoring platform that provides insights into application performance.
- Splunk: A leading platform for real-time monitoring using machine data.
Techniques To Use DevSecOps Tools In The SDLC
Knowing only about the DevSecOps tools isn’t enough! You must use the tools and the right methods. Here are the nine main techniques to use the DevSecOps toolset for securing the SDLC stages.
#1 Dynamic App Security Testing (DSAT)
The testing method of DAST identifies application vulnerabilities and uses DSAT tools to scrutinize the real threats without impacting the source code. These tools use HTML and HTTP interfaces to simulate common attacks and exploit real-time vulnerabilities. The best part is that DevOps teams can easily integrate the DAST tools in deployment pipelines and use them alongside other DevOps tools.
#2 Static App Security Testing (SAST)
SAST tools dive deep into the source code. You can use the SAST technique to deeply analyze the source code for vulnerabilities. These tools perform static analysis and check for potential coding errors. Integrating SAST into the development process helps you identify compliance violations and secure the SDLC.
#3 Interactive App Security Testing (IAST)
ISAT tools are for streamlining security scanning in DevOps CI/CD pipelines. It combines Dynamic and Static app security testing techniques into a single testing solution. Using IAST tools, you can enable dynamic visibility and insights to simulate future attacks automatically.
#4 Software Composition Analysis (SCA)
You can use SCA tools to find issues with the Agile Frameworks and automatically remove the existing dependencies. These tools use different open-source libraries to detect security vulnerabilities. Once you do a source composition analysis, you will get a clear idea about how to address the existing vulnerabilities in the workflows.
#5 Container Runtime Security
Containerization is a part of the DevOps framework. It helps developers build and deploy multiple applications within containers. But it also introduces unique security challenges. Container runtime security tools focus on securing containers in production environments. They monitor container activities and protect the containerized applications against runtime threats.
#6 Vulnerability Scanning
Vulnerability scanning tools like Nessus and Qualys can track down weaknesses within the SDLC processes. The benefit of doing vulnerability scanning is that it runs comprehensive scans throughout the SDLC. At any point it finds any pinpointing vulnerability, it alerts you to address the security risks proactively.
#7 Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
SIEM offers a streamlined view of data insights about various operational capabilities. SIEM tools are ideal for DevSecOps as these tools can address security incidents within minutes! From collecting data to doing data analysis, tools like Splunk create correlatable events and detect anomalies from the SDLC workflows.
#8 Compliance as Code (CaaC) Tools
Compliance as Code tools typically ensures that the SDLC processes comply with all security guardrails. The tools can scan the live deployment environments to verify the compliance controls. These can detect non-compliant infrastructure and inform you to make relevant changes.
#9 Continuous Monitoring and Threat Intelligence
DevSecOps tools for threat intelligence and continuous monitoring offer up-to-date information about emerging threats. DevOps professionals can use these tools to create an alerting system and proactively mitigate risks.
Conclusion: It’s Time To Implement DevSecOps!
If you’re yet to implement DevSecOps, it’s time to assess your current state. Determine your organization’s security requirements and select the suitable DevSecOps tools that align with your SDLC processes. You can integrate these tools with CI/CD pipelines and deployment environments. Please ensure consistent training of the DevOps teams about how to use the tools in each phase of SDLC. Initiate a pilot project and encourage the teams to embrace a culture of continuous growth with Secuirty-incorporated DevOps!
FAQs
#1 Why do developers use DevSecOps?
Developers use DevSecOps to integrate security into their software development processes. It ensures early vulnerability detection and faster incident resolution. It handles costly security incidents and fosters a security-conscious DevOps culture.
#2 What do DevSecOps tools do?
The diverse range of tools for DevSecOps covers different aspects of the Software Development Lifecycle to integrate security within it. These tools also get easily integrated with system workflows and deployment pipelines. Plus, these tools can perform continuous security testing during software development.
#3 How much do DevSecOps tools cost?
As the tools for DevSecOps are diverse, some are open-source, while some are chargeable. You can use the open-source tools as those are free. However, the paid tools can cost $100 or more, depending on your usage and subscription tier.
#4 How do you choose the best DevSecOps tools?
You can choose the right tools for DevOps after determining the core requirements and your security goals. You can also evaluate the tools based on their pricing and integration capabilities. You can check compatibility to confirm whether your infrastructure supports the tools stack. It will help you complete a successful DevSecOps implementation using the right tools.
#5 What are the advantages of using DevSecOps tools?
The tools for DevSecOps reduce manual efforts by incorporating security automation in the software development processes. As the tools help streamline the SDLC processes, you can prevent product delays. Plus, you can achieve more robust security using adaptable security measures upon software deployments.
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