What is DevOps Security (DevSecOps)?

DevOps security, or DevSecOps, weaves security into the core of software development through a comprehensive suite of tools, policies, controls and frameworks. The primary objective of DevSecOps programs is to cultivate a culture where security is a shared responsibility, rather than the exclusive domain of the security team.

In today’s hyper-vulnerable world, where threat actors are becoming increasingly smart, and zero-day vulnerabilities are discovered daily, DevSecOps is more critical than ever. Traditional methods of adding security as an afterthought are no longer sufficient. Security needs to be built into every stage of development, as an intrinsic, functional requirement.

This means that developers need to learn to write secure code and test it for vulnerabilities. DevOps personnel must establish automated pipelines to check code for different kinds of security risks. The security team should regularly audit source code repositories for non-compliant or vulnerable code and third-party packages, while also educating everyone on secure coding practices.

Here are some compelling reasons to invest in a DevSecOps program:

1. Intrinsically securer products
   Shifting security to the left of the SDLC allows for early identification and mitigation of security risks, which results in products that are inherently more secure. For example, if developers perform penetration testing on their code before every release, it reduces the chances of vulnerable code ever getting deployed to production.
   
   
2. Unburdened security teams
   Traditional cyber security models often place a heavy burden on security teams, who are tasked with reviewing and securing products after they've been developed and tested. With DevOps security, the responsibility is shared across the entire team. This lightens the load on software security experts and allows them to shift their focus from reactive remediation to proactive security innovation.
   
   
3. Cost efficiency
   It's far more cost-effective to address security issues during development than to fix them after a product has been released. A well-designed DevOps security program not only minimizes the risk of costly breaches, but also reduces the need for expensive post-release patches. Moreover, DevOps security automation can lower operational expenses by automating repetitive tasks.
   
   
4. Better compliance
   Many industries have strict regulatory requirements for data protection and privacy. DevSecOps principles enable organizations to meet these requirements by embedding compliance checks across the agile development cycle. This ensures that all necessary standards are met without last-minute scrambles. For example, a PII detection tool can be integrated into a secure DevOps pipeline to automatically scan code for sensitive information, such as credit card details and social security numbers.

DevOps security is designed to shield your infrastructure from a variety of attack vectors that can compromise the integrity, availability and confidentiality of your systems. Here are some examples:

1. Code injection attacks: SQL injection, command injection and cross-site scripting (XSS) are common injection attacks that exploit vulnerabilities in a web application to execute malicious code. These can be prevented through DevSecOps approaches like code scanning and automated testing.
   
   
2. Misconfigurations: Misconfigurations in servers, databases and cloud environments can open doors for attackers. DevSecOps tools can automate configuration management to reduce the risk of misconfigurations.
   
   
3. Supply chain attacks: Vulnerable third-party tools, libraries or dependencies used in the development process are a common source of cyberattacks. DevSecOps emphasizes the use of trusted sources, regular updates and automated verification of all components to prevent such attacks.
   
   
4. Phishing and social engineering: Phishing attacks attempt to trick users into revealing sensitive information. DevSecOps practices, like user awareness training and strong authentication mechanisms, help protect against these attacks.
   
   
5. Data exposure: Improper handling of sensitive data, whether in transit or at rest, can lead to data breaches. DevSecOps ensures that data is encrypted and that secure coding practices are followed to protect sensitive information.
   
   
6. Denial of Service (DoS) attacks: DoS attacks aim to overwhelm systems, servers or networks with traffic to exhaust resources and potentially crash them. A well-designed DevSecOps program would have controls in place to mitigate these attacks, such as rate limiting and traffic monitoring.

Privileged access management (PAM) is a core component of a successful DevSecOps strategy. It provides a centralized and secure way to manage and control access to privileged accounts, i.e. accounts with elevated permissions to perform security-critical tasks.

These accounts, if compromised, can pose significant risks to an organization's security, and thus, require specialized security controls provided by PAM solutions. Here are a few additional reasons for incorporating PAM into your DevSecOps program:

• PAM tools can provide just-in-time access to privileged accounts, granting users the necessary permissions only when they need them.
• They can securely store and manage privileged credentials, eliminating the need for users to remember complex passwords.
• They can monitor and log activities performed by privileged users, which can be used to detect suspicious behavior or perform forensic analysis in the event of a security incident.
• PAM can also be integrated with DevOps tools and platforms. This allows administrators to seamlessly manage privileged access across the entire development lifecycle.

Follow these best practices to establish a mature DevSecOps program within your organization and stay compliant with different security standards:

1. Automate security testing
   Automation is a core tenet of DevOps security. Automate security testing within your CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery) pipelines so that security checks are continuous and consistent. Leverage tools such as SAST (Static Application Security Testing), DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing and automated penetration testers for this purpose.
   
   
2. Use purpose-built DevOps tools
   Instead of implementing everything in-house, consider using specialized DevOps tools to focus on strategizing instead of reinventing the wheel. For example, if your organization is using Azure cloud, you can utilize Azure DevOps advanced security features, such as role-based access control and secret management, to fast-track your DevSecOps journey.
   
   
3. Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
   Manage your infrastructure using code to ensure that each deployment is consistent and secure. IaC allows you to version-control your infrastructure and apply the same security practices used in software development, reducing the risk of misconfigurations.
   
   
4. Regularly rotate and manage secrets
   Implement a strategy for managing and rotating secrets, such as API keys, passwords and verifiable credentials. For example, you may use the secret management features of a PAM solution to automatically rotate all your credentials. Additionally, deploy an automated tool that checks for and flags hardcoded secrets within your codebase.
   
   
5. Educate and train your team
   Security is everyone's responsibility, and everyone should know that. Provide regular training and education to your development and operations teams on the latest security threats, best practices and tools.