According to Verizon’s data breach report, utmost infringement occurs at an application level, and only three to four percent of annual security budget is granted for protecting applications. With DevSecOps, vulnerabilities can be minimized by shifting security left in software delivery pipeline and bring security nearer to IT and business.
In a recent XebiaLabs webinar, James Wickett discussed three principles for incorporating security into complete DevOps lifecycle.
With the help of bulkhead patterns, application dependants can be separated by the codes that are uniquely designed (the main idea behind this is to design for failure). All the elements of an application are to be isolated so that if one fails, the other can function properly. Bulkheads are put into little heads which are formed after splitting big services in the process of microservices movement. Though microservices have their limitations, they are great for security.
Threat modeling illustrates the components that make applications work seamlessly in identifying the potential risks and mitigate the effects of threats to the system. Testing the vulnerabilities across all components of an application’s lifecycle can be done by few methods—adversity testing, Security as code, and vulnerability testing. Vulnerabilities can be identified by injecting advertising testing tools into the security pipeline. Metasploit, Nikto, and Arachni are the major hacking tools used by hackers to enter into the site for identifying weaknesses.
DevSecOps strives to push security practices into software lifecycle so that assured security is derived. SAST (static application security testing), DAST (dynamic application security testing), and IAST (interactive application security testing) are the few applications used for testing vulnerabilities. These analyze the application behavior in the testing phase to help developers prioritize vulnerability findings.
Continuous delivery of security is possible only when the main causes of vulnerabilities are evaluated, the results are integrated back into the software development process to avoid the repeated occurrence of the same mistake. Hiding information prolongs the exposure for vulnerabilities.
DevSecOps shifts security from reactive to proactive that is supported by different techniques like test-driven development and attack driven defense. It champions the importance of security at every level and empowers security staff to make decisions that have a positive influence on business. DevSecOps is growing all the time, with an increasing number of organizations implementing it as a solution for security issues.
