--- title: "DevSecOps: Cybersecurity for Cloud Native Applications" url: "https://www.sparkfabrik.com/en/blog/devsecops-cybersecurity-for-cloud-native-applications/" lang: "en" type: "blog-post" date: "2021-09-29" lastmod: "2021-09-29" author: "SparkFabrik Team" description: "DevSecOps makes security an integral part of DevOps, embracing the concept of "Security as Code.'' Let’s dive into some DevSecOps best practices!" tags: ["DevOps"] schema: "@context": "https://schema.org" "@type": "BlogPosting" "headline": "DevSecOps: Cybersecurity for Cloud Native Applications" "description": "DevSecOps makes security an integral part of DevOps, embracing the concept of "Security as Code.'' Let’s dive into some DevSecOps best practices!" "url": "https://www.sparkfabrik.com/en/blog/devsecops-cybersecurity-for-cloud-native-applications/" "datePublished": "2021-09-29T00:00:00+00:00" "dateModified": "2021-09-29T00:00:00+00:00" "author": "@type": "Person" "name": "SparkFabrik Team" "image": "https://www.sparkfabrik.com/images/blog/devsecops-cybersecurity-for-cloud-native-applications/Cybersecurity-per-applicazioni-cloud-native-come-implementare-DevSecOps.jpg" "publisher": "@type": "Organization" "name": "SparkFabrik" "url": "https://www.sparkfabrik.com" "logo": "https://www.sparkfabrik.com/images/logo.svg" --- # DevSecOps: Cybersecurity for Cloud Native Applications **Author:** SparkFabrik Team **Published:** 29 September 2021 **Tags:** DevOps --- DevOps makes software delivery faster and more reliable, but **leaves security practices to specialists at the end of the cycle**. This can create a bottleneck in the software delivery process, putting a lot of pressure on the security team. Although other parts of an application are being tested constantly and repeatedly in the release process, **security is tested only once, at the end**. DevSecOps extends [DevOps](https://www.sparkfabrik.com/en/services/devops-automation/) concepts to**make security an integral part of DevOps -** instead of leaving it for the end of the delivery process. This **creates a "Security as Code" culture** , with collaboration between software engineers and security specialists. DevSecOps only works when introduced at all levels, integrating all people, processes, and technologies. According to this methodology,**all parties involved in the software delivery are responsible for security**. Security becomes transparent, and all knowledge is shared between team members. ## **How to introduce DevSecOps** DevSecOps boosts team agility, improving response time and identifying vulnerabilities faster, as well as promoting collaboration. In this article, we’ll outline**six things to consider to properly introduce DevSecOps**. ### Code analysis DevSecOps brings security to all levels of software development, which means it won’t be left for the end of the life cycle anymore. Instead, **anytime there’s a change in code that should be committed to the code repository, it must pass security to be accepted**. This makes security a top priority for developers, as they are responsible for delivering secure code to the pipeline. There are various tools on the market that scan code against vulnerabilities, such as [Anchore](https://anchore.com/), [Clair](https://github.com/quay/clair) and [Dagda](https://github.com/eliasgranderubio/dagda/). These tools are even more important in the case of container-based applications, where vulnerabilities may also exist among system dependencies. ### Automated testing Today, automated testing plays a significant role in continuous software delivery. It helps to speed up the release process and prevent breaking issues before production. Therefore, **security should be factored into automated testing** while other functionalities are being tested. Automated security tests help identify security issues and vulnerabilities sooner, saving time for developers and DevOps. To implement an automation test, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. There are many tools available with different features that can help you implement automated testing, such as [Selenium](https://www.selenium.dev/), [Katalon](https://www.katalon.com/?pk_abe=AB_testing_Homepage&pk_abv=layout1), [Ranorex](https://www.ranorex.com/) and [SmartBear](https://smartbear.com/). ### Change management In the IT industry, change management is a standard procedure that controls changes in software or infrastructure to minimize incidents. Developers are trained to provide proper evidence of a test, and possible impacts of any changes before production. **They should be trained for security and given relevant tools to be able to assess security and address critical issues**. This increases the change management process’s quality and helps change management members prevent potential security issues sooner. In this process, it’s essential to adopt best practices for reviewing the code that’s getting integrated. Before integration, the new code must be properly **tested automatically through the CI** before undergoing a manual peer review by the development team. This **increases the quality, security and awareness** of the team on the developed code. ### Compliance monitoring Compliance is a crucial part of any organization, especially in the finance and banking sectors. There are countless regulations to follow, which can sometimes make for a difficult release process. To speed up your compliant software delivery process, you should **add auditing to the CI/CD pipeline** in which major steps are recorded as evidence for audits, and all operations are transparent. There are also tools that can do this for you, such as [Netwrix](https://www.netwrix.com/freeware_tools.html), [Libryo](https://libryo.com/) and [Integrum](https://www.integrumsystems.com/). ### Threat investigation When a code is delivered to a production environment, it’s vital to **check the performance constantly**. Security becomes extra important for any organization when an application is exposed to end-users, especially on the internet or a public network. That’s why there should be minimum implementation in the monitoring solutions for**security scanning** to constantly check incoming/outcoming traffic for anomalies. Here, too, it’s important to always **keep all**[**dependencies**](https://owasp.org/www-project-dependency-check/)**under control**(including the operating system) to prevent compromise. ### Staff training With DevSecOps, there’s no specific team for security, so all staff are performing different parts of security in their work. Needless to say, organizations can be successful in DevSecOps if they properly train their personnel. Knowledge should be shared equally with everyone. This can be achieved through **certification programs, workshops, hands-on activities** , and events like hackathons to engage different team roles together. ## DevSecOps: a growing trend The [DevSecOps Market – Forecast (2020-2025)](https://www.industryarc.com/Research/DevSecOps-Market-Research-505484) shows that the **DevSecOps market will reach 6.5 billion by 2025**. According to the research, there’s an “increasing need for highly secure continuous application delivery and an improved focus on security and compliance,” as well as “increasing awareness of the security threats in large scale enterprises.” DevSecOps is growing in companies because it can satisfy all these needs. DevSecOps implementation can be a winning move, as long as you do it right. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is DevSecOps and how does it differ from DevOps? DevSecOps integrates security into every phase of the software lifecycle, instead of leaving it to specialists at the end of the delivery process as in traditional DevOps. It creates a "Security as Code" culture through collaboration between software engineers and security specialists, making all team members responsible for security. ### What are the 6 principles for introducing DevSecOps? The six key principles are: code analysis with automated vulnerability scanning on every commit, automated security testing integrated into the release process, change management with proper peer reviews, compliance monitoring embedded in the CI/CD pipeline, threat investigation with continuous security scanning of traffic, and staff training on security practices. ### What tools are needed to implement DevSecOps? For code analysis, tools like Anchore, Clair, and Dagda scan code against vulnerabilities. For automated testing, Selenium, Katalon, Ranorex, and SmartBear are widely used. For compliance monitoring, Netwrix, Libryo, and Integrum help with auditing. Many of these tools are open source and integrate with CI/CD pipelines. ### Why is staff training essential for DevSecOps success? In DevSecOps, there is no dedicated security team; all staff perform security tasks as part of their work. Knowledge must be shared equally through certification programs, workshops, hands-on activities, and hackathons. Organizations can only succeed with DevSecOps if their personnel are properly trained on security topics. ### How large is the DevSecOps market and why is it growing? The DevSecOps market is projected to reach 6.5 billion dollars by 2025. Growth is driven by the increasing need for secure continuous application delivery, improved focus on security and compliance, and growing awareness of security threats in large-scale enterprises. --- ## Related Articles - [Spec driven development: a guide to moving beyond vibe-coding with AI](https://www.sparkfabrik.com/en/blog/spec-driven-development-guide/) - Discover spec driven development, the paradigm that turns LLMs into true allies. Learn how to guide … - [GitHub and GitLab Differences: DevOps comparison (AI & Open Source)](https://www.sparkfabrik.com/en/blog/github-vs-gitlab-differences-devops-comparison/) - Discover the difference between GitHub and GitLab. Complete analysis on CI/CD, pricing, AI and why … - [AI, DevOps & Platform Engineering: new frontiers for development](https://www.sparkfabrik.com/en/blog/ai-devops-artificial-intelligence/) - Discover how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing DevOps (and Platform Engineering) improving … --- *This is a Markdown version of the blog post to facilitate reading by AI and crawlers.* *Visit [https://www.sparkfabrik.com/en/blog/devsecops-cybersecurity-for-cloud-native-applications/](https://www.sparkfabrik.com/en/blog/devsecops-cybersecurity-for-cloud-native-applications/) for the full version with images and formatting.*