BloggerOn
Due to the ever-increasing need to secure the cloud from cyber attacks, DevSecOps has gained tremendous popularity among software developers. It integrates security with product development.
But security is incomplete without testing. Therefore, continuous security testing is a must. If you’re investing in services like Azure cloud security to run your business, you need to work with both DevSecOps and security testing.
What is DevSecOps?
DevSecOps is a combination of security and product lifecycle practices. In other words, you can integrate security with DevOps. With DevSecOps in place, your security and product developers can work in a unified manner, collaboratively. Developers can release software codes in line with the “Security as Code” philosophy.
DevOps comprise development, IT operation, and application delivery. But DevSecOps adds the security component to it. As developers create the application, they address the security issues that might make the cloud vulnerable. So they iteratively address the security vulnerabilities.
What is Security Testing?
Security testing is the process of testing the codes to find potential flaws. In cloud-based security testing, security teams check the codes that run on the cloud.
The goal of security testing is the following:
- To identity potential loopholes in the codebase
- To measure the vulnerabilities
- To identify threats in the system
- Help the developers fix the security issues via coding
Security testing is based on six fundamental principles. When the security teams evaluate the code written by the development team, they ensure that these principles are met. The principles are:
- Integrity
- Confidentiality
- Authorization
- Authentication
- Non-repudiation
- Availability
Furthermore, the security teams also carry out different types of security testing, which can include the following:
- Vulnerability scanning
- Security scanning
- Penetration testing
- Security auditing
- Risk assessment
- Ethical hacking
- Posture assessment
How Security Testing and DevSecOps Work Together?
DevSecOps integrates software development with security testing. While DevOps focused solely on faster code development, DevSecOps focuses on quicker and safer code development. So security testing and DevOps are treated as a single practice rather than distinct, separate ones.
DevSecOps is a six-step process. And each step is essential to the overall development process. The six steps are:
- Personal Training
- Threat investigation
- Compliance Monitoring
- Change Management
- Automated Testing
- Code Analysis
Notice how the process starts with personal training. That’s because DevSecOps is a newer concept. No matter how experienced the developers or security testers are, they’d need some training to get started.
In the fifth and sixth steps, the codebase is tested and checked for security. Instead of being treated as a separate procedure, it is part of the development process. And there are several benefits to this approach.
Find Vulnerabilities Early
Every code that you write or borrow from an open-source repository has some vulnerabilities. There’s no way you can eliminate them. The National Vulnerability Database found 100,000 vulnerabilities in a single year, in 2018. The only way is to spot and fix them. And DevSecOps allows you to find the vulnerability early on in the development process.
By spotting the flaws early, you can work towards fixing them. You do not have to wait till the coding work is over. Since the security testing is done simultaneously with development, vulnerabilities are spotted early.
Reduce Risk and Legal Liability
Security and privacy are paramount for most businesses. If they neglect, they run the risk of losing their credibility and compliance.
Security breaches will have the regulators scrutinize your work procedure. They may even limit your business. If you’re operating in the B2C industry, the lawsuits may come from end consumers.
With DevSecOps, you eliminate the risk of security flaws and attract legal liability like lawsuits.
Ship Software with Confidence
When you develop bug-free software, you have more confidence in shipping the products to the consumers. This reduces the time to market too.
Inside your time, DevSecOps makes your development team security-aware. They learn about the concept of cybersecurity and some of the best practices. So the next time they design a code, it’s going to be superior from a security standpoint. Over time, managers will have higher confidence in the team and their products.
Save Cost on Resources
DevSecOps can reduce the operating cost for your organization. As you ship the software faster, you can expect revenue coming in faster. As there’s a reduced risk of lawsuits, you don’t have to invest heavily in legal fees. And it also saves time since you don’t have to invest in two separate teams. Since they work in a unified manner, they consume fewer resources. Azure Cloud Security is perhaps the best among all the cloud providers. With DevSecOps tools, you can further strengthen the security of your cloud and software products. Consult with an expert to leverage the capabilities of DevSecOps.
