In the internet age, both customers and solution providers seek to use internet-dependent devices to get what they need. Businesses, mostly, use the web application interface and mobile applications to get across to their customers, which is very convenient. With the convenience, however, comes great risks. These internet platforms pose great risks and threats to humans based on the personal information always required of a user to use and transact on the interfaces, which are targeted by cybercriminals. Enterprises and software developers share a huge chunk of the insecurity blame. A valid question about security is to be asked: “When did you start implementing the security for your software product?” For many, they began security measures almost at the end of the software development life cycle (SDLC). This is the wrong approach.
Hackers look for any possible vulnerability in the software infrastructure, not necessarily focusing on the security layers at the end of the process. Therefore, organizations must find a better and creative way to cope with information security in their software development process. In the year 2020, DevSecOps is the way to go, for effective information security throughout an entire software infrastructure. DevSecOps is a practice that integrates security measures in every part of the DevOps process. Knowing that its reputation and financials are at stake, an organization will do well to invest in a holistic security protocol throughout its software development life cycle. The following considerations should be made.
1. DevSecOps complements Agile
Against the popular ideology that DevSecOps can be used instead of the agile SDLC model, DeveSecOps seeks to complement the process. Both collaborate to enhance feedbacks through testing, QA and production.
2. Get the right tools
By investing in the right security tools, you are doing your enterprise and customers well, protecting your data assets from cyber thieves. Multiple tools are credible as they will see you through each of the stages of the software development for trusted protection protocols.
3. Get a good DevSecOps engineer
Getting a quality software development engineer for your project is of core importance as it will help you to get someone who is security conscious and has a supplementary skill set. Adequate DevOps culture, principles, and practices and versatility in multiple programming languages (other than the main expertise) are a must-have. Other programs include Chef, ThreatModeler, Checkmarx, among others. Risk assessment and threat-modeling techniques are parts of the skills toolset that a DevSecOps professional should be able to run.
4. Consider Security Automation
The automation of risk assessments, scans, threats, and prioritization of threats is a must-do affair for any enterprise that wants to cope with information security. Automation is faster, smarter, and provides intelligence in real-time. Security operations centers, in conjunction with administrative teams, will be able to prioritize mitigation actions against the positives from automated scanners, which is efficient, fast, and smart.
5. Parting note
Information protection is a real-time job and is essential. It has to be consciously implemented through the SDLC as DevSecOps. However, it is never to be rushed. It requires strategic planning and development, testing, deployment, and operational checks, and monitoring.
