Introduction:
DevSecOps tools are designed to help teams integrate security within the workflow. It also helps expand DevOps and ensure businesses benefit from the advantages of DevSecOps.
Table of contents
What is DevSecOps?
DevSecOps is a term that comprises development, security and operations. As an embellishment of DevOps, DevSecOps encourages the inclusion of security during each phase of the development cycle. When utilizing DevSecOps best practices, security is baked into the development process, rather than being an add-on.
Because of increasing levels of security threats and the need for companies to comply with security policies, DevSecOps has become beneficial for businesses. The aim is to minimize risks by integrating security into DevOps processes. As an alternative to adding security at the end of the development process, DevSecOps highlights and addresses issues throughout the process. This is to save time, effort and money as well as enhance quality.
Collaboration is a key feature of DevSecOps. Security used to be the sole responsibility of a dedicated security team. However, DevSecOps shifts the boundaries, encouraging teams to work collaboratively and cohesively on each element of the development cycle.
Research indicates that developers outnumber security experts by about 100 to 1. Companies can capitalize on the expertise of developers and protect their systems and networks when integrating security with DevOps. This ultimately reduces the risk of security issues.
Benefits of DevSecOps tools
DevOps security tools are designed to help teams implement a strategy that covers development, IT operations and security. Using free DevSecOps tools and secure DevOps methodology, businesses can enjoy a host of benefits. Advantages of these tools include:
Reducing expenses
Most businesses operate on a budget. However, using a DevSecOps toolchain can help companies save money. It can do this by utilizing cost-effective development strategies and minimizing costs associated with addressing security risks.
It is beneficial to be able to spot and tackle security issues early in the development lifecycle. This will ultimately help eliminate problems towards the end. This could also cause delays and add the expense of repeating processes.
Controlling DevSecOps costs enables businesses to budget effectively. It reduces the risk of wasting money on addressing issues that may have been flagged earlier on.
Security, monitoring and deployment checks from the beginning
The primary aim of DevSecOps is to integrate development, operations and security. By using the top DevSecOps tools, businesses combine security and monitoring, development, operations and deployment from the beginning. This tactic reduces the risk of issues further down the line, lowering costs, enhancing security and speeding up the development process.
Supporting transparency from the start of deployment
When security is built into the development lifecycle, security checks are applied transparently from the start of deployment. Security is visible and is a key component of the process. It is not a bolt-on, an extension or even an afterthought.
Secure by design
DevSecOps tools ensure that software development is secure by design. Instead of addressing security issues that could appear later in the process, or cram security within an existing DevOps strategy, DevSecOps should be baked in. This will ensure that products are designed with security and performance.
By developing secure products, teams can drastically reduce the risks of security problems and create a more efficient, cost-effective process. This is valuable because it frees up time for development teams to concentrate on priority tasks and ensures compliance.
Ability to measure
Performance monitoring and the ability to measure enable teams to adapt and adjust to improve the quality of products. It also enhances security and eliminates or modifies phases or processes that are inefficient or unsuitable. DevSecOps enables businesses to become more agile and adaptive, which is crucial in an ever-changing landscape.
Faster speed of recovery
With an effective DevSecOps strategy, organizations can respond to incidents swiftly and can also recover faster. DevSecOps minimizes risks and provides opportunities to identify and react to security issues or weaknesses at the earliest possible stage. In the event of an incident, companies can react rapidly to minimize disruption.
Best DevSecOps tools of 2021
Statistics suggest that 60% of rapid software development teams will implement DevSecOps in 2021, compared to 20% in 2019. There are multiple tools available to establish a DevSecOps pipeline. Here are some of the best DevSecOps tools of 2021:
- Codacy: Codacy encourages teams to shift left as much as possible, identifying security issues in their infancy. This tool prioritizes high-quality automation to boost productivity and simplify development processes.
- Acunetix: As an all-in-one rapid scanner, Acunetix allows developers to identify weaknesses at the earliest possible opportunity.
- WhiteSource: WhiteSource automatically scans, monitors and tracks open source components to detect frailties.
- NetSparker: NetSparker is a threat and weakness detector. It identifies vulnerabilities across a wide range of web applications and also offers an effective solution for desktops and online apps.
- Gitlab: Gitlab aims to simplify the combination of development, security and operations. They do this by using a single application.
- DataDog: Designed for the cloud era, DataDog is a SaaS platform, which covers monitoring, security and analytics.
- Sumo Logic: A scalable cloud solution, Sumo Logic offers integrated log management and metrics tracking.
- Splunk Enterprise: Splunk Enterprise helps businesses to supercharge efficiency by collecting, analyzing and using data from apps and security systems. This can provide insights to boost performance.
Open Source DevSecOps tools
- Sonarqube: SonarSource developed Sonarqube, which is an open source tool. It facilitates seamless automation to detect bugs and other potential weaknesses and threats. It also offers continuous code monitoring.
- Checkov: Checkov is an open source project for cloud applications and infrastructure. It is designed so developers can write more secure code by flagging weaknesses and misconfigurations in code files.
- Shiftleft: ShiftLeft offers developers an early indication of risks. It can provide them with the opportunity to address issues rapidly and highlight new vulnerabilities.
Deciding which DevSecOps tools are right for your business will depend on several factors. These include the systems, networks and platforms your organization uses, your key objectives and the experience and expertise of your team. You should research different tools, seek expert advice and choose tools that align with the core focus of your business. Most DevOps professional services can help you tackle this process.
Conclusion
DevSecOps integrates security within the DevOps process. It also offers a cost-effective, innovative, efficient, high-quality alternative to tacking security onto existing DevOps strategies. Business owners can enjoy plenty of benefits by using top DevSecOps tools. However, it is important to consider both the pros and cons when choosing which tools to use.
