Left is Right. Don't be left behind.

This is not about the CrowdStrike. This is about striking a balance between Dev, Ops, and Sec crowd.

The Evolution of DevOps -> DevSecOps

Transitioning from traditional development models to Agile and DevOps has revolutionized the software development lifecycle. Traditionally in DevOps, security was an afterthought - it was addressed late in the process, often right before deployment (the "far right" of the development timeline). This created much friction, as security issues found at the last minute would cause delays, rework, and potential release delays.

The age-old DevOps dilemma - Do you prioritize speed or security? For too long, development teams have had to choose between rapid delivery and robust application security. But the rise of DevSecOps is a game changer.

The "shift left" approach flips this paradigm on its head. Teams can quickly identify and remediate vulnerabilities by integrating security practices and testing earlier in the development cycle - to the "left" side of the timeline.

"Shift Left" security and DevSecOps are not the latest trends. They've been around for a while now and are considered best practices in modern software development.

Where are we heading?

Key principles of DevSecOps are ShiftLeft, Automation, and Collaboration.

There will be further impact on this DevSecOps trend as more attention is paid to organizations in identifying and remedying security flaws at the earliest stages. This would involve making security controls code and training developers on security, where security is given key focus right from the beginning of development.

The evolution of DevSecOps in recent years is not just a technical or methodological update. It represents a cultural shift within organizations. This shift towards a more integrated, proactive approach to security and privacy requires ongoing education, collaboration, and adaptation across all levels of the organization.

It demands a rethinking of traditional roles and responsibilities, encouraging a culture where security and privacy are everyone’s responsibility. The successful implementation of these trends will depend on the ability of organizations to foster a culture of continuous learning, adaptability, and shared accountability. 

Core practices of DevSecOps are Code reviews followed by:

• Security testing (SAST, DAST): Static Application Security Testing (SAST)tools analyze the source code of an application without actually running it (ex: CodeClimate, SonarQube, Veracode, etc.,). Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) tests a running application by simulating real-world attacks. It scans the application for vulnerabilities by injecting malicious code or manipulating inputs to see how the application reacts (ex: OWASP ZAP, Acunetix, etc.,)
• IaC Scans: Tools like Checkov or TerraScan specifically focus on scanning IaC (Infrastructure as Code) templates for security misconfigurations and policy violations. They can identify issues like overly permissive access controls, hardcoded secrets, or insecure resource configurations. Some platforms like Aqua Security or Snyk Cloud offer IaC scanning alongside other functionalities like container and application security. Using a combination of these tools can significantly enhance your IaC security posture.
• SIEM, XDR, and SOAR: Security isn't a one-time thing. DevSecOps emphasizes continuous monitoring of applications and infrastructure for potential threats and vulnerabilities. Security information and event management (SIEM) tools can be used to aggregate logs and identify suspicious activity (ex: Datadog SIEM, Securonix NextGen SIEM, Splunk, Elastic, etc.,). The SIEM acts as the central command center, collecting security data from various sources like cameras (security tools) throughout your IT infrastructure. It feeds this information to XDR for deeper analysis. Imagine XDR (Extended Detection and Response) as a security detective who investigates potential crimes (security threats) and gathers evidence (security data). SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) acts as the police officer who takes action based on the detective's findings (automated response workflows). Both are crucial for solving the case (security incident) effectively.

These tools either can be used independently or as a well-co-ordinated task force to create a comprehensive solution.

Automate, Measure and Ingrain:

DevSecOps emphasizes automation. Vulnerability and security testing tools are integrated with the CI/CD pipeline to automate security checks during every build or code push. This provides fast feedback and prevents insecure code from progressing through the pipeline.

By leveraging these security tools, product development teams can shift security left in the software development lifecycle, and identify and remediate vulnerabilities early. This helps maintain a strong security posture throughout the product's development and deployment.

Through automation, continuous monitoring, and collaborative workflows, we can stay one step ahead of malicious actors, protecting our digital assets and the trust of our customers.

Tools like Darktrace, Vectra AI, and Cylance use machine learning and AI to detect and respond to advanced, AI-powered threats in real time. These tools can identify anomalies, behavioral patterns, and potential attacks that traditional security tools might miss.

DevOps Research and Assessment (DORA) provides a standard set of DevOps metrics used for evaluating process performance and maturity. Using these metrics helps improve DevOps efficiency and communicate performance to business stakeholders, which can accelerate business results.

DORA includes four key metrics, divided into two core areas of DevOps:

• Deployment frequency and Lead time for changes measure team velocity.
• Change failure rate and Time to restore service measure stability.

By incorporating security alongside traditional DORA metrics, DevSecOps teams can achieve a more holistic view of their development performance. This allows for faster delivery of secure and reliable software applications.

Epilogue

Educating developers, data scientists, and security teams on the latest AI-powered attack techniques and best practices is essential. Continuous training and awareness programs can help organizations stay ahead of the evolving threat landscape.

It's a revolution in the way we think about security, transforming it from a reactive measure to a proactive, integral part of the development process.         

• Mindset: Colloborate, ShiftLeft, Automate (DevSecOps Culture)
• Choosing the Right Tools: The specific tools used will depend on your tech stack, environment, and budget.
• Focus on Remediation: Prioritize fixing vulnerabilities based on severity and exploitability.
• False Positives: Expect some false positives from automated testing. Manual review and confirmation are often necessary.
• Security Champions: Involve security professionals throughout the process to provide guidance and expertise.

Left is Right. Don't be left behind.