Three Barriers to Growth for DevSecOps

Source:-cpomagazine.com

In DevSecOps, like any emerging technology business model, there’s theory – and then there’s reality. No doubt, the theory is an intriguing one for companies looking for more secure DevOps implementations.

The object with DevSecOps is to hold software development teams accountable for stronger system-wise data security. The strategy is to start at the beginning of the software development process and inject security measures into that process at the same pace and scale of more traditional DevOps frameworks.

Of course, DevSecOps is highly dependent on every team member becoming more cognizant and proficient with data security. That not only includes data software developers, but also C-level executives, managers, sales and marketing staffers tied to DevOps campaigns, and compliance and regulatory specialists. In short, any employee linked to data software development and product lifecycles should be invested in stronger company data security measures. This will ensure that companies are able to be more compliant, product lifecycles flow faster and more secure, and the company’s bottom line grows at a faster pace.

On the other hand if companies are not able to synergize their efforts across all of their key stakeholders, data security becomes vulnerable, regulatory and compliance threats grow more visible, and product rollouts become more haphazard as security fixes are patched on at the end of the data development process, instead of being merged into application development at every stage of the software delivery process.

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The price to pay for not meeting regular DevSecOps benchmarks can be a steep one. According to a Juniper Research report, as companies increasingly grow more interconnected to one another, the average cost from even a single data breach can cost up to $150 million to mitigate.

Also, cybercrime attacks have increased at an alarming rate. Juniper Research predicts that as more business infrastructures get connected to each other, the average cost incurred from a single data breach will be more than $150 million by the end of this year.

Three action steps to DevSecOps success

Given the fact that cybersecurity is a paramount issue in any organization that deals with data, getting software team developers to incorporate uniform standard security processes between DevOps and DevSecOps isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity.

Here are three actions steps to take to get the job done.

1. Get teamwide acceptance on DevSecOps as a priority.

If data development teams disregard DevSecOp efforts, your data security upgrade campaign is going nowhere. Data team staffers an managers have to face facts – without an outlook of shared responsibility on data security, DevOps processes won’t be secure. But without buy in from data developers and the company partners they work with, DevSecOps programs will never get off the ground.

Action step: Bring company data developers and software security specialists together early and often to discuss data security policies, practices and goals. Schedule regular breakfast or lunch meetings, encourage regularly, interaction between data developers and data security specialists, and have external company experts in legal, compliance, sales and marketing, and logistics, come in and discuss the importance (and reputational enhancement) of getting DevSecOps done right.

2. Where are your vulnerabilities?

Knowing where the data security problems lie and learning how to apply best practices to bolster vulnerable data sets is another significant issue in the DevSecOps realm. After all, knowledge really is power, and team members must know where to look and test to provide true data system security on an ongoing basis.

Action step: Training DevOps personnel to be security-ware should be a top priority for companies engaged in DevSecOps rollouts. That training should be all-encompassing, and feature cross-training between DevOps and DevSecOps teams to produce the best results. Go ahead and make system security staffers more skilled in DevOps practices and repeat the process and make data developers stronger and more embedded data security specialists. Whatever makes your teams more flexible and cross-functional will strengthen your overall DecSecOps outcomes.

3. Give team members the tools they need.

A big part of team assimilation and company-wide transparency on DevSecOps campaigns is giving data developers the tools needed to get the job completed quickly, efficiently and thoroughly.

Action step: While training and teaching new skillsets and building a sturdy knowledge base is key, the benefits to your team are limited if data security isn’t automated. That means getting testing and controls embedded into your DevSecOps lifecycle, without sacrificing the speed needed to get code flowing and products out into the market.

By rolling out an automated DevSecOps methodology early in the development lifecycle, your chances of tightening up security and meeting your data development goals will grow exponentially stronger across the board.

The takeaway on DecSecOps security integration
No doubt, data security needs to be a high priority for any software organization.

DevSecOps, properly structured, enables company stakeholders to stay ahead of the curve with system security, while still rolling out products efficiently and quickly, giving company decision makers the best of both worlds.

An automated #DevSecOps methodology will help to tighten #security without sacrificing the speed of development. #respectdata
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The formula for doing so requires discipline, assimilation, an “everybody on board” culture, and a focus on upfront security software integration mindset. Do all that and your software development lifecycles will be more secure and efficient – while still giving your SecOps development teams plenty of room for speed.