7 reasons to automate your DevSecOps

Automation - the heartbeat of modernization is employed across almost all lading sectors to enhance the speed and productivity of operations. Guided by flawless algorithms that seamlessly intertwine processes to execute actions with precision, automation helps optimize processes, bolster security, ensure compliance, and boost customer satisfaction. A Gartner research predicts that 70% of organizations will implement infrastructure automation by 2025.

When it comes to DevSecOps, synchronization is necessary for a smooth and secure software development lifecycle. This synchronization can be brought about by introducing automation into DevSecOps. Automation enhances DevSecOps's potential by making sure that speed and security are no longer sacrificed for each other. In fact, automation in DevSecOps contributes towards high-quality products with high delivery speed. It is becoming the lifeline of many modern businesses, and this blog explores why.

The role that automation plays in DevSecOps

Automation is proving to be vital to DevOps teams, and here are the top reasons why.

1. Rapid development and deployment: Automation in DevSecOps turbocharges the software development lifecycle by accelerating integration, testing, and deployment. It converts the development lifecycle into a swift and secure release process, speeding up many SDLC steps to keep up with the pace demanded by the market. DevSecOps automation embeds security functions, protocols, and processes with high accuracy, ensuring errors are fixed without halting updates. Moreover, because automation in DevSecOps catches vulnerabilities early, it helps reduce complexity in later stages compared to manual DevSecOps, where manual efforts lead to time and cost overruns. Repetitive reviews and needless rebuilds, too, can be curtailed, boosting the speed of development and deployment.
2. Early vulnerability detection: With the growing use of outsourced development, the chances of third-party flawed code slipping through increases. Identifying and rectifying such vulnerabilities manually is time-consuming and costly. Also, the need for speed in a world of rapid software development compromises accuracy, mainly where manual efforts are applied. This is where DevSecOps automated security testing comes into the picture. Automated testing is a lifesaver because it uncovers code vulnerabilities before they escalate into breaches. Embedding automated code checks uncovers errors and suggests timely fixes. It systematically assesses internal, third-party, and open-source code and ensures it remains free of known vulnerabilities throughout development. This approach establishes an unshakable security foundation, seamlessly integrating security throughout the CI/CD lifecycle.
3. Uniform security practices: The DevSecOps landscape is dynamic, and ensuring uniform security measures in this dynamic environment gets challenging. Here, automation plays a crucial role of ensuring that security protocols are seamlessly applied with consistency across all software builds, creating a firm security base. This consistency ensures that security operations flow seamlessly across the development pipeline while maintaining the highest security standards. Automation enhances the synergy between development, security, and operations, paving the way for a future where security is not just a stage but an ingrained practice that gets included in every phase of the software journey. It helps organizations to stay within the security standards, practices, and protocols agreed upon.
4. Continuous monitoring: Continuous monitoring is a game-changer in enhancing network, SDLC steps, processes, infrastructure visibility, and transparency. By automatically gathering and analyzing data, this practice offers DevSecOps teams a comprehensive understanding of the IT infrastructure's status and aids them in identifying potential service outages. A crucial feature of continuous monitoring is its ability to facilitate rapid responses. It involves implementing an alert system that promptly notifies the appropriate personnel when an IT incident emerges. This capability enables timely and effective responses to security threats or operational issues, thereby minimizing potential damage and ensuring a swift restoration of the system to its optimal operational levels. System downtimes can be controlled and minimized by employing the correct monitoring tools for uninterrupted operations. Uninterrupted operations translate to healthy business performance and the negative impact that customers experience from system downtime can easily be mitigated. Keeping customers satisfied safeguards the organization from potential revenue loss or reputation damage. Continuous monitoring is a multifaceted approach that ensures technical robustness and supports optimal business functioning.
5. Compliance and auditing: Amid evolving DevSecOps methods, compliance is a critical challenge, especially with rigorous regulations like CCPA, PIPEDA, HIPAA, and GDPR, to name a few. These regulations are in place to safeguard people’s personal data. Neglecting these regulations not only jeopardizes data security and personal data integrity but also risks financial loss and reputational harm. Automation is essential for upholding industry regulations. It seamlessly handles compliance and audits, ensuring adherence to rules while even offering comprehensive audit reports. Automation reduces compliance costs and proactively addresses risks across the organization as it integrates compliance checks into development. This instils a culture of continuous compliance within the organization. Automated DevSecOps becomes a strategic asset, equipping leaders to tackle compliance head-on.
6. Reduced manual overhead: Automation saves manual efforts by managing routine tasks, allowing teams to dedicate their efforts to strategic concerns. Unlike the trade-off between security and speed in the past, DevSecOps automation contributes to rapid, high-quality product delivery. By automating processes like routine software vulnerability checks, manual efforts are eradicated. This empowers teams to focus on creative and productive tasks, enhancing overall value. Furthermore, automation significantly diminishes the potential for human errors in manual processes that could lead to costly software vulnerabilities and security breaches. Automation ensures consistent application of security measures, allowing for substantial time and resource saving.
7. Enhanced collaboration: DevSecOps automation causes a transformative cultural shift among development, security, and operations teams. It reshapes collaboration and aligns efforts while embedding security at every stage. Automation not only enhances workflows but also fuels innovation through the seamless exchange of ideas, creating a collaborative culture that maximizes output. It proves especially invaluable when responding to security incidents where collaboration, swiftness, and effectiveness is necessary because it streamlines operations, while fostering transparency and collective responsibility. DevSecOps automation bridges the traditionally perceived gap between speed and security in software development.

DevSecOps automation - a multitude of benefits

In summary, DevSecOps automation yields a multitude of benefits that turbocharge the software development process. From the accelerated pace of the software development lifecycle in alignment with DevOps to the reduction of manual tasks, automation streamlines every facet of development. It ensures accurate code checks without disrupting updates, maintains uniform security standards across all builds, and empowers teams with self-service security tools. Modern technologies like AI and ML enable proactive threat analysis, while high scalability and automated compliance simplify operations. The resulting cost savings are a result of rapid delivery, reduced cybersecurity risks, and fewer rollbacks. With shift-left security, early intervention, and improved response processes, automation in DevSecOps creates a foundation of accuracy, consistency, and understanding.

Opcito's DevSecOps experts have successfully propelled numerous businesses, helping them gain operational excellence by implementing tailored, precise DevSecOps automation strategies that suit them the best. Reach out to us at contact@opcito.com to embark on your DevSecOps automation journey. Let us drive transformation and optimize processes, while enhancing security across your systems. Your transformation starts here!