When creating software, there needs to be constant communication between teams from different departments. Code might work perfectly on a developer’s computer. But it also needs to perform well enough for employees and customers in the real world.
The main idea of DevOps security is to break down the barriers that exist between software development and IT operations. It brings the three key departments of development, operations, and security together.
Security becomes a big concern because developers often rely on external tools that may have hidden security flaws. The security issues can be taken care of by both developers and IT teams working closely together.
This approach has really changed the way teams work together to improve the whole SDLC process. In this blog, we will tell you what is DevOps security and its best practices.
What Are Some DevOps Security Challenges?
Often it is a security incident like a breach that highlights the weaknesses in a DevOps system. DevOps’ goal is to integrate security throughout the SDL C, not just as an afterthought. While DevOps brings efficiency and removes silos in the SDLC process, you will still face some hiccups while implementing it.
For example, engineering and IT have traditionally worked separately. So bringing them together can cause cultural friction. What might seem like a reasonable timeline to an IT administrator could be viewed differently by a developer! Before talking about the solutions, let’s look at some of the most common DevOps security challenges that you may face:
Organizational Resistance
One of the biggest DevOps security challenges is getting developers to factor in security during development. This often leads to delays and frustration. On the other hand, IT admins may not be used to working closely with developers, as they usually receive fully built applications with little room for modification. Both sides need time to adjust and understand each other’s workflows.
Security Vulnerabilities in the Cloud
Building software in the cloud comes with its own set of challenges. In fact, cloud environments often present more vulnerabilities than traditional systems. The IT team might be used to traditional security tools like firewalls. However, these are not always effective in a cloud-based setup. The tools used for DevOps security often rely on cloud resources, which can themselves be vulnerable.
Legacy Infrastructure
Many organizations still use outdated infrastructure, and problems arise when it is combined with newer cloud services, It creates a hybrid environment that can be complex to manage. These hybrid environments might not align with common DevOps practices, making it harder to maintain security and efficiency.
Hiring Challenges
Finding skilled DevOps engineers is another obstacle. The demand for these professionals is high, with senior DevOps engineers earning an average of $134,000 annually. If a company cannot hire the right talent, it might have to train existing staff.
This can take time and delay software releases and daily operations. But if your in-house training programs are not efficient, you are likely to face bigger issues in the future.
EducationNest provides the best DevOps training in India. They offer expert-designed courses that are customizable so that you have full control over how you want to train your workforce.
DevOps Security Best Practices
In a traditional setup, developers do not usually focus on security. However, in a DevOps security framework, they would have been trained to avoid publishing sensitive credentials (like usernames and passwords) even in a private repository. Here are some of the best DevOps security practices to get started with:
Embrace a DevSecOps Model
The first step to successful DevOps security is collaboration between development, operations, and security teams. When these teams are not aligned properly, vulnerabilities can easily slip through, even from small misconfigurations. By making security a top priority for all teams involved, they can work together to ensure the code delivered is as secure as possible.
Automation of DevOps Tools & Processes
As codebases grow, manually checking for vulnerabilities becomes impractical. Automating DevOps security tools can help by continuously scanning and managing potential risks. This way security testing can keep up pace with the rapid deployment cycles of DevOps, without sacrificing quality or exposing the system to errors.
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Comprehensive Discovery
It is important to have full visibility into all the resources used to build and deploy software. DevOps teams often rely on open-source tools, which may be scattered across the cloud and can pose security risks.
A strong DevOps security strategy must provide visibility over all devices, accounts, tools, containers, instances, and credentials. This is the best way to ensure compliance with organizational security policies.
Vulnerability Management
Before deploying code, all vulnerabilities must be discovered and addressed. DevOps security should include tests on the production version to detect any issues, allowing teams to focus on fixing them immediately.
Configuration Management
Configuration errors can easily creep into large codebases, especially in fast-paced DevOps environments. It is critical that teams can quickly identify and fix any misconfigurations. Continuous configuration management should be a standard DevOps security practice across all projects to maintain security and stability.
DevOps Secrets Management
As DevOps teams automate processes like software provisioning and deployment, managing sensitive information becomes crucial. These could be anything from SSH keys and API tokens to privileged credentials. If these secrets are exposed or embedded in the code, they can cause havoc. It is vital to remove or conceal such sensitive data to ensure protection from cyber threats.
Privileged Access Management
Keeping privileged credentials secure is a big part of DevOps security. Even if credentials are removed from the code, they are often shared among team members. Even this can create an internal security risk.
Implementing the principle of least privilege helps reduce the chances of unauthorized access from both internal and external threats. This is one of the best DevOps security practices that your company should adopt. Through this practice, you only give team members access to what they absolutely need and nothing more.
Segment Networks
Segmenting the network is an effective DevOps security strategy. Separate different servers into distinct groups so that you can prevent attackers from gaining access to the entire network by compromising one part of it. Monitoring these segments is also important to spot any issues early and respond more effectively.
Conclusion
DevOps is often driven by a continuous deployment model, where development teams can quickly add features and fix issues, releasing updates faster without interrupting users or business functions. But development at such a rapid speed can introduce new security challenges too.
DevSecOps best practices are what every team needs to make their holy grail to ensure security sits at the top of the priority list.
If you are thinking of training your team of skilled experts, EducationNest is the right place! They offer the best DevOps training course for corporate teams. All their courses are expert-led, customizable, and come with lifetime access to course materials.
