Updated: December 19, 2022 
It’s simple to believe that the addition of security is the “only” distinction between DevOps and DevSecOps.
But it’s not so easy; secure development only takes place in a single step. Making sure that apps are developed with high-end security configurations, controls, and policies in place, along with being fully tested and verified – requires more than one specific activity.
The two ideas do complement one another. Building microservices, utilizing infrastructure as code, and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) are some of the activities and methodologies that majorly make up DevOps.
Threat modeling, vulnerability testing, and incident management are all added by DevSecOps.
DevOps and DevSecOps are frequently contrasted as two conflicting ideologies. The topic is a little more complicated than that, though.
The two words cannot, in fact, be used interchangeably. However, some experts state that DevSecOps is sometimes optional for DevOps to function efficiently but also compatible with it.
Let’s first examine DevOps and DevSecOps in detail before discussing their differences and similarities!
What is DevOps? – A Brief Overview
DevOps is a philosophy and framework that is constantly growing. It encourages the creation of applications more quickly and effectively and the quick delivery to clients of new or updated software features or products.
The DevOps methodology promotes improved, continuous communication, cooperation, integration, visibility, and transparency between IT operations teams (Ops) and their counterparts in the application development teams (Dev).
Every stage of the DevOps lifecycle—from early software planning to the phases of coding, building, testing, and releasing, and on to deployment, operations, and continuing monitoring—is characterized by this closer link between “Dev” and “Ops.”
This primary connection fuels an ongoing feedback loop with various customers that eventually leads to creation, testing, and deployment, which are all improved upon.
One result of these efforts may be a more rapid, continuous deployment of necessary feature additions or adjustments.
In several instances, DevOps technology can be extensively useful. DevOps goals can be divided into four groups: culture, automation, measurement, and sharing (CAMS).
By automating time-consuming, manual, or static procedures involved in integration, development, testing, deployment, or monitoring, these technologies help expedite and improve collaboration in development and operations workflows.
Why DevOps Matters?
A significant value of DevOps is customer satisfaction and the quicker delivery of value, along with attempts to remove obstacles to communication and collaboration between development and IT operations teams.
The DevOps technique encourages business value delivery that is quicker, better, and more secure for clients of an organization. More regular product enhancements, upgrades, or releases could represent this value.
It might have to do with how soon a product update or new feature reaches customers while upholding the essential quality and security requirements.
Or it might focus on how quickly a flaw or problem is discovered, repaired, and then re-released.
Software performance, availability, along with reliability – are all supported by the underlying infrastructure as it is initially designed and tested, and is only then put into production.
DevSecOps – A Brief Overview
DevSecOps stands for development, security, and operations. It majorly means integrating top-notch security into multiple apps with ease.
It’s a unique way of thinking about platform architecture, automation, and culture that considers security as a shared obligation throughout the whole IT lifecycle.
A recent development in the IT sector is DevOps. DevOps makes the most of agility and reactivity, allowing IT teams to work more quickly and efficiently.
DevSecOps makes security an essential component of the organization’s development and operations, which adds to the application security issue.
An environment where security, operations, and development work hand in hand is created via the DevSecOps methodology.
It holds each team member responsible for maintaining security standards and taking appropriate action throughout all processes. This makes the DevOps strategy more important than merely being the domain of the IT security team.
Check out the following for the DevSecOps workflow:
1. The code for a system is written by a developer.
2. The system has undergone adjustments.
3. To find any security flaws or poor code quality, other developers retrieve this code from the system and analyze it statically.
4. The system’s security configuration is applied while the program is installed in a test environment.
5. The freshly deployed application is run through the test automation suite to test the back-end, UI, integration, API, and other security checks.
6. The code is implemented in the production environment once the application has passed the test.
7. The deployed code in the production environment is additionally continuously inspected for any active security vulnerabilities.
The DevSecOps architecture enables security to be included in applications rather than added as an afterthought by ensuring that security is a part of every stage of software development.
Security is now a component of every delivery lifecycle, which speeds up delivery and lowers the cost of compliance.
Differences Between DevOps and DevSecOps
The list can be pretty long when it comes down to spotting differences between DevOps and DevSecOps.
Some of the prominent differences between both are listed below. Let’s have a look!
DevOps is an outgrowth of conventional development, in which programmers rely on analysts and operations teams to put their code into use after development.
Here, there was a long period of waiting after developing a code or application because the operations team also had other priorities.
DevSecOps is the progression of classical security, in which the code was repeatedly tested for quality after development by security experts.
Combining DevOps and security enables the DevOps team to identify code vulnerabilities sooner and make corrections.
The primary motivation for the evolution of DevOps was to boost productivity by having the development and operations teams collaborate to prevent any misunderstandings.
DevSecOps helped to bridge the gap between development and security teams and to handle new issues more swiftly than before. Our ability to think in teams has tremendously enhanced as a result of this.
The development team experienced a significant amount of communication breakdowns and low levels of productivity. DevOps’ objective is always speed. The DevOps team is more effective the quicker the work is completed.
DevSecOps also offers huge security while facilitating rapid development and operations. When the team has more immediate development and operations teams, nothing is compromised.
The DevOps team is more concerned with writing and deploying code. Effective teamwork and communication aid in accelerating the process.
The DevSecOps team prioritizes code security while also facilitating quicker development and deployment.
The application’s password must be obvious to the user upon the first usage, and any user should find it difficult to decipher any disguised passwords.
Only after code has been developed and deployed into higher environments is the security of the DevOps process taken into account.
In this case, security is not prioritized right away. After deployment, only routine inspections are performed. But in DevSecOps, safety is considered at every stage of the development process.
Building an application or a DevOps pipeline incorporates security. Because security is never compromised during development or deployment, security experts are just as crucial as development or operations teams.
In DevOps, operations teams are treated equally to developers and are not viewed as support team members.
Both teams in a DevOps environment have equal responsibility for development and deployment. Developers, the operations team (or testing team), and the infrastructure team all share equal responsibility under DevSecOps.
DevSecOps is a competence that combines the development of programs, their deployment into more complex environments, and their vulnerability. DevOps and SecOps are involved in this.
Although the first transformation may be challenging and time-consuming, the fight is for better application monitoring with a security viewpoint at all phases.
Here’s a differentiation table for better clarity. Let’s take a look at it!
| Sr. No | DevSecOps | DevOps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The main goal is to ensure that the entire development process is secure so that there are no technical issues once the application is released. | The objective is to narrow and close the communication gap between various teams in order to hasten the deployment and development of code as a whole. |
| 2 | The threat modeling and security testing procedures utilized in DevSecOps. Here, to save time and money, all pipelines are tested before being deployed. Testing is also based on looking at the application’s flaws to avoid future disasters. | Continuous integration & continuous delivery are both a part of the DevOps methodology. Code is constantly present in the development environment and higher environments. Continuous delivery majorly entails automating the release in order to speed up the process and prevent any sort of misunderstanding. |
| 3 | Security testing is automated so that all new innovations are tested regularly and in an automated fashion. If common vulnerabilities are discovered frequently throughout the CI or CD process, reports are generated. DevSecOps never compromise security. | DevOps automation includes releasing code into multiple complex settings. This enables developers to be aware of the adjustments made by team members and act accordingly. Team members do not need to be informed of changes frequently because they may review the releases and deployment logs. |
| 4 | According to DevSecOps, all apps must be secured before launch in order to provide complete application security. The infrastructure is highly strengthened in each and every aspect as a result. | The integration of the development & operations teams is not a point of view on the application but instead a major shift in perspective that makes all efforts for the creation of an application equal and crucial. It’s vital to comprehend the work and aid others in doing the same. |
| 5 | DevSecOps views continuous feedback following each stage of development and code integration as crucial. The appropriate vulnerability warnings and security issue fix alerts are given. | There is never a bottleneck or waiting period for any process because the process is continuously running during deployment or integration. Time is saved since nobody is reliant on anyone else. |
| 6 | DevSecOps has no specific synonym in the English language. To get good results, development, security, and operations must constantly compete with one another. | The entire procedure is managed and automated by working with appropriate code. It’s widely known as a Policy as Code. |
| 7 | Incident management is primarily used to keep track of security incidents. In order to highlight issues and manage security problems, appropriate standards are set. | Infrastructure for an application is handled by codes that manage infrastructure. Here, it is possible to control the codes and create them on the same platform. |
Wrapping Up
Whatever strategy you decide on, it’s crucial that security continues to come first. Teams run the risk of introducing security vulnerabilities into their products if security is not integrated into the process from the beginning.
Teams may therefore guarantee that their products are secure at every stage of the development process by adopting a proactive approach to security.
Creating successful and safe development processes can benefit both DevSecOps and DevOps.
Teams can make sure their goods are protected at every stage by working together effectively and integrating security from the beginning.
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