As technology became more prevalent in our daily lives, software developers yearned for more efficient methods to build applications and software programs for companies and the general public. Over time, they identified DevOps and DevSecOps as two development models that enable them to write code and build applications efficiently, securely, and in a timely manner.
These two methods are similar in many ways, making many people believe they are the same. However, they have key differences that make software development companies prefer one over the other.
DevOps Explained
DevOps is a method of software development that involves the collaboration between the software developers and the operations team in an organization. Both parties collaborate on the planning, development, delivery, and operation of a software program. This allows them to effectively utilize resources and align their schedules so the software being developed will be ready to be launched as quickly as possible.
The coordination between these teams that are usually siloed also allows software developers to promptly respond to consumer needs and roll out updates to their applications quickly to improve their performance.
DevOps has an effect on the application lifecycle because the development and operations team will be working hand-in-hand throughout all the phases. No single team is wholly responsible for one phase. This interplay works well when software development companies hire generalists into both teams as opposed to specialists who might know about writing code, but have no background knowledge about the functions of the operations team.
DevSecOps Explained
DevSecOps is strikingly similar to DevOps because it also combines the development and operations teams. However, it adds security to all phases of the application lifecycle. Companies prefer this method of software development when they want to reduce the risk of launching applications that have security vulnerabilities.
DevSecOps makes the personnel in the development and operations teams to be jointly responsible for maintaining security while an application or software program is being developed. This approach is better than neglecting security throughout the development process until the end because at that point the issues might be too challenging or expensive to resolve. This can cause delays and increase the cost of developing the software.
DevSecOps has become a necessity because software programs are now being developed on cloud platforms and cybercriminals might gain access to the early versions of them and place backdoors into the code. This will give them access to the backend of the application after launch. To avoid this and keep the software secure, the personnel in the development and operations teams should apply DevSecOps best practices while they work.
DevOps vs. DevSecOps
Traditionally, the planning, design, development, integration, and testing of new applications occur sequentially and methodically. This software development method produces good results, but is time-consuming and could leave customers feeling unsatisfied while they wait for the product to be improved. This development model leaves security checks till the end of the application lifecycle, which can put companies and users at risk of data breaches by cybercriminals who know how to exploit software vulnerabilities.
Software development companies have recognized the problems with this traditional approach and opted to act faster and be more efficient. That is where DevOps and DevSecOps come in. These new approaches help them push products to market more quickly, make faster improvements, and be competitive in the marketplace.
DevOps and DevSecOps let developers deliver high-quality code in small packets instead of taking a long time to create a product that is feature-rich, but not challenging to quickly improve. In these two development methods, software development and operations teams work together to test and integrate new features in the software being developed. This collaboration lets companies build products quickly without compromising on quality.
DevSecOps adds security to every phase of the software development process, making it different from and better than DevOps. Companies that use DevSecOps start securing their apps from the beginning of the project. Everyone in the development and operations teams will discuss potential security issues, check for vulnerabilities, and perform risk assessments while the software is actively being developed.
Benefits of DevOps
When software development companies take the DevOps approach, they gain the following benefits:
Faster product launch
Using DevOps practices, culture, and tools helps companies quickly build products and push them to market fast. This is mainly because of team collaboration and the availability of automation tools that improve efficiency.
Software stability
One of the features of DevOps is the continuous improvement of products that have been launched into the market. These improvements will make the software more stable and reliable over time, thereby reducing app failures and glitches while increasing consumer satisfaction.
Market adaptation
As competitors roll out new features to their products, consumers will demand upgrades to the products they already use. Having a DevOps culture will make software development adapt to these new market conditions by releasing these new features promptly to please their customer base and remain competitive.
Reduce disaster recovery time
When development and operations teams collaborate, they will be able to rectify app failures, downtime, and security incidents quickly whenever they occur.
Benefits of DevSecOps
DevSecOps has all the benefits listed in the subsection above, plus the following:
Continuous security protection
By integrating security into every phase of the software development lifecycle, members of the development and operations teams will detect vulnerabilities early and remove them from the application being developed. This will reduce the risk of them releasing software that has issues for the public or the client they are building it for.
Improved teamwork
DevSecOps needs team members to work effectively together to succeed. People in the operations and development teams will collaborate and communicate with each other to integrate new features, troubleshoot coding errors, fix bugs and glitches, apply DevSecOps best practices, and ensure they are aligned on the same goal. The more they do this, the more efficient they become, and the faster they will push products to market.
Endnote
DevOps and DevSecOps are two models of software development that require the development team to collaborate with the operations team in every phase of the software development lifecycle. The key difference between both models is that DevSecOps requires both teams to implement security throughout the development lifecycle. This way, they will find and eliminate vulnerabilities in the software while it is being developed. This approach will make them push the product to market fast and without security issues.