Module 5: Security & DevSecOps

From DevOps to DevSecOps

DevOps automated the bridge between Development and Operations. DevSecOps adds security into this bridge, making it a shared responsibility throughout the lifecycle rather than a final check by a separate team. Secure software is built from the ground up, not patched later.

"Shifting Left": The Core Principle

"Shifting left" means moving security checks to the earliest point in the development lifecycle. Detecting and fixing vulnerabilities during development is exponentially cheaper and faster than remediating them in production.

Actionable Tip: Integrate automated security scans into your CI/CD pipeline to catch issues immediately after code is committed.

Practical DevSecOps for Developers

Every developer should be familiar with these practices in 2025:

• Dependency Scanning: Use tools like `npm audit`, GitHub Dependabot, or Snyk to check libraries for known vulnerabilities.
• Static Application Security Testing (SAST): Linters and analysis tools detect common flaws like SQL injection, XSS, or hardcoded secrets.
• Secrets Management: Never commit credentials to version control. Use Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, or CI/CD secrets storage.
• Secure Coding Practices: Learn the OWASP Top 10, handle input validation, and sanitize user data.
• Container & Cloud Security: Scan Docker images, use minimal base images, and follow cloud provider security best practices.
• Monitoring & Incident Response: Understand basic logging, monitoring, and alerting so security incidents can be detected and handled swiftly.

Integrating Security into Daily Work

• Run security linters during local development.
• Include automated security tests in your CI/CD workflow.
• Perform periodic code reviews with a security-focused mindset.
• Use threat modeling before starting new features to anticipate potential attack vectors.