Introduction

DevOps is from which DevSecOps was cultivated. DevSecOps definition is that it secures the software development process by the integration of security. Whereas DevOps is mostly focused on the enhancement of speed and quality of software development and delivery. We will primarily look into the major differences between DevOps and DevSecOps in this blog and also how and why to shift to DevSecOps.

DevSecOps - Think Cloudly
What Skills are Needed for DevSecOps Engineering?

DevSecOps engineering deals with three distinct fields which are development, security and operations. DevSecOps engineering is an excellent and in-demand field as the average salary one can expect is around $120k annually. 

The expected skills for DevSecOps engineering are : 

  • Educational skill set 
  • Soft skills
  • Hard skill set

To efficiently go about DevSecOps Engineering, one needs to know the various aspects of DevSecOps and DevOps, including their similarities and differences as well as the exact DevSecOps definition. While going for DevSecOps engineering, one needs to also get DevSecOps certifications and know about the DevSecOps certification cost.

Which DevSecOps Certifications should you go for?

  • Certified DevSecOps Professionals (CDP) by Practical DevSecOps:– these DevSecOps certifications are basic DevSecOps certifications which can be bagged without any prior knowledge but with a little training and fundamental knowledge about running Linux commands. The DevSecOps certification cost is relatively affordable.
  • Cloud Security and DevSecOps Automation Certification (GCSA) by SANS (GIAC):- for these DevSecOps certifications, it is required to have prior knowledge of SANS SEC488 or practical experience with AWS and Azure. This DevSecOps certification cost is $8,275 USD with an additional $949 USD for GCSA DevSecOps certification. 
  • EC Council Certified DevSecOps Engineer (CDE):- This DevSecOps certification cost is that it has a membership fee of $80 USD for maintaining the ECDE certification. 
  • DevSecOps Practitioner by DevOps Institute:- this DevSecOps certification exam is 90 minutes long and has 40 multiple-choice questions which is also open-book. The passing score is 65% and this DevSecOps certification cost is relatively affordable. 

What are the similarities between DevOps and DevSecOps?

DevOps and DevSecOps have a lot of similarities between them. DevSecOps and DevOps both share cultural similarities and make use of automation and active monitoring. Even though DevOps and DevSecOps have contrasting goals, they meet similar needs and are designed to improve your business. 

  • Cultural Harmony – DevOps and DevSecOps both join hands in prioritizing the community. DevOps and DevSecOps both conjoin numerous teams within a business and come together to enhance the development process.
  • Automation – The automation in DevOps and DevSecOps perform continuous integration and continuous delivery as well as continuous deployment workflows. DevOps and DevSecOps both make use of technology and not human assistance.
  • Active Monitoring –  Active monitoring is also an essential part of DevOps and DevSecOps as there can be some changes required in the code anytime. In both DevOps and DevSecOps, one needs to actively monitor the applications and codes.

What are the Differences between DevOps and DevSecOps?

DevOps and DevSecOps have some significant differences even though DevSecOps has evolved from DevOps. The chief difference between these two is that DevOps focuses on efficiency and on the other hand, DevSecOps is concerned with security. 

DevOps is centered on collaboration between development and testing teams which takes place through the application development and deployment process. The DevOps teams come together to collaborate and execute the shared KPIs and tools. DevOps aims to increase the frequency of deployment as well as ensure the consistency and productivity of an application. DevOps groups are not concerned with the avoidance of security threats which might risk the application and organization resources. 

Whereas, DevSecOps has come from an approach to incorporate the management of security through the development cycle. Another major difference between DevOps and DevSecOps is that DevOps does not stress on addressing security as much as DevSecOps does. One can choose between DevOps and DevSecOps based on the methodology that their organization prefers. 

Activities which Distinguish between DevOps and DevSecOps –

  • Continuous integration
  • Continuous delivery and continuous deployment
  • Microservices
  • Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Conclusion

Considering all these points, one needs to determine whether or not to shift from DevOps to DevSecOps. But there are little to no reasons to not shift to DevSecOps as it can help you to secure your software production. Considering the similarities and differences between DevOps and DevSecOps, one can easily make their mind on a decision.