DevSecOps vs Traditional DevOps: Key Differences

Want to ship code faster without compromising security? Here’s what you need to know about DevSecOps vs DevOps:

Feature	DevOps	DevSecOps
Security Timing	End of cycle	Built into every step
Team Structure	Dev + Ops only	Dev + Ops + Security
Testing Focus	Basic checks	Continuous security testing
Risk Handling	Fix after issues occur	Prevent issues before they happen
Cost Impact	Higher fix costs later	Lower costs through early fixes

Key Benefits of DevSecOps:

• Catches security issues early in development
• Cuts fix costs by 60-80% vs post-release
• Reduces breach risks (avg cost: $4.35M)
• Speeds up security fixes from weeks to hours
• Makes security everyone’s responsibility

Why Switch Now? IBM found fixing bugs in testing costs 15x more than catching them in design. Plus, with teams pushing code updates daily, security can’t be an afterthought.

Quick Start Guide:

1. Add security checks to your CI/CD pipeline
2. Start scanning code during development
3. Train developers on security basics
4. Use automation to maintain speed

Think of DevSecOps like building a house – instead of adding security at the end, you’re building it into every brick from the start. That’s how you ship better, safer code without slowing down.

Bottom Line: DevSecOps isn’t about choosing between speed and security – you get both. It’s growing 30.24% yearly for a reason.

Related video from YouTube

What is DevOps?

DevOps breaks down the wall between development and operations teams. Instead of working separately, everyone works together on the software from start to finish.

The numbers speak for themselves: DORA’s 2019 State of DevOps report shows that top DevOps teams push code 208 times more often and 106 times faster than teams using traditional methods.

Main DevOps Elements

Here’s DevOps in action:

Element	What It Does	Why It Matters
Continuous Integration	Merges code changes frequently	Catches bugs early
Continuous Delivery	Automates testing and deployment	Ships updates faster
Infrastructure as Code	Manages servers through code	Reduces setup errors
Monitoring	Tracks app performance	Spots issues quickly

How DevOps Works

The DevOps process looks like this:

Stage	Team Actions	Tools Used
Plan	Set goals, define features	Jira, Trello
Code	Write and review code	Git, GitHub
Build	Create software packages	Jenkins, CircleCI
Test	Check for bugs	Selenium, JUnit
Deploy	Release to servers	Docker, Kubernetes
Monitor	Watch performance	Nagios, Datadog

"DevOps isn’t any single person’s job. It’s everyone’s job." – Robert Krohn, Head of Engineering, DevOps at Atlassian

Big names like Netflix, NASA, and Etsy use DevOps to ship updates multiple times per day. And they’re not alone – Atlassian’s 2020 survey found that 99% of companies say DevOps improved their work.

Here’s what makes DevOps different:

• Teams collaborate instead of working in silos
• Updates happen daily, not monthly
• Automation does the heavy lifting
• Issues get fixed immediately

This approach helps teams catch and fix problems BEFORE they reach users. But adding security to this mix? That’s where things get interesting.

Moving to DevSecOps

Security bugs are expensive. IBM found that fixing issues in testing costs 15x more than catching them in design. That’s why teams are putting security first in their development process.

Why Security Matters Now

Here’s what’s pushing teams toward DevSecOps:

Factor	Impact	Cost
Late Bug Fixes	6x more expensive during implementation	Higher development costs
Security Skills Gap	40% struggle to find security-trained DevOps staff	Delayed projects
Developer Training	70% lack proper security training	More vulnerabilities
Regular Audits	84% of teams now run security checks	Added time investment

Early Security Testing

Teams use these tools to spot problems early:

Testing Type	When to Use	What It Catches
SAST	During coding	Code-level bugs
DAST	In test environment	Runtime issues
Threat Modeling	Design phase	System vulnerabilities
Linters	While coding	Basic code flaws

"DevSecOps enables the business to realize both speed and security, allowing development teams to deliver better, more secure code faster." – Veracode DevSecOps Global Skills Survey Report

Here’s what teams do differently with DevSecOps:

• Build security checks into CI/CD pipelines
• Set up auto-scanning for vulnerabilities
• Look for risks in third-party tools
• Deal with security problems immediately
• Get developers up to speed on security

The math is simple: catch bugs early, save money. When teams build security into every step, they avoid costly fixes down the road.

How DevSecOps Differs from DevOps

DevSecOps isn’t just DevOps with extra security tacked on. It’s a complete shift in how teams handle security from start to finish.

Here’s what changes when you move from DevOps to DevSecOps:

Security Setup Changes

DevOps Security	DevSecOps Security
Security checks at end of cycle	Security built into every stage
Basic vulnerability scanning	Continuous security monitoring
Manual security reviews	Automated security testing
Security as final step	Security from day one

Team Setup Changes

Area	DevOps Teams	DevSecOps Teams
Team Structure	Dev + Ops only	Dev + Ops + Security
Security Role	Separate security team	Security experts embedded
Responsibility	Security = security team’s job	Security = everyone’s job
Skills Needed	Basic security knowledge	Deep security expertise

Tools and Tech Changes

DevSecOps needs specific security tools at every stage:

Tool Type	Purpose	When Used
SIEM Systems	Monitor security events	Throughout pipeline
Code Scanners	Find code vulnerabilities	During development
Compliance Tools	Check security standards	Before deployment
IaC Security	Secure infrastructure code	During setup

The bottom line? DevSecOps bakes security into:

• Writing code
• Running tests
• Deploying updates
• Team discussions
• Daily tasks

Instead of bolting security on at the end, DevSecOps teams make it part of every single step. They use more advanced tools, build deeper security skills, and work as ONE team – not separate groups throwing work over the wall.

sbb-itb-5f759ca

What You Need to Change

Moving to DevSecOps means a complete shift in your teams’ operations. Here’s what that looks like:

Team Mindset Changes

Teams need to stop thinking "security slows us down" and start thinking "security makes us better." It’s that simple.

Here’s what needs to change in your teams:

Old Way	New Way	Making It Happen
"Security is IT’s problem"	"Security is MY problem"	Daily security training
"Fix bugs after launch"	"Catch bugs before code ships"	Auto-scan code daily
"Ship fast, patch later"	"Ship secure code fast"	Add security to each step
"Wait for security team"	"Handle security ourselves"	Give teams security tools

"DevSecOps isn’t just about mixing DevOps and Security teams or adding new tools. It’s about changing how your whole organization thinks about security." – Vishal Garg

Work Method Changes

Your teams need to bake security into every step:

Step	Before	Now
Planning	Security last	Security first
Coding	Basic checks	Deep scans
Testing	Manual only	Auto-tests
Deployment	Final checks	24/7 monitoring

Here’s a wake-up call: For every 100 developers, there’s only 1 security engineer. That’s why EVERYONE needs security skills.

Tech Tool Changes

Here’s what GSA IT uses at each stage:

Stage	Tools You Need
Planning	JIRA, Slack, Trello
Coding	Ansible, GitHub, Jenkins
Testing	Jenkins, Selenium, CircleCI
Deployment	Ansible, Terraform, CloudFormation
Monitoring	ClamAV, CloudWatch, Nessus, OSSEC

60% of companies get hit by data breaches. These tools help stop that:

• Scan code as you write
• Test security automatically
• Watch systems 24/7
• Keep code history safe

The key? Make security checks automatic. Build them into your daily work. That’s how you win.

Pros and Cons

Here’s what you need to know about DevSecOps – both good and bad:

Benefits of DevSecOps

Benefit	Impact	Results
Lower Costs	Fix bugs during development	60-80% cheaper than post-release fixes
Speed	Auto-scans catch problems	Fix time drops from weeks to hours
Code Quality	Security checks built into process	30% more API security testing
Risk Control	Spot threats early	Helps avoid $4.35M average breach cost
Better Teams	Devs get security training	40% boost in security ownership

"If I can have the developers fix something right away, it’s cheaper and easier than waiting hours and days [to fix] something." – Dale Gardner, Senior Research Director at Gartner

Common Problems

Problem	Cause	Solution
Skills Gap	Teams don’t know security basics	Regular training
Tool Overload	Disconnected security tools	Pick integrated tools
Team Resistance	Extra security work feels like a burden	Show bottom-line benefits
False Positives	Tools flag safe code as risky	Adjust scan rules
Speed Issues	Security steps slow down work	Add automation

The numbers tell the story:

• Data breaches might hit $10.5 trillion by 2025
• Just 30% of teams check API security
• Teams take 2-3 months to get used to DevSecOps

Here’s the smart way to start: Pick ONE team. ONE project. ONE tool. Then build from there. Don’t try to change your whole process overnight.

Steps to Switch to DevSecOps

Here’s how to move your team to DevSecOps without breaking everything:

Check and Plan

First, you need to know where you stand:

Area to Check	What to Look For	Action Steps
Security Gaps	Missing tests, weak spots	Run OWASP analysis
Current Tools	Tool coverage, integration points	List tools to add/replace
Team Skills	Security knowledge levels	Plan training needs
CI/CD Pipeline	Security test points	Mark spots for new checks

Set Up Tools

You’ll need these core tools:

Tool Type	Purpose	Must-Have Features
SAST	Code scanning	IDE integration
DAST	Runtime testing	Auto-scan triggers
SCA	Component checks	Dependency tracking
CI Tools	Build pipeline	Security gates

Here’s what to do:

• Put security tests in your CI pipeline
• Start scanning code when developers commit
• Add checks for dependencies
• Set up tests to run automatically

Train Teams

Get your teams up to speed:

Training Area	Focus	Time Frame
Basic Security	OWASP Top 10, secure coding	Week 1-2
Tools	New security tools, scan results	Week 3-4
Process	Security in daily work	Week 5-6

Want to make this work? Start small:

• Pick ONE team
• Focus on ONE project
• Add ONE security check
• Build from there

Here’s a fact that shows why this matters: DevSecOps will grow from $1.91 billion (2020) to $15.9 billion by 2027. That’s a 30.24% growth each year.

Bottom line: Take it step by step. Small wins add up to big changes.

Conclusion

DevSecOps takes DevOps to the next level by putting security first. Here’s what sets it apart:

Area	DevOps	DevSecOps
Security Timing	End of cycle	From start
Team Focus	Dev + Ops	Dev + Ops + Security
Testing	After code	During coding
Risk Management	React to issues	Prevent issues

This shift changes how teams build software. Here’s what Vinh Lam, Senior Technical Program Manager at OPSWAT, says about it:

"DevOps emphasizes collaboration between development and operations teams to streamline the software development lifecycle, while DevSecOps integrates security throughout the entire process."

Want to make DevSecOps work? Focus on these key points:

• Build security checks into your CI/CD pipeline
• Make security part of your daily coding
• Get your teams talking and working together
• Use automation to keep your speed up

Here’s the thing: DevSecOps isn’t about putting on the brakes. It’s about baking security into everything you do – while keeping your development speed HIGH.

The takeaway? DevSecOps helps teams ship better, safer code faster. It’s not just another buzzword – it’s the new standard for building modern software.

FAQs

Why DevSecOps is better than DevOps?

DevSecOps beats DevOps in one key way: it bakes security into every step of development. Here’s how they stack up:

Aspect	DevOps	DevSecOps
Security Focus	Added at the end	Built-in from start
Risk Management	Fix issues after they occur	Stop issues before they happen
Development Speed	Fast releases	Fast + secure releases
Cost Impact	Higher fix costs	Lower fix costs
Team Structure	Dev + Ops teams	Dev + Ops + Security teams

"DevOps improves the speed and efficiency of the software development lifecycle to build and deliver software faster and with better quality. DevSecOps focuses on reducing the risk of vulnerabilities in software by integrating security early in the development process." – Jinal Desai, Author

Think of it this way: DevOps is like building a house FAST, then adding locks and alarms at the end. DevSecOps? It’s building security into every brick you lay.

Here’s what makes DevSecOps different:

• Security checks happen at EVERY step
• Fixing issues early costs WAY less
• Security teams work alongside developers from day one
• Tests run on autopilot during development

Bottom line: DevSecOps doesn’t make you choose between speed and security – you get both. It’s like having a security expert on your team instead of hiring one to check your work after it’s done.

Related posts

• 5 Common Software Automation Mistakes to Avoid