Houston, we have a problem: implementing DevSecOps isn’t as straightforward as it seems.
DevSecOps has redefined security in modern software development, becoming the benchmark for organizational success. By embedding security into every phase of the development lifecycle, organizations can deploy faster and collaborate more efficiently while ensuring security at every step. Yet, despite its advantages, according to IDC’s 2024 DevSecOps and Software Supply Chain Security Survey, only 66% of application development teams use DevSecOps methodologies on average. If it were easy to implement, that number would be much closer to 100%. So, what’s holding teams back? Let’s explore the most common challenges—and how to address them.
- Cultural Shift: Breaking Down Silos
One of the biggest obstacles to DevSecOps adoption is changing the mindset within teams. Traditionally, security has been viewed as the “gatekeeper”—the team that slows things down to protect the organization. Shifting to a model where development, security, and operations work collaboratively from the start requires breaking down silos and fostering a culture of shared responsibility.
This change doesn’t happen overnight. It requires leadership buy-in, continuous education, and a willingness to rethink entrenched workflows.
- Tool Integration: Simplifying Complexity
DevSecOps relies heavily on tools to automate processes and enforce security throughout the SDLC. But with so many tools available, each serving a specific purpose, organizations face a daunting challenge: how to make all these tools work together seamlessly. The problem becomes even more complex in larger organizations, where a mix of legacy and modern technologies often coexist.
To overcome this, teams need a unified strategy for tool selection and integration, ensuring that solutions align with their existing workflows and scale with their needs.
- Automation and Scalability: Balancing Speed and Security
Automation is a cornerstone of DevSecOps, helping teams maintain speed without sacrificing security. However, scaling automation is easier said than done. Security checks that slow down pipelines can frustrate developers, while skipping critical checks can lead to vulnerabilities slipping through the cracks.
The key is finding the right balance and using automation to detect and address risks early while maintaining the agility needed to meet release deadlines.
- Visibility and Control: Mastering Cloud Native Complexity
Modern cloud native applications spread across containers, Kubernetes, and serverless functions introduce unique challenges. These fast-moving, dynamic environments can be hard to monitor, making it difficult to gain full visibility and maintain consistent security controls.
Adding to the complexity, microservices architectures expand the attack surface, introducing more potential weak points and orchestrator tools such as Kubernetes demands specialized expertise to configure securely.
DevSecOps: A Balancing Act
Despite these hurdles, the benefits of DevSecOps far outweigh the challenges. By prioritizing cultural transformation, adopting flexible solutions designed with integration in mind, and scaling automation thoughtfully, organizations can turn DevSecOps from a lofty goal into a reality.
DevSecOps isn’t just about solving today’s problems, it’s about building a resilient, scalable foundation for the future.
How to Implement DevSecOps in Your Organization
So, this begs the question, is it possible to strike the perfect balance between security, speed, and automation? With DevSecOps, the solution lies in leveraging technology to embed security into every stage of the development lifecycle. An integrated platform approach ensures your cloud native applications remain protected without compromising innovation or delivery timelines.
The key is to focus on three core pillars: speed, for seamless integration of security into rapid development pipelines; security, to protect applications from development to production; and automation, to streamline operations and maintain consistency at scale. With a platform solution, these three pillars are interconnected and provide capabilities like automated vulnerability scanning, runtime policy enforcement, and seamless integration with CI/CD pipelines, helping organizations achieve both agility and resilience in their cloud native software development.
Curious about how to make this balance a reality in your organization? The DevSecOps Buyer’s Guide: Essential Strategies for Securing Cloud Native Applications has everything you need to get started. Download your copy today and take the first step toward building a faster, more secure, and more efficient development process.
