CI/CD Security Tools Buyer’s Guide

Given the relentless pace of software development and soaring user expectations, Continuous Integration and Delivery (CI/CD) pipelines have become indispensable for shipping high-quality safe code – faster. But this speed comes with a heightened risk of security vulnerabilities. 

As we’ve seen with the Solarwinds, insecure CI/CD pipelines can lead to data loss, financial damage, and reputational harm.That’s why organizations are increasingly relying on CI/CD security tools to manage secrets, apply the principle of least privilege, monitor activity across the pipeline, and more.

But with a crowded market of security tools, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. That’s why we’ve created this buyer’s guide: to help you explore must-have features, understand key trends shaping the market, and discover the solutions that strike the perfect balance between security and speed.

What are CI/CD Security Tools?

As we’ve mentioned, CI/CD pipelines are a core component of modern software development, automating the process of integrating, testing, and delivering code changes. They handle and process sensitive data, from source code to API keys, making them attractive targets for attackers and a significant source of risk. 

Risks specific to CI/CD pipelines include secret leaks, supply chain attacks, and misconfigurations. Without robust security measures, breaches can occur. The result? Security breaches, stolen source code data and sensitive information, lost customer trust, financial penalties, and compliance violations That’s where CI/CD security tools come in.

They’re designed to safeguard CI/CD pipelines by identifying and mitigating risks throughout the software delivery process. Their ultimate objective is to prevent unauthorized access, detect vulnerabilities, and ensure secure code deployment.

Benefits of CI/CD Security Tools

There’s more code than ever before, especially with the rapid advancements in generative AI and automation. Whether you’re in finance, healthcare, or retail, your CI/CD pipeline is integral to delivering value to customers and maintaining cyber and business resilience

The main benefit of CI/CD security tools is obvious: reduced risk of secrets leaks, supply chain attacks, and data breaches. 

But their value extends beyond security to productivity and efficiency. For example: 

  • Enhanced Visibility: By providing centralized, real-time monitoring, CI/CD tools help teams gain a comprehensive view of the pipeline to detect and address threats early. This is much-needed, with security leaders citing CI/CD risks as their biggest blindspots in 2025. among Bonus: ASPM platforms consolidate insights from multiple stages of the pipeline to create a complete picture of security vulnerabilities and compliance gaps. We explore more benefits of a platform approach later in the article.
  • Faster, Safer Deployments: CI/CD security tools automate security checks to help developers and DevOps maintain speed without introducing vulnerabilities.
  • Cost Savings: It’s best to detect vulnerabilities early in the development lifecycle. This helps organizations avoid expensive fixes and reduce downtime.
  • Improved Compliance: Compliance can be a pain, with over half of security leaders saying that maintaining compliance is becoming more and more difficult. CI/CD security tools help simplify adherence to industry standards and regulatory requirements. For example, tools like Cycode help generate Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs), enforce least privilege access, and ensure adherence to frameworks like NIST SSDF.
  • Collaboration Between Security and Development: The relationship between security and development teams is often strained. But CI/CD security tools foster better collaboration between the two teams by integrating security into developer workflows.

Looking for more information about CI/CD pipeline security at a high-level? Check out this article instead. Otherwise, keep reading to discover how to evaluate potential solutions. 

Key Functions of CI/CD Security Tools Include

secrets management, SAST, SCA, and IaC security. While it’s important to describe each of these tools individually, we should note that it’s best to look for a t