In the last decade DevOps has become the backbone of modern software development. In fact, 80% of enterprises have adopted DevOps practices, driven by the promise of continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD). The result? Products are delivered to market at an unprecedented speed, without compromising on quality.
But the speed and efficiency of a DevOps pipeline come with a trade-off: an expanded attack surface.
The SolarWinds breach — which remains one of the most significant supply chain attacks in recent history — is a stark reminder of what’s at stake.
In this article, we’ll explore the critical components of a DevOps pipeline, discuss the importance of security at every stage, and provide actionable tips to fortify your DevOps processes. We’ll also delve into how Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) can help you stay ahead of threats in a way that outdated legacy solutions simply can’t.
What is a DevOps Pipeline?
A DevOps pipeline is a set of automated processes and tools that enable software development teams to build, test, and deploy code quickly and efficiently, while ensuring that quality and performance standards are consistently met.
By integrating development and operations teams, the DevOps pipeline fosters collaboration and speeds up the delivery of software updates and new features.
Key Stages of a DevOps Pipeline
- Planning: This is where project requirements are defined, and tasks are allocated. Effective planning sets the foundation for the entire pipeline, ensuring that every subsequent step is aligned with the project’s goals.
- Coding and Building: Developers write and commit code, which is then automatically built into deployable artifacts. During this stage, rigorous testing is performed to ensure that the code meets quality and performance standards, maintaining the integrity of the application.
- Testing: Automated tests are run to ensure code quality, functionality, and performance. This stage can include unit tests, integration tests, and user acceptance tests, all of which are essential for maintaining the application’s reliability.
- Releasing and Deploying: Code that passes testing is moved into production environments. Deployment is often automated to minimize downtime and reduce the risk of errors, ensuring that updates are rolled out smoothly and efficiently.
- Monitoring: Once deployed, the software is continuously monitored to detect issues and gather performance data. This monitoring is crucial not only for maintaining application health but also for identifying potential security threats in real time.
As we’ve said, the more integral these pipelines become to development processes, the more attractive a target they become for bad actors. That’s why security should be integrated at each stage to prevent vulnerabilities from being introduced or exploited.
Why is DevOps Security Important?
As organizations adopt more complex DevOps pipelines, the number of tools, integrations, and environments involved increases, each representing a potential security risk.
For example:
- Secret Leaks: As pipelines integrate more tools and services, the need to manage and securely store secrets becomes critical. If secrets are hardcoded in scripts or stored in insecure locations, they can be easily exposed, leading to unauthorized access to critical systems and data.
- Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Misconfigurations: IaC tools like Terraform and CloudFormation automate the provisioning of infrastructure, but even a small misconfiguration in an IaC script can lead to significant security vulnerabilities. For example, accidentally setting up cloud storage with public access or misconfiguring network security groups can expose sensitive data or open pathways for attackers.
- Compromised CI/CD Pipelines: CI/CD pipelines often have broad access across the development and production environments. If these pipelines are not adequately secured, they can become a target for attackers who can inject malicious code, manipulate deployment processes, or gain unauthorized access to sensitive environments. A compromised CI/CD pipeline can serve as a launchpad for broader attacks across the entire application lifecycle.
And, as we’ve seen from breaches like SolarWinds, Equifax, and Capital One, the financial and reputational damage from a security breach can be staggering. According to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report, the average cost of a data breach in 2024 was $4.88 million, up 15%+ from the previous year.
And remember: this figure doesn’t even account for the long-term impact on customer trust and brand reputation. That’s where modern security tools come in.
Must-Have Tools to Secure Your DevOps Pipeline
To effectively secure a DevOps pipeline, organizations must leverage a combination of tools that integrate seamlessly into their CI/CD processes. The goal of these tools is simple: identify and mitigate vulnerabilities before they reach production.
| Tool | Function | Benefits |
| Static Application Security Testing (SAST) | Analyzes source code or binaries for vulnerabilities early in development. | Early detection of vulnerabilities, improved code quality, reduced risk of security breaches. |
| Software Composition Analysis (SCA) | Identifies vulnerabilities in third-party and open-source components. | Enhanced security of third-party dependencies, reduced risk of supply chain attacks, improved compliance. |
| Secrets Detection | Scans for and protects sensitive information like API keys and passwords. | Prevention of data breaches and unauthorized access, reduced risk of financial loss and reputational damage. |
| CI/CD Security | Protects the pipeline from threats like unauthorized code changes and supply chain attacks. | Improved pipeline security, early detection of threats, reduced risk of data leaks and unauthorized access. |
| Container Scanning | Scans container images for vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and malware. | Enhanced container security, reduced risk of vulnerabilities in deployed applications, improved compliance. |
| Code Leakage Prevention | Prevents sensitive data from being exposed to public repositories. | Protection of intellectual property, reduced risk of data breaches, improved compliance. |
| Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Security | Scans IaC scripts for misconfigurations and ensures secure deployment environments. | Improved cloud infrastructure security, reduced risk of vulnerabilities, enhanced compliance. |
Static Application Security Testing (SAST)
Static Application Security Testing (SAST) is a critical tool that continuously analyzes source code or binaries early in the development process to identify vulnerabilities. By integrating SAST into your DevOps pipeline, you can catch and fix security issues such as insecure coding practices before they make it into production, helping developers maintain code quality throughout the development lifecycle.
Software Composition Analysis (SCA)
Software Composition Analysis (SCA) focuses on identifying vulnerabilities in third-party and open-source components that are commonly used in modern software development. Given the widespread use of open-source software today, SCA has become particularly crucial.
Secrets Detection
Secrets detection tools scan codebases, repositories, and build environments to identify and protect sensitive information such as API keys and database passwords. Integrating secrets management into your DevOps pipeline ensures that secrets are securely stored, managed, and accessed, reducing the risk of exposure.
CI/CD Security
CI/CD security tools help protect the pipeline from threats like unauthorized code changes, code leakage, and supply chain attacks. How? By enforcing security policies, monitoring all stages of the pipeline for anomalies, and providing real-time alerts for any suspicious activities.
Container Scanning
Ensuring that containers are free from known vulnerabilities and that base images are up-to-date and secure is critical to maintaining a secure DevOps environment, as insecure base images can introduce vulnerabilities across multiple applications. Container scanning tools automatically scan container images for vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and malware before they are deployed.
Code Leakage Prevention
If sensitive data is exposed or committed to public repositories, it can lead to severe security breaches, unauthorized access, and significant damage to your organization’s reputation and finances. Tools designed to prevent code leakage play a critical role in scanning repositories, build environments, and deployment processes to safeguard intellectual property and prevent unauthorized access to critical systems.
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Security
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) allows for the automated provisioning and management of infrastructure, but misconfigurations in IaC scripts can lead to significant security vulnerabilities. IaC security tools scan these scripts for common misconfigurations, such as exposing resources to the public internet or improper access controls. By detecting and addressing these issues early in the development process, IaC security tools help prevent security gaps in your cloud infrastructure, ensuring that your deployment environments are secure and compliant.
Learn more about how security tools can support cyber resilience without slowing down velocity.
DevOps Pipeline Security Best Practices
While incorporating these must-have tools into your DevOps pipeline is essential for creating a secure, efficient, and reliable development environment, it’s important to recognize that tools alone are not enough.
It’s also important to note that relying on point solutions can add unnecessary complexity and create silos that hinder efficiency. This is especially true since, according to research, DevOps teams are already using, on average, 49 tools.
Let’s dive into best practices that can help you enhance your DevOps security, without increasing the burden on your development and operations teams.
Shift-Left
Shift-left security emphasizes incorporating security measures early in the development process, rather than addressing them later. However, traditional shift-left approaches can overwhelm developers, leading to bottlenecks and decreased productivity.
What we call a “controlled shift-left” approach balances the need for early security with the realities of development workflows. By strategically integrating security practices at the right stages, you enhance security without overburdening developers. This ensures security is embedded throughout the process, supporting both security goals and development efficiency.
We recommend:
- Focusing on reviewing critical and high-impact areas first to prevent vulnerabilities while maintaining development speed
- Applying automated tests to the most critical components, avoiding unnecessary tests that could slow down the pipeline
- Introducing security measures gradually as developers become more comfortable, minimizing disruption
Implement Least Privilege & Access Controls
Implementing the principle of least privilege ensures that users and systems have only the permissions they need to perform their tasks. Strong access controls — including role-based access control (RBAC) and multi-factor authentication (MF) — prevent unauthorized actions and limit potential damage from compromised accounts. This approach is essential for maintaining a secure environment without complicating access management.
Prioritize Continuous Learning & Adaptation
The security landscape is constantly evolving, so your DevOps security practices should, too. Regularly updating security policies, conducting audits, and investing in ongoing training ensures that your teams stay ahead of emerging threats.
Security audits should be conducted regularly to check your pipeline for compliance and vulnerabilities, ensuring that security measures are current and effective. Penetration testing is also essential, as it helps identify and address security gaps before they can be exploited by attackers.
Adopt Application Security Posture Management (ASPM)
Wondering what ASPM is?
Introduced by Gartner as a distinct category to fill the gaps left by traditional point solutions, ASPM provides visibility of vulnerabilities across the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC), prioritize vulnerabilities based on risk scoring, enforce controls, and provide robust remediation capabilities.
Unlike traditional security tools that focus on isolated aspects of application security, ASPM platforms take a holistic approach, integrating pipeline security, application security testing, and posture management into a unified platform.
Key benefits for DevOps teams include:
- Improved security
- Faster time to market
- Enhanced compliance
- Reduced costs
- Fewer false positives
- Improved collaboration
- Reduced alert fatigue
We have tons of helpful resources for you to learn more about ASPM, including The State of ASPM 2024,Code Resilience in the Age of ASPM: Q&As with 20+ CISOs and DevSecOps Leaders, ASPM Nation
How Cycode Can Help
Cycode is a Complete Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) platform that offers a single, unified view of your DevOps pipeline security. This includes application security testing, pipeline security, and posture management.
Our security-first, developer-friendly solution can replace existing application security testing tools or integrate with them and provides visibility, prioritization, and remediation for security, engineering, and DevOps teams at every stage of the CI/CD pipeline.
Book a demo to see the platform in action.
