Which lifecycle approach to software development is most compatible with DevSecOps? (2023)

Which software development lifecycle approach is most compatible with DevSecOps?

a) Model-driven development

b) Model Driven Architecture

c) waterfall

d) Agile

The answer isd, which isAgile.

agile overview

Agile is a software development methodology that aims to achieve continuous delivery of working software that has been developed through rapid iterations. However, the term “agile methodology” is misleading because it gives the impression that agile refers to a single strategy for software development. Unlike other software development approaches, agile does not prescribe a specific order in which certain steps must be performed. Rather, it is a way of thinking about workflows and collaboration, as well as a set of values ​​that guide our decisions about what we do and how we do it. Simply put, agile software development methodologies focus on quickly delivering small increments of functional software to the customer in an effort to increase customer satisfaction. The focus of these methodologies is on continuous improvement, and they do so using adaptive approaches and teamwork. Agile software development is typically done by small, self-organized teams of programmers and business representatives. These teams hold regular face-to-face meetings throughout the software development lifecycle. The agile methodology encourages the use of a minimalist approach to software documentation and welcomes, rather than fights for, change at any stage of the software development life cycle.

Where does Agile come from?

In 2001, a small group of people who had grown tired of the conventional way of managing the production of software development products wrote the Agile Manifesto. This method of managing software product development is an improvement over previous approaches.

the agilemanifesthas four important values:

1. Instead of processes and tools, the emphasis should be more on people and their interactions.
2. More important than complete documentation is software that works.
3. Collaborating with clients is more important than negotiating contracts.
4. Rather than following a plan, the procedure must adapt to changes.

Agile software development is based on the following 12 principles:

1. By consistently releasing high-quality software, satisfy customers.
2. Never hesitate to accept changed requirements, no matter where they occur in the project.
3. Deliver software that works in less time.
4. Throughout the project, business professionals and developers must collaborate closely on a daily basis.
5. The most efficient technique for communicating information between parties is face-to-face conversation.
6. Encourage people to work on a project, fostering an atmosphere of wonder, trust, and empowerment.
7. The main indicator of progress is functional software.
8. The agile process promotes sustainable development.
9. The constant emphasis on excellence and quality in technical development and design promotes greater agility.
10. A crucial component of successful agile management is simplicity.
11. The best requirements, designs, and architecture come from self-organizing teams.
12. To improve their effectiveness, teams must reflect through analysis and modification.

agile structures

Popular software development processes, such as continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) and DevOps, are based on agile software development frameworks such as Scrum, kanban, or extreme programming (XP). These agile software development frameworks form the foundation of these popular software development processes.

Scrum is probably the best known agile framework in use today; however, not everything agile is Scrum and, truth be told, not everything Scrum is agile. Scrum is a work management framework designed for small, cross-functional teams of 5-9 people. Teams using this approach divide their work into tasks called sprints that can be completed in a set period of time. Team members, a Scrum Master, and a Product Owner make up the components of a Scrum Team. In most cases, Scrum is used when a large project can be broken down into shorter "sprints" that last between two and four weeks. Through a ritual known as "look back," the Scrum framework emphasizes feedback loops. “Inspect and adapt” may become the unofficial motto of Scrum. The agile manifesto came before other agile frameworks, most notably kanban. On the other hand, these frameworks are considered agile because they uphold the values ​​outlined in the agile manifesto. It would be impossible to list and write down all the different agile frameworks and scaling strategies available here due to the sheer number of options.

What is DevSecOps?

DevSecOps is an acronym that stands for development, security, and operations. It automates the process of integrating security into the software development lifecycle at each stage, beginning with initial design and continuing through software integration, testing, deployment, and delivery. The way development organizations approach security has undergone a natural and necessary evolution, and DevSecOps is a representation of that evolution. In the past, a separate security team and a separate QA team would "add" security to the software at the end of the cycle (almost as an afterthought), and then both teams would test the program. These two squadrons operated independently of each other. This scenario was quite manageable when software updates were only released once or twice a year. The conventional approach of “attacking” security created an unsustainable bottleneck in the process, as software engineers adopted Agile and DevOps practices with the goal of reducing software development cycles to weeks or even days.

The DevSecOps methodology enables application and infrastructure security to be integrated into Agile and DevOps processes and tools. It addresses potential vulnerabilities as soon as they are discovered, when they are simplest, most convenient, and least expensive to fix (and before they are put into production). In addition, DevSecOps makes the responsibility of protecting applications and infrastructure a shared responsibility among the teams responsible for development, security, and IT operations, rather than making security the sole responsibility of a security silo. By automating the delivery of secure software without slowing down the software development cycle, it enables "smoother, safer, sooner," which is the motto of the DevSecOps movement.

DevSecOps Benefits

The main advantages of using DevSecOps are increased speed and security. The code produced by development teams is higher quality and more secure, as well as faster and more accessible. Below are the benefits of DevSecOps:

Fast and cost-effective software delivery

When developing software in an environment that does not support DevSecOps, potential security issues can cause significant delays. Fixing code and security flaws can be time consuming and expensive. The fast and secure delivery provided by DevSecOps helps companies save time and money by minimizing the need to repeat a process to resolve security issues that have already occurred. Because built-in security eliminates the need for duplicate revisions and unnecessary rebuilds, the end product is inherently more secure code. This makes the process more efficient in terms of time and money.

Enhanced and proactive security

The DevSecOps methodology integrates cybersecurity procedures earlier in the software development life cycle. During each stage of the software development life cycle, source code undergoes various forms of security testing, including review, audit, verification, and testing. Once these problems are discovered, steps are taken to resolve them. Bug fixes are deployed before new dependencies are brought into the system. When protection technology is identified and implemented earlier in the cycle, the costs associated with resolving security issues are reduced. In addition, enhanced collaboration between an enterprise's development, security, and operations teams improves the organization's ability to quickly and effectively react to incidents and problems as they arise. DevSecOps practices reduce the time it takes to patch vulnerabilities, allowing security teams to focus their efforts on more important tasks. Due to these practices, compliance is not only ensured, but also simplified, which saves application development projects from having to adapt to security.

Accelerated fix of security vulnerabilities

The speed with which newly discovered security flaws are managed is a significant advantage offered by the DevSecOps methodology. When DevSecOps integrates vulnerability scanning and remediation into the release cycle, the ability to identify and remediate Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) is reduced. This reduces the window of opportunity that threat actors have to exploit vulnerabilities in systems that are exposed to the general public.

Automation compatible with modern development

If an organization ships its software through a continuous integration and delivery pipeline, cybersecurity testing can be incorporated into an automated test suite for that organization's operations teams. Project and organizational goals are important factors to consider before automating any security controls. Automated testing can confirm that software successfully passes security unit tests, as well as ensure that all built-in software dependencies are running at the appropriate patch level. In addition, it is capable of code testing and code security through static and dynamic analysis before the final update is released to production.

A repeatable and adaptable process

As companies age, their security measures become more sophisticated. The DevSecOps methodology is ideal for processes that are repeatable and adaptable. This ensures that security measures are applied consistently across the environment, even as the environment is constantly changing and adapting to meet new demands. A mature DevSecOps implementation will have strong automation, configuration management, orchestration, containers, immutable infrastructure, and even serverless computing environments. This is because these components are essential to the software development and implementation process.

References

What is the agile methodology?(2022, July 19). What is the Agile Methodology? Retrieved on January 7, 2023, fromhttps://www.redhat.com/en/topics/devops/what-is-agile-methodology

Which software development lifecycle approach is most compatible with DevSecOps? – Cybersecurity | Test. (North Dakota.). Which software development lifecycle approach is most compatible with DevSecOps? – Cybersecurity | Test. Retrieved January 7, 2023 from https://quizack.com/ecommerce-cyber-security/mcq/which-software-development-lifecycle-approach-is-most-compatible-with-devsecops

Everything you need to know about agile methodology. (2017, February 24). ADAPT® METHODOLOGY. Retrieved on January 7, 2023, fromhttps://adaptmethodology.com/what-is-agile-methodology/

What is DevSecOps? | IBM. (North Dakota.). What is DevSecOps? | IBM. Retrieved January 7, 2023 from https://www.ibm.com/topics/devsecops

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