For an ordinary person, software development is something like magic. But in reality, it is the result of complex work provided by a team. Each pro in this team is responsible for a certain part of the work, namely, designing the software, developing its front and back sides by applying frameworks, coding language scripts, and special tools, testing it, and promoting the result in the market.
There are two main approaches in the development of software products. These are DevOps and DevSecOps which today are the bone of contention in various developers’ communities.
Today we decided to make clear what the difference is between DevOps and DevSecOps approaches and which of them is the best one for your goals. It is worth saying that both of these approaches offer agile solutions on how to maintain the development and operation of software, yet they have some crucial differences.
The Idea of the DevOps Approach in Software Development
Let’s start with the DevOps concept. Its main intention is to develop constant and effective interaction between developers, designers, QAs and other team members on their way to the development of a product. DevOps appeared in 2009 as a response to a problem in communication between system administrators and programmers. The developers created the code and handed it over to the system administrators who were involved in support and operation, creating archives with instructions for installation.
When a developer understands what an administrator faces when setting up a server, he will try to smooth out possible rough edges in the code. The main intention of the DevOps methodology is to provide simple and comprehensible interaction to diminish possible misunderstandings and drawbacks. It also concerns the process of QA testing services, eliminating the need for manual adjustment of individual elements.
The main benefits of DevOps methodology are:
- It offers seamless communication between the team members and operators who will use the product.
- It helps to reduce bugs and drawbacks in the code.
- It increases the speed of the product’s development and optimizes costs and time wastes.
Yet, DevOps is not a magic key. And in recent years, its descendant, DevSecOps, is stepping on its toes.
What Is DevSecOps Concept and How Does It Differentiate From DevOps
The methodology named DevSecOps inheres shares many features with DevOps. It also provides streamlined communication between development team members and focuses on the unification of instructions and manuals. But it is more focused on security.
To be more precise, DevSecOps is DevOps with improved information protection and security mechanisms. The methodology implements the following principles in product development:
- Security and software vulnerability search become the main objective of this approach.
- Testing takes place at all stages of development, which increases the reliability of the code.
- Regular releases and the ability to quickly release bug fixes have become the new standard for many organizations, and the CI/CD pipeline is a key part of their processes.
- In DevSecOps, one of the foundations is the introduction of a culture of universal responsibility. Each member of the team bears equal and full responsibility for the result of the work.
- Security practices are implemented before the product’s launch.
When It Is More Profitable to Implement DevOps?
Still, DevSecOps is not a cure for everything. Its implementation requires fundamental changes in the corporate culture, and it can slow down the process of software development. That’s DevOps is still more popular. It is worth using that approach in the following cases:
- When you can launch an MVP and then improve it without any losses by testing the product’s functions with its users.
- When time is crucial for you and you need to release the product ASAP.
- When you develop the project with a reduced budget, that makes DevSecOps implementation costly.
When DevSecOps Is a Win-Win Solution
DevSecOps is a solution for industries with high budgets and as well with high requirements for software security.But smaller development companies can use DevSecOps too. That requires time, but in the end, the results will be substantial, and with time, the methodology will become more and more affordable for medium-sized and small businesses.
