The ever-evolving field of DevSecOps, which seamlessly integrates security practices into the software development lifecycle, is poised to revolutionize the way we approach cybersecurity and software engineering. As organizations strive to keep up with the rapid pace of technological advancement, adopting DevSecOps principles has become a crucial step to mitigate risks, improve collaboration, and deliver secure, high-quality software products.
Exploring emerging trends in this dynamic area offers a glimpse into the future, where security, agility and innovation will converge to shape the digital landscape. Below, Forbes Technology Council members share valuable insights into how DevSecOps trends will influence development strategies and the industry as a whole, increasing overall efficiency and resilience.
1. ASPM becomes the standard
Application security posture management is the infrastructure backbone that allows teams to seamlessly integrate Sec into DevOps. As ASPM becomes the standard in the development technology stack, not only will security teams take on the responsibilities they need while maintaining development autonomy, but the term “DevSecOps” will disappear as security will become a de facto part of the software development lifecycle. – Brittany Greenfield, Wabbi
2. DevSecOps is evolving in many directions
DevSecOps is moving both east and west, as well as north and south, and is infused with generative AI. On the east-west side, continuous integration and continuous delivery of DevSecOps are evolving into a seamless whole, from ideation and design on the east side to deployment operations, scaling and commercialization on the west side. On the north-south side, it moves from the business function and serverless layer in the north to infrastructure as code in the south. – Rajat Sharma, Zensar Technologies
3. Integrating ML will improve software development efficiency
Integrating machine learning into DevSecOps will automate security tasks, improve threat detection, and continuously adapt to new risks. This will improve software development efficiency and cybersecurity resilience. – Benjamin Fabre, DataDôme
4. Automated security testing becomes standard practice
There is a growing commitment within the DevSecOps community to perform automated security testing in the software development pipeline and flag untested code as a high priority risk. Advances in AI-powered tools have accelerated this trend by allowing developers to identify and fix vulnerabilities as early as possible and deliver more secure software faster than ever before. – Chris Wysopal, Veracode
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5. Ease of automation will make DevSecOps more business-centric
DevSecOps breaks down the silos between security and DevOps and introduces the concept of continuous monitoring, improvement and automation into security. Copilots are disrupting the automation and code market by making it easier to automate tasks. The ease of automation and coding will have a huge effect on the role and skills of DevSecOps practitioners, helping them become more business-centric. – Vishwas Manral, Precis Inc.
6. AI co-pilots will improve efficiency and productivity
AI co-pilots reshape coding, debugging, code documentation, vulnerability scanning, learning, and alerting. With a shift-left approach and security as code, companies can make software tools robust through early identification of potential issues. These not only generate efficiency and productivity gains, but also limit coding blocks and accelerate learning thanks to new approaches and possibilities. – Sudhanshu Duggal, Procter & Gamble
7. AI-powered security automates threat detection and response
One of the trends in DevSecOps is the integration of AI-based security, which will significantly improve both software development and cybersecurity. This approach automates threat detection and response, ensuring faster and more reliable deployments. I see this as essential for companies that want to innovate safely while staying in step with market demands. – Przemek Szleter, DAC.digital
8. SaaS-based security tools will enable DevSecOps to move forward quickly
One advancement I see is pushing DevSecOps into the ETL pipeline. Using software as service-based security tools that can be instrumented wherever data moves will enable DevSecOps to advance rapidly. This change will not only improve software development security, but also streamline data protection processes, ensuring a more resilient and secure infrastructure for the future. – James Beecham, ALTR
9. Security checks and automated testing will be integrated into the CI/CD pipeline
One of the key trends shaping DevSecOps is the increased integration of security into the software development lifecycle through shift-left security and security as code. This involves integrating security checks and automated testing directly into the CI/CD pipeline from the earliest stages, enabling faster identification and remediation of vulnerabilities before production. – Arthur Miller
10. PaC will help manage and enforce security policies
Policy as code, and specifically Open Policy Agent, the open source engine and standard that provides DevSecOps engineers with declarative language, tools, and integrations, is a breakthrough I anticipate. It facilitates unified management and enforcement of security policies, regardless of the underlying infrastructure, whether on-premises Kubernetes, cloud-native serverless virtual machines, or a combination of these. – Yuri Gubin, Data Art
11. Model-based systems engineering will merge with DevSecOps
For critical systems, model-based systems engineering and DevSecOps will merge. Integrating complete system models throughout the lifecycle allows security issues to be quickly identified through automated tools. This proactive, model-driven DevSecOps enables rapid and compliant deployment of highly secure and reliable systems where failures can have catastrophic impact. – Tim Reed, Lynx Software Technologies
12. Edge Computing will improve the security of decentralized networks
Edge computing in DevSecOps reduces latency and improves threat response by processing data close to its source. This trend will strengthen the security of decentralized networks by providing dynamic, real-time defenses against emerging cyber threats. – Roman Vinogradov, Improvised
13. AI and ML will automate and refine security protocols
The integration of AI and machine learning will automate and refine security protocols, reducing human errors and speeding up response times to security threats. In the same way that autonomous systems are used in spacecraft to detect and mitigate problems without human intervention, AI will lead to more resilient and secure software systems, fundamentally transforming the landscape. – Shelli Brunswick, SB Global LLC
14. Just-in-time access minimizes the risk of compromised identity
Providing just-in-time access to DevSecOps personnel minimizes the risk resulting from a compromised identity, which is part of the overwhelming majority of breaches. Typical access granted based on roles or rights is too broad and can be abused to maliciously access organizational assets, including customer data. Dynamic and precise access can help minimize this risk. – Atul Tulshibagwale, SGNL.ai
15. Container security will be a priority in deployments
As containerization continues to gain traction as a preferred deployment tool, ensuring the security of containerized environments becomes paramount. By prioritizing container security, organizations can mitigate risks and prevent security breaches in their deployments. Expect tailored tools and techniques to address container-specific security challenges, such as image analysis and runtime protection. – Cristian Randieri, Intellisystem Technologies
16. Quantum encryption will effectively eliminate traditional threats
Imagine a scenario where quantum computing fully integrates with DevSecOps. Quantum encryption will radically reshape the cybersecurity landscape, effectively nullifying traditional threats and ushering in a new era of digital security. With quantum technologies, cybersecurity defenses will become impregnable, enabling a safer and more robust protection framework, surpassing current standards. – Sandro Choubladze, Datamam
