11 DevSecOps Benefits & Value to Your Business

Data security and DevSecOps should be top priorities for every business, but some of us may fear the complexities of implementation. Many organizations are still shelving security concerns in favor of quick IT upgrades and software development.

Security is no longer optional. Changes to the laws that govern the collection and use of personal information have forced many to prioritize security sooner rather than later.

Integrating security into your software development pipeline helps you meet legal obligations, strengthens your security and privacy controls, and creates trust with your customers.

Key Takeaways:

• DevSecOps integrates security measures early in the development pipeline, reducing risks and strengthening your organization’s defense against cyber threats.
• Proactively addressing vulnerabilities can save significant data breaches, penalties, and reputational damage costs.
• Fostering cross-functional collaboration between developers, security teams, and operations enhances efficiency and streamlines workflows.
• Automating security checks and feedback loops expedites the development process, delivering secure applications faster.

What Is DevSecOps & Why Is It Important?

It would be misleading to provide a definition of DevSecOps that is true for everyone. DevSecOps means something slightly different to everyone; it’s unique to those who use it. So instead of asking, “What is DevSecOps?” we should ask, “Why?” First, it reduces risk, and second, it creates trust. 

DevSecOps (Development, Security, and Operations) extends the principles of DevOps by embedding security into every phase of the software development lifecycle (SDLC). This proactive approach reduces risks, ensures compliance, and builds customer trust through transparency and robust security measures.

Continuous assessment is a key component of DevSecOps, analyzing source code for vulnerabilities, tracking changes, and ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements.

The CALMS framework—culture, automation, lean, measurement, and sharing—plays a vital role in DevSecOps. It enables your team to create secure and efficient workflows by fostering collaboration and automating repetitive tasks. 

What Are the Key Benefits of an Efficient Devsecops Team?

1. Enhanced Security Posture

By embedding security measures directly into the software development lifecycle (SDLC), DevSecOps ensures you can identify and mitigate vulnerabilities early in the process. 

Automated tools continuously monitor and enforce security policies, providing a robust defense against ever-evolving cyber threats. This proactive approach strengthens your organization’s ability to prevent breaches, protect sensitive data, and maintain customer trust.

2. Early Detection of Vulnerabilities

DevSecOps is the way to go if you want to reduce the likelihood of security flaws reaching production, save time, and minimize potential damage.

DevSecOps integrates automated testing and real-time analytics to identify security issues as soon as they arise. Advanced tools, such as static application security testing (SAST) and dynamic application security testing (DAST), scan code for vulnerabilities during the development and testing phases. 

3. Effective Bug Resolution

DevSecOps unifies your development, operations, and security teams to ensure seamless communication and quick resolution of security issues. 

Automated workflows route incidents to the right team members with all the context they need, speeding up resolution times. This helps you reduce downtime, prevent prolonged risk exposure, and improve overall system reliability.

4. Save Time

Do you know what takes time? Sitting around hoping your firewalls and anti-virus software don’t fail because the fundamental security controls of your infrastructure are poor.

Do you know what else takes time? Responding to thousands of customers who may have been affected by a data breach that you didn’t prevent by trying to cover security flaws with cheap add-ons. Do security right—the time you spend at the beginning will pay off with substantial time savings later.

5. Improved Collaboration Between Teams

Cross-functional collaboration also helps teams identify and address potential risks more effectively. DevSecOps fosters a culture of shared responsibility by breaking down silos between development, operations, and security teams. 

This collaborative environment ensures everyone in your team is aligned on security objectives, resulting in better communication and faster problem resolution.

6. Reduce Business Costs

Software development is already a significant line item, and ensuring a robust security protocol can make that expense even larger. But sensible expenditure now can save you money in the long run as cost-effective insurance against a serious security breach.

Security and privacy errors can cost you litigation, productivity loss, customer attrition, reputation damage, and employee abandonment. Your responsibility to customers is to maintain their privacy and confidentiality. If a hacker accesses that data, many consumers may not return.

And you know what’s expensive? GDPR penalties, which scale range from 2% to 4% of global revenue based on the infraction. In other words, the investment is worth it.

7. Proactive Security Practices

DevSecOps prioritizes prevention rather than reaction. By utilizing automation, real-time monitoring, AI, and NoOps, along with adopting serverless architectures, the trends and best practices of DevSecOps are reshaping how teams approach software development and operations.

This proactive approach ensures that security measures evolve alongside threats, keeping systems resilient and protected against new vulnerabilities.

8. Continuous Feedback

Continuous feedback loops allow your team to refine their processes and improve security measures iteratively. Real-time incident analytics software and automated reporting provide valuable insights into your system performance, enabling teams to address weaknesses and optimize workflows. 

This improvement cycle ensures that security and development practices remain effective and up-to-date.

9. Accelerated Application Development

By integrating security into the CI/CD pipeline, DevSecOps eliminates delays caused by separate security reviews or post-development fixes. Automated testing and monitoring streamline the development process, enabling teams to deliver secure applications faster. 

This accelerated workflow allows you to stay ahead in this competitive market without compromising quality.

10. Adaptive and Repeatable Processes

DevSecOps frameworks standardize workflows, making replicating secure practices across multiple projects easier. 

This flexibility ensures teams adapt quickly to changing business needs while maintaining consistent security standards. Repeatable processes also simplify audits and compliance reporting, reducing administrative overhead.

11. Automated Monitoring and Testing

DevSecOps leverages tools to automate security checks, vulnerability scanning, and performance monitoring. Tools like New Relic, CodeAI, and AWS. 

This reduces your teams’ manual workload and ensures continuous enforcement of security standards. Automated systems also provide real-time alerts for anomalies, enabling rapid response to emerging threats.

• Learn which one is better for your business: Orchestration vs automation.

What Are the Challenges Faced in Implementing DevSecOps?

Even with DevSecOps’s benefits and innovation, your organization can face challenges. Overcoming them requires strategic planning, the right tools, and an adaptable team culture.

Resistance to Change

One of the most significant hurdles in implementing DevSecOps is resistance to change, particularly in organizations with established workflows. Team members may hesitate to adopt new processes due to fear of disruption or additional workload. 

Overcoming this resistance requires strong leadership, clear communication, and education on the benefits of DevSecOps. Alleviate their fears with stories of other companies improving through automation and collaboration. Celebrate success and encourage a positive culture towards change.

Shortage of Skilled Resources

The rapid evolution of DevSecOps demands specialized security, development, and automation skills. However, many organizations struggle to hire team members with the right expertise.

Upskilling existing employees through targeted training programs and leveraging intuitive tools is an intelligent way to overcome this challenge. Not only does your security posture improve, but your employees also gain new skills and career development opportunities.

Complex Regulatory and Compliance Requirements

Navigating stringent regulatory requirements like GDPR or HIPAA can be overwhelming, especially for organizations in highly regulated industries. DevSecOps teams must ensure compliance without sacrificing development speed or quality.

Lack of Standardization

Without standardized processes, teams may struggle to implement DevSecOps consistently across the organization. This can lead to inefficiencies, duplication of effort, and overlooked vulnerabilities. 

Establishing clear guidelines and leveraging tools that promote unified workflows can drive consistency and enhance security practices.

• Discover the benefits of Integrating xMatters into your DevOps toolchain and how it can help you overcome many challenges.

Leverage DevSecOps Benefits and Overcome Challenges

DevSecOps is not just a security framework—it’s a strategic necessity. Integrating security into the SDLC can reduce risks, improve efficiency, and maintain customer trust. The benefits of adopting DevSecOps, from cost savings to enhanced collaboration, underscore its value.

xMatters simplifies the journey to DevSecOps success. With automation, incident response, and analytics tools, xMatters helps organizations optimize their security practices at scale. 

Discover the four steps to an effective DevSecOps infrastructure and learn more about how to transform your approach to DevSecOps.

DevOps Optimization FAQs

Why is DevSecOps important, and what are its benefits?

The goals of DevSecOps boil down to two main themes: reducing risk and creating trust. An effective DevSecOps infrastructure makes these two goals possible.

How can DevSecOps be scaled across large organizations?

By combining centralized leadership, cultural shifts, process automation, and skill-building, large organizations can successfully embed DevSecOps practices across multiple teams, driving security and efficiency at an enterprise level.

What is the difference between DevSecOps and Cybersecurity?

DevSecOps integrates security into development and operations workflows, ensuring vulnerabilities are addressed early, while cybersecurity focuses on protecting systems, networks, and data from a wide range of threats across the IT environment.