DevOps vs. DevSecOps: Which Is Right for You? (2025)

DevOps Consulting
DevOps vs. DevSecOps: Which Is Right for You? (2025)
Article by David Jenkin
Last Updated: January 20, 2025

DevOps and DevSecOps are integral methodologies for creating high-quality, efficient, and secure systems. DevOps fosters collaboration between development and operations teams to streamline workflows, enhance agility, and accelerate delivery.

DevSecOps builds on this foundation by integrating security practices into every stage of the development lifecycle, making it a core element of the process rather than an afterthought.

To help you choose an approach that best aligns with your business needs, we'll explore what DevSecOps and DevOps are through specific use cases, their respective benefits, and the scenarios in which one might be more suitable than the other to help you make an informed decision.

What Is DevOps?

DevOps is a methodology that bridges the gap between development and IT operations teams to improve the efficiency, speed, and quality of software delivery. It enables organizations to respond quickly to changing business needs and deliver value to customers faster by promoting collaboration and breaking down traditional silos.

The key objectives of this approach include streamlining workflows, allowing teams to move from development to production seamlessly, and fostering a culture of collaboration where developers and operations professionals share accountability. DevOps also emphasizes continuous improvement, using feedback loops to refine processes and enhance the product over time.

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DevOps Use Cases

DevOps is particularly valuable when speed, collaboration, and efficiency are critical to delivering and maintaining high-quality software. Use cases include:

  • Rapid product development: DevOps offers a powerful advantage for businesses that launch frequent updates or new features, such as SaaS providers or mobile app developers.
  • Scalable systems: Organizations that manage dynamic infrastructure, like cloud-native applications or eCommerce platforms, benefit from DevOps's scalability.
  • Incident response: Organizations that require quick issue resolution, such as those in financial services or healthcare, can benefit from DevOps' focus on responsiveness and rapid problem-solving.
  • Innovation-driven environments: Startups and enterprises that aim to accelerate their time to market while maintaining product reliability can greatly benefit from adopting DevOps practices.

What Is DevSecOps?

DevSecOps process illustrated
[Source: OpenVPN]

DevSecOps is an extension of the DevOps methodology that integrates security practices directly into the software development and operations process. While DevOps focuses on collaboration between development and IT operations teams to accelerate software delivery. DevSecOps adds a critical layer by making security a shared responsibility from beginning to end, ensuring that security is built into every development phase.

Its proactive approach helps identify and address vulnerabilities early to reduce the risk of security breaches and ensure compliance with regulatory standards. As Emre Alemdar, CEO of Buinsoft Technology SRO, says, “Count vulnerabilities fixed before release, and you’re counting money saved before it’s lost.”

DevSecOps leverages continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) capabilities to automate security measures while improving collaboration, enhancing software quality, and driving faster and more secure delivery.

As cyber threats evolve, DevSecOps will continue to prioritize proactive and automated security measures with increased use of AI and machine learning to detect vulnerabilities faster, while security is sure to become an even more integral part of the development culture.

DevSecOps Use Cases

DevSecOps is particularly valuable in scenarios where security is a top priority, especially in industries or applications where data protection, regulatory compliance, and risk mitigation are critical, such as:

  • Sensitive data handling: Organizations that manage personal or confidential information, such as financial services, healthcare, or government agencies, benefit from DevSecOps' ability to integrate robust security practices seamlessly into the development process.
  • Compliance-driven industries: Industries with strict regulatory requirements, like banking or healthcare, rely on DevSecOps to ensure that security and compliance measures are continuously maintained and automatically enforced.
  • Risk-sensitive applications: DevSecOps is needed for developing products or services that could be vulnerable to cyberattacks, such as eCommerce platforms or IoT devices, as it minimizes exposure to potential threats at every stage.
  • Fast-paced development cycles: Organizations with rapid development and frequent releases, such as startups or SaaS providers, benefit from the speed and agility that DevSecOps brings, allowing them to maintain secure systems without slowing down their release cycles.
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Key Differences Between DevOps and DevSecOps

DevOps and DevSecOps compared
[Source: Akto]

To better understand the difference between DevOps and DevSecOps, we will compare their key aspects. The table below outlines the main differences between the two.

Aspect DevOps DevSecOps
Focus Areas Primarily focuses on collaboration, speed, and efficiency between development and operationsFocuses on integrating security into every phase of the development lifecycle alongside DevOps practices.
Pros
  • Faster software delivery
  • Improved collaboration
  • Increased efficiency through automation
  • Proactive security measures
  • Reduced risk of security breaches
  • Better compliance with regulations
Cons
  • Security may be overlooked or handled separately
  • Vulnerabilities can be detected later in the cycle (or missed altogether)
  • Requires additional expertise in security
  • May slow down the development process due to security measures
Team Responsibilities Development and operations teams work together to automate and streamline the delivery pipeline.Development, operations, and security teams collaborate to ensure security is embedded throughout the process.
ToolsCI/CD tools, automation platforms, version control systems, monitoring tools (e.g., Jenkins, Docker, Kubernetes) Same tools as DevOps but with additional security tools like vulnerability scanners, security testing tools, and compliance checkers (e.g., Snyk, Aqua Security, HashiCorp Vault) 

When To Choose DevOps vs. DevSecOps

Choosing between DevOps and DevSecOps depends on your organization's specific needs, particularly around the balance of speed, collaboration, and security.

When Is DevOps Sufficient?

DevOps is often good enough when the primary goals are rapid software delivery, improved collaboration, and system reliability. It works well for businesses that need to iterate quickly, handle scalable systems, and resolve incidents promptly but don't handle highly sensitive data or face stringent regulatory requirements.

If that describes your business, keep in mind that outsourcing some elements of DevOps could help meet your organization’s needs more effectively.

When Is DevSecOps Necessary?

DevSecOps becomes necessary when security is critical. This includes industries like healthcare, finance, or government, where data protection, compliance, and risk mitigation matter. If you handle sensitive user information or face frequent security threats, DevSecOps is crucial for embedding security throughout your development process.

How To Move from DevOps to DevSecOps

Transitioning from DevOps to DevSecOps is an opportunity to enhance your development process by integrating security with the right tools and a step-by-step approach. You can build on your existing DevOps practices while maintaining the agility and efficiency your team values.

Here are the steps to follow:

  1. Assess current practices
  2. Introduce security tools
  3. Automate security testing
  4. Develop a security mindset
  5. Integrate threat modeling
  6. Monitor and iterate

1. Assess Current Practices

Start by thoroughly auditing your current DevOps workflows, tools, and team capabilities to know where you stand. Look for areas where security measures can be naturally integrated, as well as any weak spots in your processes.

Evaluate the maturity of your CI/CD pipeline to ensure it can support the additional demands of security integration without disrupting existing efficiencies. This foundational step sets the stage for a smooth and informed transition to DevSecOps practices.

2. Introduce Security Tools

Incorporate security-focused tools into your CI/CD pipeline for vulnerability scanning, static and dynamic application security testing (SAST/DAST), and dependency checking. It's important to ensure these tools align with your existing automation processes.

3. Automate Security Testing

Implement automated security testing at every stage of the pipeline, including during code integration, builds, and deployments. Automation will help to ensure consistent and efficient testing without slowing down the development cycle.

4. Develop a Security Mindset

Conduct training sessions to educate development and operations teams on secure coding practices and threat identification. Promote a culture where everyone shares responsibility for security, not just a dedicated security team.

5. Integrate Threat Modeling

Incorporate threat modeling early in the development lifecycle to proactively identify and mitigate potential vulnerabilities before they become major problems. This involves analyzing system architecture, design, and workflows to find security risks. By addressing threats at the design stage, you will reduce the cost and complexity of fixes later.

6. Monitor and Iterate

Deploy tools for continuous monitoring of application and infrastructure security to detect vulnerabilities and threats in real time. Make sure these tools can provide actionable insights that help your team respond swiftly to issues. Use the data gathered from monitoring to refine security practices and improve your defenses.

DevOps vs. DevSecOps: In Brief

Now that you know the difference between DevOps and DevSecOps, you can see that choosing between them comes down to your organization’s priorities. If speed and collaboration are your focus, DevOps might be enough. However, for industries where security and compliance are a must, DevSecOps is essential to ensure robust protection without compromising delivery timelines.

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DevOps vs. DevSecOps FAQs

1. Can smaller organizations implement DevSecOps effectively?

Yes, smaller organizations can implement DevSecOps effectively, although they may find that limited resources are a challenge. Integrating security practices within existing DevOps processes and using automated security tools that scale with their needs will help smaller organizations improve their security posture without overwhelming their teams.

2. How can organizations measure the ROI of adopting DevSecOps?

Track key performance indicators such as reduced security incidents, faster time to market, fewer manual interventions, and improved compliance. You can also look at the cost savings from reduced breach risks and faster vulnerability detection.

In time, DevSecOps should lead to a more efficient development process, fewer downtime incidents, and a more secure product, which will positively impact revenue and customer trust.

3. Are there specific certifications for teams transitioning to DevSecOps?

Teams can pursue specialized training and credentials such as Certified DevSecOps Professional (CDP) and Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional (CSSLP). These certifications validate expertise in integrating security into DevOps practices and can boost team proficiency in managing vulnerabilities, compliance, and security risks.

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