What Is DevSecOps: Definition, Certifications & Careers

DevSecOps approaches integrate security into the operational and development processes. This new way of thinking about security is a natural response to the increasing cybersecurity threats emerging in the corporate landscape. ISO27001, the international standard for information security, recently updated its standards and controls to reflect this new landscape and the need to be more conscious of cybersecurity. The DevSecOps industry was estimated to be worth $2.79 billion in 2020, and the prediction is that the niche will see a growth rate of 24.1 percent between 2021 to 2028 [1]. 

A DevSecOps career can offer you the chance to work with cutting-edge technologies, learn valuable workplace skills, and help organizations streamline and enhance their development processes. With different routes into this career, you’ll find various DevSecOps certifications available that can provide your resume with a boost to help you get onto a DevSecOps career path.

What exactly is DevSecOps?

DevSecOps combines information security best practices with the ability to integrate and deploy software changes continuously. The combination of DevOps and Sec can improve software reliability, security, and quality. DevSecOps is an approach to development that grew out of DevOps. Rather than considering security in late development and post-development phases, DevSecOps makes security integral to development activities through the development lifecycle.

What does a DevSecOps professional do?

A DevSecOps professional is responsible for the security of the software development process, including automating scans, code verification, and developing security protocols. In this role, you’ll work with operations staff and developers to ensure that teams design security into the software from the start and that the software environment is secure and monitored continuously.

How do you start a career in DevSecOps?

Experience is highly prized when employers are looking at DevSecOps job applicants. You’ll find different routes to working in this function. You can take various jobs to help you prepare for a DevSecOp role. The important thing is to get some valuable experience before moving into the pressure of a security-focused role. 

For example, working as a software developer can help you build experience with coding and developing applications. This job can give you experience in the Dev side of the role. Working in operations or a security role will provide you with experience with the business tools, systems, and processes used to manage and secure software applications.

Should you opt to pursue a college degree, research which major would be most beneficial for your career goals. Depending on the roles you’re targeting, you might choose a degree that focuses on cybersecurity or a degree that is more software development-focused.

Attending conferences and workshops can demonstrate that you're keeping up with the latest security trends. Additionally, you can enhance your resume by taking courses and certifications. You'll want to make your resume as appealing as possible to potential employers. 

Certification options for DevSecOps engineers

One way to enhance your DevSecOps career prospects is to earn a certification in DevOps from a reputable institution. A certificate can help you demonstrate the specific skills and knowledge employers value. 

Here are some certifications to consider.

• DevSecOps Foundation

• DevSecOps Practitioner

• EXIN DevSecOps Manager

• GIAC Cloud Security Automation (GCSA)

• Certified DevSecOps Engineer (CDSOE)

• Certified DevSecOps Professional (CDP)

• DevSecOps Engineering (DSOE) 

• Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

• Offensive Security Defense Analyst (OSDA)

You’ll also find many online courses that can help you learn the basics of DevOps. Many employers will look primarily at your experience and skill set rather than your degree. However, most DevSecOps professionals have a computer science or cybersecurity-related bachelor's degree. 

Read more: 4 Ethical Hacking Certifications to Boost Your Career

Types of jobs in DevSecOps

You’ll find many types of jobs in which you can build a career in DevSecOps. For example, you could become a developer, a tester, an operations engineer, or a security analyst. Here are some roles advertised in DevSecOps environments and their average annual salaries.

• DevSecOps engineer: $116,2351 [2]

• DevSecOps software engineer: $124,195 [3]

• Cloud security engineer: $102,939 [4]

• Cloud and DevSecOps architect: $133,059 [5]

• Senior DevSecOps engineer: $124,258 [6]

• DevSecOps lead: $126,731 [7]

Skills needed in DevSecOps jobs

When you work in DevSecOps, you'll bring security to the heart of software development and deployment. You'll need an understanding of the organization’s development and operational side and will have programming and infrastructure knowledge to ensure that security becomes a vital part of the software lifecycle. To get a DevSecOps job, you'll need to demonstrate both technical and workplace competencies that map to your target role.

Technical skills

You must quickly adapt and learn new technologies in the ever-changing business and technology landscape. Having the capacity to troubleshoot and resolve technical issues fast is critical in this role. Here are some of the top DevSecOps skills you'll see in job advertisements.

• Understanding of code development and scripting languages like Java, C++, XML, and JSON

• Familiarity with automation tools like Puppet, Chef, and Ansible

• Experience with cloud technologies for cloud DevSecOps

• Working knowledge of security concepts and tools like firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems, and encryption

• Configuration management expertise

• Familiarity with basic Linux commands

• A keen understanding of networking concepts

• Cloud computing

• Continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD)

• Coding skills in at least one common scripting language, such as Python or Ruby

• Ability to use a text editor, such as Vim or Emacs

• Familiarity with basic Linux commands

• Ability to use a terminal emulator, such as PuTTY or iTerm2

Workplace skills

It's also crucial that you have strong workplace skills. The following skills can help you be more successful in your DevSecOps career and help you positively impact your organization. 

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills

• Ability to manage and prioritize tasks

• Knowledge of top-level cybersecurity subjects and issues

• Ability to research threats and draw up logical conclusions through well-thought-out, unbiased processes

• Ability to troubleshoot and solve problems

• Ability to learn new technologies quickly

• Ability to bring together data from diverse sources and articulate it into simple and concise information 

What is the future of DevSecOps?

With the ever-growing need for speed and agility, organizations are turning to DevSecOps to help deliver software with greater security and get it to the market faster. By automating security controls, integrating them into the software development process, and taking a more strategic approach to security, companies can mitigate the increasing risk posed by cyber threats.

More companies understand and seek the benefits of integrating security into their DevOps processes. The niche has an impressive predicted growth rate of 35 percent from 2021 to 2031, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) [8].

Learn the fundamentals of cybersecurity

If you’re interested in starting a career in cybersecurity, consider the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate on Coursera. This program covers topics like network security, cloud computing security, and penetration testing to help you learn in-demand job skills—no experience required.