The increased use of containerized and cloud-native environments necessitates integrating security measures throughout the entire Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). This study proposes a comprehensive DevSecOps model designed to address modern infrastructures' security challenges. Our model prioritizes the continuous inclusion of security measures from the initial planning stages to the secure decommissioning of applications. Key elements of the model are improved governance of security, frequent auditing, disaster recovery planning, and a focus on continuous innovation within SDLC. The proposed approach offers a robust basis for protecting development processes, ensuring resilience, and maintaining compliance in rapidly evolving technological environments by integrating these activities into the DevOps framework. The practical applicability of the model is validated by comparing it against the existing frameworks and its prospective capacity to significantly enhance security posture within organizations working with containerized and cloud-native environments.
In today’s fast-paced IT landscape, incorporating security practices into development and operational workflows is critical, giving rise to the DevSecOps approach. DevSecOps is an evolution of traditional DevOps methodology that emphasizes embedding security controls early in the SDLC, addressing potential security issues from the start. This proactive integration is critical because it ensures that security is not an afterthought but a fundamental part of the development process.
The problems created by traditional security
approaches, which frequently fail to keep up with modern
IT systems’ quick deployment cycles, drive the change to
DevSecOps. By adding security measures into continuous
integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines,
DevSecOps improves the capacity to discover and remediate
vulnerabilities early, minimizing security breach risk [
While containers provide agility and efficiency, they are
vulnerable to certain security flaws. These include
vulnerabilities in container images, misconfigurations, and
unsafe runtime environments. Containers frequently employ
images from public sources, which may include obsolete or
vulnerable components. Furthermore, containers may
contain unneeded software, which expands the attack surface
and poses significant security threats if not adequately
controlled [
As more organizations move to containerized systems,
the requirement for integrated security solutions grows.
Containers make installing and scaling programs easier but
may also provide entry sites for malicious attacks if not
properly secured. The significance of safeguarding these
environments is clear as organizations strive to secure their
applications and data from possible breaches [
Several issues arise when traditional security measures
are combined with the DevOps model. These include
incompatibilities with quick development cycles, challenges
in automating security processes, tool complexity and
integration concerns, configuration management issues,
container vulnerabilities, and cultural and organizational
hurdles. Addressing these difficulties is critical for the
successful implementation of DevSecOps, which allows
organizations to develop safe software quickly and
effectively [
DevSecOps practices are essential for improving the security of containerized environments, as they address unique security challenges, ensure a more secure and 0009-0001-5781-3518 (B. Leshchenko); 0009-0007-0091-0943 (B. Snisar); 0009-0008-1247-5990 (A. Stupak); 0000-0001-5659-4774 (V. Osadchyi) © 2024 Copyright for this paper by its authors. Use permitted under Creative Commons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). resilient IT infrastructure, and ultimately improve cybersecurity in modern software development.
This research aims to model all the practices under the framework and integrate them into the more extensive software development process, emphasizing cloud-native security. Our approach aims to enhance security by integrating security measures with DevSecOps in mind at each phase of development and operations. Identifying and addressing security vulnerabilities early on aims to reduce the risk of potential data breaches and other security threats. Ultimately, the research aims to establish best practices for implementing DevSecOps in a cloud-native environment. Enhancing overall security posture and resilience is crucial.
This research has several goals: identification and analysis of the current challenges. This includes examining the limitations of current security methodologies.
Additionally, the research will focus on developing strategies for integrating security measures seamlessly into the development process. By understanding the current challenges and limitations, the goal is to create a more robust and proactive security framework that can adapt to the evolving threat landscape. Ultimately, the aim is to provide organizations with practical guidance on implementing DevSecOps effectively in a cloud-native environment, ensuring that security is prioritized from the outset of the development process.
We focus on developing an expanded DevSecOps model that includes additional stages and practices such as security governance, disaster recovery, continuous innovation, and secure decommissioning.
Our work uses a complex methodological approach to create a complete DevSecOps model. The model should be designed specifically for protecting containerized and cloud-based environments. The research methodologies were devised to address the study's objectives and goals methodically.
The first method involves a thorough literature review, which is the foundation for understanding existing DevSecOps methods and unique security problems. This review included academic journals, conference papers, and business publications. “Gray” literature and materials from third-party vendors were also used in our work. The literature research gave crucial insights into the growth of security procedures in modern IT infrastructures and gaps in existing models, which influenced the succeeding phases of the research.
Based on the findings of the literature overview, a comparative analysis was performed to assess the efficiency of existing DevSecOps models and frameworks. This investigation thoroughly evaluated various models based on factors such as security integration into the SDLC, adaptation to cloud-native environments, and scalability in complex IT ecosystems. The comparison research highlighted substantial strengths and limitations in the existing models, enabling the identification of particular areas for development. This stage was critical in determining the design of the new, expanded DevSecOps model suggested in this study.
The third part of the research concluded with the development of a new model. Drawing on the findings of the literature study and comparative analysis, the expanded model was created to fill the gaps in current frameworks.
The new model’s structure is purposefully linked with the SDLC to ensure easy incorporation into existing development processes, making it both practical and successful.
The research uses these methodologies to establish a robust and adaptive DevSecOps model that organizations can use to improve the security of their software development processes, particularly in containerized and cloud-native environments.
This research offers a comprehensive DevSecOps model for organizations to integrate security into their software development processes. This model helps mitigate risks and enhance overall security posture in modern cloud infrastructures.
Our research will introduce an extended DevSecOps model, incorporating security governance, regular auditing, disaster recovery planning, and continuous innovation. This model ensures that security is integrated into development and maintained as the organization evolves.
Its alignment with real-world operational practices further reinforces the model’s practical applicability. Its design should be easily integrated into existing DevOps workflows, allowing organizations to adopt it without significantly disrupting their current processes. This ease of integration is essential for encouraging widespread adoption, as it reduces the barriers to implementing comprehensive security measures in cloud-native environments.
Our research should provide a scalable, adaptable, and comprehensive security model for organizations to protect their containerized cloud-native environments, enhancing security during development and ensuring ongoing protection against emerging threats.
foundations
Understanding the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) is essential as it offers an organized system for overseeing software development, guaranteeing productivity, security, and appropriate resource use at every project stage. SDLC provides an organized technique for developing software, ensuring that every stage—from design and planning to implementation and upkeep—carefully handles essential details. Researchers and practitioners can significantly improve the security of containerized applications, including security considerations at every level.
Several studies [
Consequently, the process used to design, develop, and test software is called the SDLC. Planning, design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance are some of the phases that make it up. Specific tasks, like gathering requirements, coding, testing for bugs, and software deployment, are part of each phase.
Models such as waterfall, iterative, spiral, and agile offer different approaches to structuring these phases to maximize development. By offering a methodical framework and enhancing planning, visibility, risk management, and customer satisfaction, the SDLC helps manage software development.
By comprehending the advantages and drawbacks of
each methodology, software development teams can make
well-informed decisions and adopt the most sustainable
approach, thereby enhancing the likelihood of successful
project outcomes in the long run [
Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)
Phases Models
Security Importance
Efficient planning
As suggested by Olorunshola et al., utilizing two or more
methods within a single project is recommended because
choosing a specific method can be challenging for a
company [
Unfortunately, their suggestions do not cover all modern SDLC. Despite the numerous techniques and models suggested, incorporating security remains a challenge.
Plan
Design Implement
Test Deploy Maintain Waterfall Iterative Spiral
Agile DevSecOps Systematic management Increased visibility Risk management
Customer satisfaction
Today, most teams recognize that security is integral to the software development lifecycle. Security can be addressed throughout the development lifecycle by following DevSecOps practices and conducting security assessments throughout the entire SDLC process.
In their research [
Using these phases, researchers and practitioners can create robust security plans that tackle the difficulties presented by containerized environments, ultimately producing more resilient and secure applications.
The term DevSecOps (an organizational software
engineering culture) means the processes of development
(Dev), security (Sec), and operations (Ops). The ultimate goal
of DevSecOps is to achieve safe and rapid code release.
Security was traditionally seen as a distinct stage that came
after the development cycle and occasionally even after
deployment. However, with the introduction of DevSecOps,
security procedures are now integrated into the whole
software development lifecycle, completely changing the
original strategy. Continuous security involves persistent
monitoring and real-time insight into security
vulnerabilities at every stage of the DevSecOps lifecycle [
DevSecOps’ primary idea is based on the principle of
“shifting left” [
Kumar and R. Goyal described the stages of the
continuous security process in their paper [
DevSecOps is a significant progression in IT operations that combines the speed and agility of DevOps with strong security safeguards. Its importance in containerized architectures cannot be emphasized, as it improves security and increases cooperation and efficiency among development and operational teams. DevSecOps adoption will be critical to ensure safe, robust, and high-performing IT systems as organizations increasingly embrace cloudnative technologies and complex microservice application architectures.
Containers and associated orchestration software used
in cloud systems provide new security challenges. Bader
Alouffi et al. [
Significant weaknesses exist in containerized cloud infrastructures, such as data tampering, unauthorized changes to stored data, data leaks, and the unauthorized exposure of sensitive information. The frequency of these weaknesses in the studied literature indicates that current security solutions are insufficient to properly defend cloud systems from all sorts of attackers. As a result, there is an obvious and immediate need for continued research to improve cloud security protocols.
Furthermore, the topic of data outsourcing—the transfer of control over sensitive data from users to cloud service providers (CSPs) remains a significant worry. This power transfer creates possible weaknesses, notably in data confidentiality and integrity. The evaluation emphasizes the significance of creating more robust security.
Culture is critical to effective DevSecOps workflow [
A DevSecOps culture [
DevSecOps is critical for managing the complexity of
modern programs that use microservices and containers. It
incorporates security into CI/CD pipelines to assure
ongoing protection and promotes a shared security
responsibility across development, operations, and security
teams. Without an established security culture, developers
will “take shortcuts” [
So, the keys to defining DevSecOps culture are recognising the importance of cooperation, continuous improvement, shared accountability, communication, and trust. These cultural components are vital for integrating security into the fabric of software development, ensuring that security is not an afterthought but rather a necessary component of the development process.
Cybersecurity audits have evolved as a critical element of
the overall cyber risk management strategy, mainly as
organizations rely more on digital technologies that expose
them to a broader range of cyber threats. The success of
cybersecurity audits (CSA) is critical for organizations
seeking to protect their digital assets’ integrity,
confidentiality, and availability [
The quality of these cybersecurity audits directly
impacts the effectiveness of an organization’s cyber threat
defense mechanisms. Understanding and quantifying audit
quality, as described in Rajgopal, Srinivasan, and Zheng’s
[
Rajgopal et al. [
However, organizations should realize that audits can be only one part of the cybersecurity puzzle. They must be integrated with other defensive methods to effectively combat the evolving landscape of cyber threats.
As a result, the ongoing improvement of cybersecurity audit procedures, guided by research and best practices, is crucial for organizations that strive to protect their digital resources and remain resilient to cyber threats in the long term.
Information Security Governance (ISG) is a strategic
framework that connects an organization’s information
security policies with its overall business objectives. It
ensures essential assets are protected while protecting the
organization’s value and reputation [
If practical, ISG is more than just a technology
requirement—it is a critical business function in which
senior management has to get involved. As noted by
AlGhamdi et al. [
ISG also ensures compliance with applicable laws,
regulations, and industry best practices. Compliance will
ensure that security practices within an organization have been
attested to regulatory standards and follow well-known best
practices. AlGhamdi et al. [
Organizations can reduce the risks of noncompliance,
such as legal penalties and reputational damage, by adhering
to regulatory frameworks and ensuring that security controls
are consistently deployed and reviewed [
Securely decommissioning IT assets, particularly storage devices containing sensitive information, is crucial to data security. Unfortunately, it is often overlooked and can pose significant security risks and legal obligations.
As the literature further shows, one of the key
challenges in IT asset disposal (ITAD) is ensuring that all
data stored on devices is irretrievably erased before the
hardware is repurposed, sold, or disposed of. The study by
Debnath et al. [
In the e-waste supply chain, improper decommissioning can escalate the risk even further. IT assets are difficult to track, and unauthorized parties may be able to retrieve sensitive information due to a lack of proper disposal methods, including the physical components that can retain recoverable data even after standard deletion procedures.
Integrating secure decommissioning practices into Information Security Management Systems (ISMS), such as ISO/IEC 27001, is critical for managing information security risks, including those related to IT asset end-of-life, and preventing unauthorized data recovery.
Secure decommissioning is a governance challenge, not just a technical issue. Organizations should establish clear policies for ITAD, including certified data destruction services and certificates, to ensure sensitive data is securely handled and reduce legal risks associated with data breaches.
Secure decommissioning is an essential part of IT asset management. It ensures an organization’s security from breaches and unauthorized access. Compliance with set standards and a strong policy on ITAD can ensure that data security prevails throughout the lifecycle of IT assets.
Innovation within DevOps is continuous and pervasive
throughout the software development and operation
lifecycle. Continuous innovation in DevOps is the ongoing
ability to respond to new requirements and market changes
while keeping the software up-to-date, efficient, and
competitive [
DevOps practices, including CI/CD, automation, and
cross-functional collaboration, help organizations maintain
agility and innovate quickly to respond to changing market
conditions [
There are several kinds of literature on continuous security
frameworks. The most important among them is presented
by Xiaofan Zhao et al.’s study [
Key obstacles to adopting DevSecOps identified using the CPTM model are organizational resistance, integration complexities, and the need for perpetual compliance. These struggles are further classified under organizational, procedural, technological, and business-related difficulties, providing a solid understanding of what stands in the way of successfully deploying DevSecOps.
The model emphasizes integrating these technologies into current processes to improve efficiency and security. It provides a variety of commercial and open-source solutions that enable these techniques. This guarantees that the right instruments are applied to successfully handle certain security requirements.
The ADOC model [
The ADOC model presented in Fig. 3 provides a way forward for organizations intending to apply DevSecOps principles through OSS when deploying in the cloud. This ensures built-in security at every stage of development and is applied through automation, making it far more achievable to deliver securely and cost-effectively developed high-quality software. The twelve-step process ensures that security does not become an afterthought but is considered an integral part of the DevOps lifecycle, thus raising the organization’s overall security posture.
Another great source of categorization information is
the GitHub repository by Sottlmarek, a popular and
wellorganized resource in the DevSecOps community library
[
The OWASP® Foundation supports software security through community-led projects, global chapters, and conferences. Agile frameworks and DevOps practices drive the software development industry, which often fails to integrate security concerns during deployment. Standard safety measures are sometimes ignored in continuous integration settings, leading to insecure Docker registries and the potential theft of a company’s entire source code. The foundation aims to address these challenges by promoting open-source software projects, ensuring security, and supporting collaborative conferences. They have created the DevSecOps Maturity Model for better security planning.
The DevSecOps Maturity Model, as shown in Fig. 4,
demonstrates the security controls applied when
implementing DevOps practices and how they can be
benchmarked. DevOps practices can also enhance security
by evaluating each part of a Docker image, such as
application and operating system libraries, for known
vulnerabilities. Attackers are intelligent and creative,
constantly evolving with new technologies and goals.
Guided by the visionary DevSecOps Maturity Model,
relevant ideas and actions are being implemented to
mitigate threats [
In this section, we conduct a comparative analysis of four prominent models: the Continuous Planning and Testing Model (CPTM), the DevSecOps Maturity Model, the Application Delivery and Operations Control (ADOC) model, and a generic DevSecOps library approach. Continuous Planning and Testing Model (CPTM) illustrates a cyclical approach to security that underlies the SDLC. It begins with the Planning phase, where security requirements are specified, followed by the creation phase, which focuses on the design of secure systems. The model emphasizes continuous Verification during the Implementation phase. In the Testing phase, the need to identify security vulnerabilities is prioritized before deployment, and the Release phase highlights secure release practices. CPTM presents a continuous loop of Prevent, Detect, Respond, Predict, and Adapt activities during the Maintenance phase, underscoring the importance of ongoing vigilance and adaptability to maintain secure operations.
DevSecOps Maturity Model provides a structured approach to scaling security practices in the SDLC. It starts with requirements gathering in the planning phase, where security needs are deeply embedded in project planning. In the Design phase, security is integrated into system architecture, making it a fundamental part of the design process. The Implementation phase focuses on secure Development, emphasizing secure coding and regular security assessments. Rigorous Testing ensures that security testing is an integral part of quality assurance. The Deployment phase incorporates security into the deployment pipeline, making security checks a continuous part of software releases. Finally, Maintenance ensures that security remains a top priority throughout the software’s lifecycle.
Application Delivery and Operations Control (ADOC) introduces a unique approach concentrating on delivery and operational management. The Planning phase aligns with strategic security planning, while the Code phase emphasizes secure coding practices as part of the design. During the Implementation phase, Commit activities ensure that code commits are secure and reliable. Build and Integrate activities in the Testing and Deployment phases to ensure that security is integrated into the continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline. The Maintenance phase is comprehensive, covering Package, Release, Configure, Accept, Deploy, Operate, and Adapt activities, ensuring security is maintained and adapted to changing environments and threats.
The DevSecOps Library takes a broader approach to DevSecOps, reflecting its practices in a more generalized way. It closely aligns with the traditional Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) stages while strongly focusing on integrating security measures throughout each phase. Planning involves the identification and integration of security requirements. Code reflects secure coding practices, while Build focuses on embedding security into the build process. The Test phase emphasizes thorough security testing, ensuring vulnerabilities are identified and addressed before deployment. Release in this approach involves the secure deployment of the software. Maintenance includes deploying, operating, and monitoring activities to ensure continuous security throughout the software’s operational life.
The comparative examination (Table 1) of these models demonstrates that, while each framework has distinct strengths and emphasis areas, they all strive for the same goal: seamless security integration into the SDLC. By comparing these models, we obtain significant insights into how security might be systematically integrated into software development processes, improving the security posture of modern software systems. As the threat landscape evolves, adopting and enhancing these models will be critical for organizations seeking to maintain strong security across the software lifecycle.
Following our research, we identified additional areas for improvement in existing models and their classification. Extra phases can be introduced to address the problems and practices discussed earlier. One key recommendation is to emphasize the importance of continuous education, ensuring all team members are regularly trained on security best practices, tools, and emerging threats. This helps a security-conscious culture within the organization, where every stakeholder plays a role in maintaining security. Incorporating disaster recovery and business continuity measures is also essential. Developing and testing plans that allow business operations to recover swiftly after a significant incident or system failure ensures resilience.
Additionally, regular security audits should be conducted to assess the effectiveness of security measures.
These audits should be automated and integrated into the CI/CD pipeline whenever possible to maintain alignment with current standards and compliance requirements.
As applications grow, security measures must scale accordingly. Adapting security strategies to the increasing complexity of container orchestration and cloud environments is vital.
Moreover, implementing governance frameworks helps ensure that all security practices comply with regulatory and organizational standards. These policies and procedures are crucial for guiding applications’ secure development, deployment, and maintenance.
Secure decommissioning processes are equally important when applications or components end their lifecycle. This involves securely removing data, dismantling infrastructure, and ensuring no residual vulnerabilities are left behind.
Lastly, encouraging continuous innovation in security practices and technologies keeps the organization ahead of emerging threats. Adopting new tools, methodologies, and approaches helps to navigate the everevolving challenges within the DevSecOps landscape.
Our extended model (Table 2) contains 20 elements,
which cover the whole range of actions required for the safe
development, deployment, and operation of contemporary
software systems. By including extra stages such as
monitoring, reaction, recovery, auditing, and education, this
model provides a complete framework that handles the
technical components of security and the cultural and
procedural factors required to maintain a strong security
posture.
This expanded model is especially well-suited for
addressing the complexities of containerized, cloud-native
environments, ensuring that security is integrated
throughout the entire software lifecycle. It can also be used
to develop and automate deployments of enterprise security
subsystems, as in our previous research [
The model addresses all phases of the SDLC and integrates security considerations at every stage, ensuring a comprehensive approach to secure software development in modern, cloud-native environments.
This study proposes a complete DevSecOps model designed to solve the security problems of containerized and cloudnative environments. By incorporating security practices throughout the SDLC, the model provides a solid foundation for organizations to improve their security posture. The suggested model incorporates essential aspects such as security governance, disaster recovery planning, frequent audits, and secure decommissioning to ensure that security is an ongoing and integrated part of the development process.
The comparison with existing frameworks shows that the expanded model fills gaps in current practices and provides a scalable solution that syncs with the dynamic nature of modern IT environments. The model’s emphasis on continual innovation and adaptation helps organizations stay ahead of emerging threats and changing security requirements.
Empirical validation of the effectiveness and scalability of the suggested DevSecOps approach through implementation in actual applications across several sectors. Automated security tool integration is another possible area to explore how these tools might be integrated into the suggested paradigm, particularly inside the CI/CD pipeline. Potential pathways for further study might include examining organizational and cultural obstacles to adopting DevSecOps methods and how training initiatives and strategic change management can help remove these barriers.
As technology advances, future studies should assess the model’s adaptability to new frameworks, such as serverless computing and AI-driven development processes.
Another approach is to examine how the suggested model affects efficiency and performance, especially in terms of development teams’ resource allocation and time to market.
Lastly, future research must focus on matching the model with different regulatory frameworks and investigating the possibility of automating compliance checks inside DevSecOps procedures.
Once addressed, these research topics will enrich and modify the proposed model to suit the changing needs of the software development industry and, hence, go a long way toward contributing to the development of secure and resilient IT infrastructures.