Short answer

Integrate security considerations and collaborative practices into the design of development workflows and product architectures to achieve secure and agile software delivery.

Field: Innovation & Design
Source: Journal of Systems and Software (2024)
Method: Multi-vocal literature review and thematic analysis
Sample: 147 studies (104 white, 43 grey)
Evidence: Strong effect

DevSecOps aims to embed security throughout the software development lifecycle, moving beyond traditional security checks to a proactive, collaborative approach. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2024 study published in Journal of Systems and Software. Using Multi-vocal literature review and thematic analysis with 147 studies (104 white, 43 grey), researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Integrate security considerations and collaborative practices into the design of development workflows and product architectures to achieve secure and agile software delivery.

Study

Innovation & DesignRecentStrong effect

DevSecOps integrates security into rapid development cycles by addressing challenges with specific practices and tools.

DevSecOps aims to embed security throughout the software development lifecycle, moving beyond traditional security checks to a proactive, collaborative approach.

Journal of Systems and Software · 2024

Key Findings

01DevSecOps can be understood through five primary aspects: Definitions, Challenges, Practices, Tools/Technologies, and Metrics/Measurement.
02A Challenge-Practice-Tool-Metric (CPTM) model can be constructed to map the current landscape of DevSecOps.
03Security is often perceived as a bottleneck in traditional DevOps, necessitating a shift towards integrated security measures.

Application

Design takeaway

Integrate security considerations and collaborative practices into the design of development workflows and product architectures to achieve secure and agile software delivery.

How to apply

When designing software systems or development processes, proactively identify potential security challenges and select appropriate practices and tools that align with a DevSecOps philosophy.

Project actions

01When designing a system, think about how security can be built in from the beginning, not added later.
02Consider how different teams (design, development, security) can collaborate effectively throughout the project lifecycle.

Method & Evidence

AimWhat are the core components and interrelationships of DevSecOps in terms of challenges, practices, tools, and metrics?

MethodMulti-vocal literature review and thematic analysis

ProcedureA comprehensive review of both academic (white) and industry (grey) literature was conducted to identify trends and research in DevSecOps. Thematic analysis was then applied to synthesize the findings into key aspects and develop a model.

Sample147 studies (104 white, 43 grey)

ContextSoftware development and IT operations

Variables

IVDevSecOps practices and tools

DVSoftware security posture, development velocity, collaboration effectiveness

CVTeam structure, project complexity, existing infrastructure

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Comprehensive review of both academic and industry perspectives.
+Development of a structured model (CPTM) for understanding DevSecOps.

Limitations

The availability and complexity of DevSecOps tools can vary, and implementing them might require significant organizational change.

Reliability & validity

The multi-vocal literature review approach enhances reliability by incorporating diverse sources. Validity is supported by thematic analysis, which systematically identifies patterns in the data.

Think critically

How does the perceived conflict between rapid development (DevOps) and thorough security (traditional security) get resolved in DevSecOps, and what are the design implications of this resolution?

Design Principles

"Security by design and by default, enabled through collaborative processes and integrated tooling."

For design practitioners, understanding DevSecOps is crucial for developing products and systems that are not only functional and user-friendly but also inherently secure. This approach influences the design of development processes, toolchains, and even the architecture of software itself.

What This Means for Your Design

DevSecOps is a way to make software development faster and more secure by having developers, security experts, and IT operations work together from the start, using special tools and methods.

How to use in your project

1.Reference the CPTM model to structure your analysis of security challenges and practices within your design project.
2.Use the findings to justify the integration of specific security tools or collaborative workflows in your proposed solution.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

The DevSecOps approach, as highlighted by research, emphasizes integrating security throughout the software development lifecycle. This involves addressing challenges with specific practices and tools, moving security from a late-stage gatekeeper to a continuous, collaborative effort among development, operations, and security teams. For a design project, this translates to proactively embedding security considerations into the initial design phases and selecting tools and workflows that facilitate this integration, thereby enhancing both agility and resilience.

Source

Journal of Systems and Software

Identifying the primary dimensions of DevSecOps: A multi-vocal literature review

journal · 2024

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about devsecops integrates security into rapid development cycles by addressing challenges with specific practices and tools?: Integrate security considerations and collaborative practices into the design of development workflows and product architectures to achieve secure and agile software delivery. Evidence: Journal of Systems and Software (2024).
Why does "DevSecOps integrates security into rapid development cycles by addressing challenges with specific practices and tools." matter for design?: For design practitioners, understanding DevSecOps is crucial for developing products and systems that are not only functional and user-friendly but also inherently secure. This approach influences the design of development processes, toolchains, and even the architecture of software itself.
How can designers apply this research?: Integrate security considerations and collaborative practices into the design of development workflows and product architectures to achieve secure and agile software delivery.
What were the main findings?: DevSecOps can be understood through five primary aspects: Definitions, Challenges, Practices, Tools/Technologies, and Metrics/Measurement.. A Challenge-Practice-Tool-Metric (CPTM) model can be constructed to map the current landscape of DevSecOps.. Security is often perceived as a bottleneck in traditional DevOps, necessitating a shift towards integrated security measures.
What research method was used?: Multi-vocal literature review and thematic analysis with 147 studies (104 white, 43 grey).
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2024 journal from Journal of Systems and Software.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When designing software systems or development processes, proactively identify potential security challenges and select appropriate practices and tools that align with a DevSecOps philosophy.
What are the limitations?: The review primarily focused on literature up to 2021, and the global application of DevSecOps remains an area with less explored research.