Find out what will make an effective DevSecOps engineer for your business
You invest heavily in your software development, only to lose money in constantly reworking and delayed releases. All because critical security and compliance requirements were overlooked.
It’s no surprise that IBM’s latest report shows companies averaging $4.45 million per security breach.
As a result, software development is now a field that demands high levels of specialization.
It began as the general work of “programmers.”
Today, work is assigned to a/an:
- Systems engineer
- Administrator
- Database developer
- Full-stack developer
- Software engineer
- Security team
- And, on and on
But modern companies have discovered that there’s no substitute for team members involved with every part of a product’s lifecycle. Why?
Because you need someone who can help you avoid those costly breaches.
This is the field of the DevSecOps engineer.
But what does operating within such a broad range of duties mean? And how can you be sure you’re working with an effective DevSecOps engineer?
In this article, we’ll discuss the role of the DevSecOps Engineer. We’ll also look at how you can make sure your company has DevSecOps covered. No matter your size… or the size of your budget.
Key Takeaways
- DevSecOps engineers are experts in multiple fields. They bring together their security and operations skills to help build software quickly and securely.
- The demand for DevSecOps talent is only going to increase. Engineers are currently bringing in $120k per year, and their market growth is projected at 32.2% CAGR through 2028. Still, automation platforms like DuploCloud provide a scalable alternative for cost-conscious businesses.
- Companies don’t necessarily have to hire in-house DevSecOps teams. They can instead adopt DevSecOps-as-a-Service solutions. These help streamline security and compliance without the high costs of recruiting and training new hires.
What Is a DevSecOps Engineer?
A DevSecOps engineer is a worker with the skill to deal with three distinct fields. Each one is essential to prioritize across each stage of modern software creation:
- Development
- Security
- Operations
This means they’re involved with creating the software itself, ensuring its security and compliance, and maintaining its reliable operation.
The same fundamental principles that govern DevSecOps engineers also guide DevOps engineers. In fact, it could be argued that they’re two different terms for the same practices.
But adding “security” to the middle of the job title underscores the organization that lies within it. It also focuses heavily on the engineer’s commitment to deeply integrated compliance and security processes in their products.
In other words, it reflects an internal decision to shift security left on the project timeline. No more leaving it as a potentially costly afterthought.
As awareness spreads of significant incidents, from one-off ransomware attacks to state-linked intrusions, more companies are adopting a DevSecOps approach to improve their cybersecurity posture.
Ready to take your utilization of DevSecOps to the next level? Check out The Comprehensive Guide to DevSecOps.
Understanding the DevSecOps Engineer Job Market
With median salaries grossing more than $120k per year, DevSecOps engineers are in high demand. Pay rates will likely grow at a healthy pace over the coming years as companies across the US. Our current leaders are notable brands like Netflix, Etsy, Twitter, Google, and Meta. These giants are gobbling up DevSecOps talent to build their in-house capabilities. Not surprisingly, the outlook for the global DevSecOps market reflects this trend.
It’s projected to grow by almost a factor of ten by 2028, moving from a $2.55B valuation to $23.42B at an impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32.2%.
It’s important to note that not all this growth is driven by organizations developing traditional DevSecOps teams. Some innovative companies are electing to use DevSecOps solutions like DuploCloud instead. This is especially true for mid-sized companies.
DuploCloud is the platform version of a DevSecOps team. We use automation to bake security and compliance requirements directly into cloud applications. This accelerates time to compliance and time to market.
Explore our solutions page to learn more about this powerful platform.
8 Skills Every DevSecOps Engineer Should Have
A DevSecOps engineer is the “jack-of-all-trades” of IT. These professionals possess a broad skillset touching on everything from internal communications to software development. They also aim to achieve mastery in most of these areas.
It’s a complex and demanding job. Here are the qualities that separate the best from the rest:
Educational Skillset
Relevant Technical Degree: Like many jobs in the cybersecurity space, most DevSecOps engineers have at least a bachelor's degree. These are typically in cybersecurity, computer science, or computer engineering.
That said, majoring in math, engineering, or science also provides a good foundation for a career in this field. Looking to hire a quality DevSecOps engineer? Don’t automatically exclude candidates who don’t have the standard educational pedigree.
Robust Industry Certifications: Employers also shouldn’t count out potential hires who lack a technical degree entirely. There’s more than one professional DevSecOps certification that provides the training necessary to succeed in this role. Some of the best options include certifications from Cisco, CompTIA, DevOps Institute, and Practical DevSecOps. Other organizations like EC-Council and (ISC)² also have certification programs for this career path.
Soft Skills
Strong Communication Abilities: As technical as a DevSecOps engineer’s job is, it’s also highly people-oriented. To be successful, DevSecOps engineers have to communicate complex and sometimes alien concepts to stakeholders.
And they’ve got to do it across the organization in clear, concise, and to-the-point language. Whether over an email or in a face-to-face meeting, these professionals have to be able to unpack:
- Scalability
- Automation
- Other intricate ideas
And they have to do it all without using jargon.
A Team Player Mentality: Because DevSecOps engineering is a cross-functional role, a candidate needs to be able to think and act like a team player. Some of the colleagues they work with may be entirely unfamiliar with DevSecOps. They may also be unsure of its usefulness. So DevSecOps engineers must continually bridge gaps to create a genuine internal momentum around their initiatives.
Hard Skillset
A Command of the Core Principles: One of the most important competencies any DevSecOps engineer should develop is a rock-solid understanding of the discipline's unique guiding principles. These include:
- a working knowledge of implementing automated testing
- rapid and incremental software updates
- developer-led security improvements
- threat preparation practices.
DevSecOps engineers also prioritize continuous compliance.
General Software Development Expertise: DevSecOps engineers should have the software development chops to build any tool or application. They must be able to address their organization's security vulnerabilities. They should be fluent in programming languages such as Python and Java.
They’ve also got to be comfortable using developer tools, including GitHub and Docker. Finally, they should have a comprehensive understanding of project management methodologies like Agile.
Deep Cybersecurity Knowledge: As cybersecurity is a core component of the DevSecOps engineer’s job description, these professionals need to know the latest:
- risk assessment techniques
- threat modeling approaches
- cybersecurity threats
- best security practices
They should also know how to use relevant tools such as ThreatModeler, Checkmarx, and Aqua.
Competence with the DevOps Toolkit: DevSecOps engineers should be able to use common DevOps configuration and automation programs such as Chef, Ansible, and Puppet. These tools help DevSecOps engineers accelerate the impact they can have on the software development pipeline.
How to Implement DevSecOps Without Hiring
Many companies choose to develop internal DevSecOps teams. But this approach is expensive and time-consuming. Recruiting a certified DevSecOps engineer in today’s market can leave your budget busted. Salaries exceed six figures, and don’t forget about the costs that come with hiring and training, not to mention ongoing certifications.
For smaller and mid-sized companies, this level of investment is just not sustainable. Plus, you likely need those security measures implemented now in order to meet customer demand. You don’t have time for training.
For this reason, many other organizations are opting instead for automated DevSecOps solutions. These provide the same benefits without the associated risks. They replicate the work of an in-house team at a fraction of the price. And you’ll get faster implementation.
Instead of waiting months to recruit and onboard an expert, you can integrate a DevSecOps-as-a-Service solution in just days.
One of the biggest advantages of this option is security automation. DevSecOps platforms can bake security and compliance directly into your infrastructure and workflows.
For example, infrastructure provisioning tools can automatically enforce compliance standards like HIPAA, SOC 2, or GDPR. Plus, continuous monitoring systems will detect any misconfigurations as they arise, in real time. You’ll know about vulnerabilities when they happen, and you can patch them right away.
So you’ll reduce human error and eliminate the lag that comes with manual checks as part of your security best practices.
Even better, you can scale with these solutions. As your company grows, the platform will adapt. You can add new workloads, apply security policies, and keep your entire flow in compliance. And you won’t even have to add staff.
For mid-sized companies aiming to compete with larger rivals, you finally have a level playing field.
Accessible via web UI, Terraform Provider, or API, DuploCloud is DevSecOps-as-a-Service.
Our platform allows developers to translate high-level specifications into cloud-native applications with security and compliance built in.
Explore our solutions page to learn how this platform can accelerate your software development pipeline.
FAQs
What’s the difference between a certified DevOps engineer and a DevSecOps engineer?
A DevOps engineer focuses on the collaboration between development and operations to get software developed quickly and efficiently. A certified DevSecOps professional builds on that approach by adding security to the process. At every stage of the software lifecycle, DevSecOps ensures compliance and protection.
Do all companies need to hire DevSecOps engineers?
Nope! An enterprise-level business might benefit from having a team in-house. But smaller and mid-sized companies can save time and resources by instead using an automated DevSecOps platform. DuploCloud is one such platform that offers most of the same benefits without the overhead.
What certifications are most valuable for DevSecOps engineers?
The highest certifications are typically CompTIA Security+, Cisco’s cybersecurity programs, DevOps Institute certifications, Practical DevSecOps, EC-Council’s CEH, and (ISC)²’s CISSP. These certifications demonstrate expertise across security and operations.
How does DevSecOps improve security compared to traditional methods?
Traditional approaches usually treat security as the final check right before you release a product. Unfortunately, this can lead to costly vulnerabilities if you find the issues too late. DevSecOps shifts security “left.” We use this term to describe how it integrates security right into the development process from day one. This approach helps:
- Prevent breaches
- Cut down on compliance risks
- Speed up delivery times
