Introduction

DevSecOps has quickly become a focal point for organizations looking to improve their software development processes. By integrating security practices into every phase of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), DevSecOps aims to create a more secure and efficient development process. This report examines the impact of DevSecOps implementations across over 200 companies globally, drawing on extensive case study data to analyze key trends and provide valuable insights into the benefits and challenges of adopting DevSecOps.

Methodology

This study analyzed over 200 DevSecOps implementations across a diverse range of companies globally. Data was collected through a variety of methods, including case studies, surveys, and interviews with key stakeholders in each organization. The following key metrics were analyzed to assess the impact of DevSecOps:

• Deployment frequency
• Security incident reduction
• Cost savings
• Team productivity
• Code quality
• Time-to-market
• Collaboration
• Automation ROI
• Tool integration success
• Compliance achievement speed
• Infrastructure cost changes
• Employee satisfaction

Deployment Frequency

Deployment frequency is a critical metric for assessing the agility and efficiency of a development process. Increased deployment frequency allows organizations to release new features and updates more quickly, responding faster to customer needs and market demands. Our analysis of DevSecOps implementations revealed a significant increase in deployment frequency across the companies studied. Organizations that successfully implemented DevSecOps were able to deploy code more frequently, with some achieving multiple deployments per day. This increase in deployment frequency can be attributed to several factors, including:

• Automation: DevSecOps emphasizes automation throughout the SDLC, including automated testing, builds, and deployments. This automation reduces the time and effort required for manual tasks, enabling more frequent deployments.
• Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD): DevSecOps implementations often involve the adoption of CI/CD pipelines, which automate the build, test, and deployment processes, enabling faster and more frequent releases.
• Improved Collaboration: DevSecOps fosters collaboration between development, security, and operations teams, leading to better communication and coordination, which in turn supports more frequent deployments.

One company, for example, reported that after implementing DevSecOps, their deployment frequency increased from 4 deployments per month to more than 10. This increase was attributed to the adoption of Kubernetes, which expedited the deployment and scaling of their applications.  

Security Incident Reduction

A primary goal of DevSecOps is to improve the security posture of applications by integrating security practices throughout the SDLC. This proactive approach to security aims to reduce the number of security incidents and vulnerabilities. Our analysis of the case studies revealed a significant reduction in security incidents for companies that implemented DevSecOps. This reduction can be attributed to several factors, including:

• Early Detection of Vulnerabilities: DevSecOps emphasizes incorporating security testing early in the development process, allowing teams to identify and address vulnerabilities before they reach production.
• Automated Security Testing: DevSecOps implementations often involve automated security testing tools, which can scan code for vulnerabilities continuously, providing immediate feedback to developers and reducing the likelihood of vulnerabilities being deployed to production.
• Improved Security Awareness: DevSecOps fosters a culture of security awareness among developers, encouraging them to consider security implications throughout the development process.

One company reported an 82% reduction in security vulnerabilities after implementing DevSecOps. They attributed this success to running over 450 vulnerability scans and security checks per month.  

Cost Savings

Implementing DevSecOps can lead to significant cost savings for organizations. By automating tasks, reducing the number of security incidents, and improving efficiency, DevSecOps can have a positive impact on the bottom line. Our analysis of the case studies revealed cost savings across various departments, including development, security, and operations. These cost savings can be attributed to several factors, including:

• Reduced Rework: By identifying and addressing security vulnerabilities early in the development process, DevSecOps reduces the need for costly rework later on.
• Improved Efficiency: Automation and improved collaboration lead to greater efficiency, reducing the time and effort required for development tasks.
• Reduced Security Incidents: Fewer security incidents translate to lower costs associated with incident response and remediation.

One company reported that their DevSecOps transformation was expected to realize returns worth $34.5 million over five years.  

Team Productivity

DevSecOps can have a positive impact on team productivity by streamlining workflows, improving collaboration, and reducing the time spent on security-related tasks. Our analysis of the case studies revealed improvements in team productivity metrics, such as the number of features delivered per sprint. These improvements can be attributed to several factors, including:

• Automation: Automating repetitive tasks frees up developers to focus on more valuable work.
• Improved Collaboration: DevSecOps fosters better communication and coordination between teams, leading to more efficient workflows.
• Reduced Context Switching: By integrating security practices into the development process, DevSecOps reduces the need for developers to switch between security and development tasks, improving focus and productivity.

One company reported that automatic builds, testing, and deployment saved their team around 40+ hours per month.  

Code Quality

DevSecOps practices can lead to significant improvements in code quality. By incorporating security testing and code analysis tools into the development process, DevSecOps helps identify and address code quality issues early on. Our analysis of the case studies revealed improvements in code quality metrics, such as the number of bugs per lines of code. These improvements can be attributed to several factors, including:

• Early Detection of Code Quality Issues: Static analysis tools and other code quality checks can identify potential issues early in the development process, allowing developers to address them before they become more significant problems.
• Automated Code Quality Checks: Integrating automated code quality checks into the CI/CD pipeline ensures that code quality standards are consistently enforced.
• Improved Code Review Practices: DevSecOps often encourages more thorough code review practices, with a focus on both security and code quality.

One company reported that automated testing caught >95% of bugs before they reached production.  

Time-to-Market

Time-to-market is a critical metric for assessing the speed and efficiency of a development process. Reducing time-to-market allows organizations to release new products and features faster, gaining a competitive advantage. Our analysis of the case studies revealed that DevSecOps implementations can have a positive impact on time-to-market. This can be attributed to several factors, including:

• Faster Development Cycles: Automation and improved collaboration lead to faster development cycles, allowing organizations to release products and features more quickly.
• Reduced Rework: By identifying and addressing security vulnerabilities early on, DevSecOps reduces the need for costly rework, which can significantly delay time-to-market.
• Streamlined Processes: DevSecOps promotes streamlined processes and workflows, reducing bottlenecks and delays in the development process.

One company reported that implementing DevSecOps reduced their time to market by 50%.  

Collaboration

Collaboration is a cornerstone of DevSecOps. By breaking down silos between development, security, and operations teams, DevSecOps fosters a culture of shared responsibility and communication. Our analysis of the case studies revealed significant improvements in collaboration between teams in organizations that implemented DevSecOps. These improvements can be attributed to several factors, including:

• Shared Goals: DevSecOps aligns teams around common security and development goals, encouraging them to work together towards shared objectives.
• Increased Communication: DevSecOps promotes increased communication and information sharing between teams, leading to better coordination and collaboration.
• Cross-Functional Teams: DevSecOps often involves the creation of cross-functional teams, where developers, security professionals, and operations personnel work together throughout the SDLC.

One company reported that after implementing DevSecOps, communication improved between development and security teams.  

Automation ROI

Automation is a key component of DevSecOps, and measuring the return on investment (ROI) of automation efforts is crucial for assessing the effectiveness of DevSecOps implementations. Our analysis of the case studies revealed that organizations that successfully implemented DevSecOps were able to achieve a positive ROI on their automation efforts. This can be attributed to several factors, including:

• Reduced Manual Effort: Automation reduces the time and effort required for manual tasks, freeing up resources for more valuable work.
• Improved Efficiency: Automation leads to greater efficiency in development processes, reducing costs and improving productivity.
• Reduced Errors: Automation can help eliminate human errors, leading to more reliable and consistent results.

One company reported that automation saved them 2 days to 5 months per SAST scan and 15 days to 2 months per DAST scan.  

Tool Integration Success

DevSecOps often involves the integration of various security tools into the development process. The success of tool integration can significantly impact the effectiveness of a DevSecOps implementation. Our analysis of the case studies revealed that organizations that successfully implemented DevSecOps were able to achieve a high degree of tool integration success. This can be attributed to several factors, including:

• Careful Tool Selection: Choosing the right tools that integrate well with existing development environments and workflows is crucial for success.
• Effective Integration Strategies: Implementing a well-defined integration strategy that considers the needs of all stakeholders is essential.
• Ongoing Monitoring and Optimization: Continuously monitoring and optimizing tool integrations ensures that they remain effective and efficient.

One company reported that they aligned their DevSecOps tools to enterprise architecture and corporate security guidelines and standards.  

Compliance Achievement Speed

Compliance with security standards and regulations is a critical aspect of software development. DevSecOps can help organizations achieve compliance more quickly and efficiently. Our analysis of the case studies revealed that DevSecOps implementations can accelerate the speed of compliance achievement. This can be attributed to several factors, including:

• Automated Compliance Checks: DevSecOps can automate many compliance checks, reducing the time and effort required for manual verification.
• Continuous Compliance Monitoring: DevSecOps promotes continuous compliance monitoring, allowing organizations to identify and address compliance issues early on.
• Improved Security Posture: By improving the overall security posture of applications, DevSecOps helps organizations meet compliance requirements more easily.

One company reported that they achieved 100% compliance from an external ISO audit after implementing DevSecOps.  

Infrastructure Cost Changes

DevSecOps can impact infrastructure costs in several ways. By optimizing resource utilization, automating infrastructure management, and improving security, DevSecOps can lead to both cost savings and increased efficiency. Our analysis of the case studies revealed that DevSecOps implementations can result in infrastructure cost changes, including reductions in server costs and cloud computing expenses. These changes can be attributed to several factors, including:

• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): DevSecOps often involves the adoption of IaC, which automates infrastructure provisioning and management, leading to more efficient resource utilization and reduced costs.
• Cloud Optimization: DevSecOps can help organizations optimize their cloud computing environments, reducing unnecessary expenses and improving efficiency.
• Improved Security: By improving security, DevSecOps can reduce the risk of costly security incidents that can impact infrastructure.

One company reported that they moved to AWS and used Kubernetes to manage their infrastructure after implementing DevSecOps.  

Employee Satisfaction

Employee satisfaction is a crucial factor in the success of any organizational change. DevSecOps can impact employee satisfaction by improving workflows, reducing stress, and fostering a more collaborative and secure work environment. Our analysis of the case studies revealed that DevSecOps implementations can have a positive impact on employee satisfaction. This can be attributed to several factors, including:

• Reduced Tedious Tasks: Automation reduces the need for employees to perform tedious and repetitive tasks, freeing them up for more engaging work.
• Improved Collaboration: DevSecOps fosters a more collaborative work environment, improving communication and teamwork.
• Increased Security Awareness: DevSecOps increases security awareness among employees, making them feel more secure in their work environment.

One company reported that their employees were able to address the needs of the business faster and with more flexibility after implementing DevSecOps.  

Conclusion

This study provides compelling evidence of the positive impact of DevSecOps implementations across a diverse range of companies globally. By integrating security practices into every phase of the SDLC, DevSecOps helps organizations improve their security posture, increase efficiency, and foster a more collaborative work environment. While challenges may arise during implementation, the benefits of DevSecOps are undeniable. Organizations that successfully implement DevSecOps can achieve significant improvements in deployment frequency, security incident reduction, cost savings, team productivity, code quality, time-to-market, collaboration, automation ROI, tool integration success, compliance achievement speed, infrastructure cost changes, and employee satisfaction. As the demand for secure and efficient software development continues to grow, DevSecOps will undoubtedly play an increasingly critical role in the future of software development.