From DevSecOps to Engineering Excellence

As I sit here, sipping my third cup of coffee and staring at the blinking cursor, I can't help but chuckle at the journey that's led me to write this post. From bright-eyed DevOps enthusiast to battle-scarred security veteran, I've run the gamut of "Oops, I broke production" to "I can smell a vulnerability from three repos away." And now, I'm about to drop a truth bomb that's going to ruffle more feathers than a cat in a chicken coop: your DevSecOps may not be as "sec" as you think it is. Nor do you Dev or Ops well either.

Buckle up, buttercup.

We're about to embark on a journey through the levels of DevSecOps maturity that will either validate your smug sense of security or send you into an existential crisis.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

As we navigate this treacherous terrain of tools, practices, and acronyms that would make even the most seasoned alphabet soup enthusiast blush, remember: I've been there, done that, and got the "I Survived a Security Audit" t-shirt in all vendor logos. So, grab your favorite stress ball, prepare your most indignant rebuttals, and let's dive into the world of DevSecOps maturity – where the points are made up, let's be real, but the security implications are very, very 'real'.

DevSecOps Practitioner

So, you've been coding for a while and fell in love with automation. Now cybersecurity has caught your eye, and because you can script a pipeline, you feel like you're the next cyber guru. DevSecOps is the pinnacle, and you're killing it! Reality check: DevSecOps is the starting line, entry-level at best. Your 5 years of dev experience? That makes you a cyber freshman. Welcome to the big leagues.

To earn the title "DevSecOps Practitioner," one must grasp the basics of integrating security into the development pipeline and understand the fundamental concepts of code security and vulnerability management.

Prior Knowledge

Before reaching this level, practitioners typically have experience with software development and basic CI/CD processes. They understand the concept of automated builds and deployments but may have limited exposure to security practices in the development lifecycle.

Problem Statement

At the DevSecOps Practitioner level, security is often an afterthought in the development process. While some automated scans are in place, they lack depth and context. The primary issues include:

1. Pipelines exist but are not fully leveraged for security.
2. Security scans are superficial and don't impact the development process.
3. There's no standardized approach to handling security exceptions or vulnerabilities.
4. Threat modeling is overlooked or performed inconsistently.
5. Dependency vulnerabilities are identified but not properly contextualized or prioritized.
6. Commit messages lack structure and rarely address security concerns.

Solutions

To address these challenges and reach the DevSecOps Practitioner level:

1. Implement basic security scans in the existing pipelines, focusing on critical vulnerabilities.
2. Configure scans to generate reports, even if they don't break builds yet.
3. Start using default security rules in scanning tools to establish a baseline.
4. Introduce the concept of ad-hoc threat modeling for critical features or systems.
5. Begin flagging dependency vulnerabilities, even without full context, to raise awareness.
6. Encourage developers to mention security-related changes in commit messages, even if not yet standardized.
7. Familiarize the team with available security tools, regardless of their sophistication.

By implementing these solutions, a practitioner begins to bridge the gap between development and security, laying the groundwork for more advanced AppSec and DevEx practices in the future.

Remember, at this stage, it's about taking the first steps towards security integration, not perfecting the process.

Security Engineer Associate

Congratulations! You've leveled up from "I know cyber" to "I know what I don't know about cyber." At least now you're not breaking everything you touch.

To achieve the title "Security Engineer Associate," one must demonstrate a more structured approach to security integration in the development process, showing improved consistency in tool usage and a basic understanding of threat modeling and vulnerability analysis.

Prior Knowledge

Security Engineer Associates have typically progressed from the DevSecOps Practitioner level. They understand the importance of security in the development lifecycle and have experience with basic security tools and practices.

Problem Statement

At the Security Engineer Associate level, security practices are more formalized but still lack full integration and efficiency. The main challenges include:

1. Inconsistent configuration across security scanning tools.
2. Lack of appropriate severity thresholds for different project maturities.
3. Inefficient reporting mechanisms leading to lost or overlooked security information.
4. Limited coverage of repositories due to tool procurement focusing on reporting rather than comprehensive security.
5. Basic threat modeling is performed but not systematically applied.
6. Reachability analysis is rudimentary and not well-documented.
7. Lack of standardization in commit messages for security-related changes.

Solutions

To address these challenges and elevate to the Security Engineer Associate level:

1. Implement shared configurations for all scanning tools in the pipeline, ensuring consistency across scripted tools and hooks.
2. Establish severity thresholds for each tool, tailored to the maturity of repositories and team capacity.
3. Configure all tools to fail builds at appropriate severity levels, promoting security as a critical aspect of the development process.
4. Ensure all security reports are stored as pipeline artifacts, preventing loss of critical information in logs.
5. Procure and implement a more comprehensive security tool, focusing on broader repository coverage.
6. Introduce basic threat modeling practices for critical systems, making it a regular part of the development process.
7. Begin manual reachability analysis, focusing on direct dependencies, even if sporadic and not fully documented.
8. Encourage the use of conventional commit messages, particularly for security-related changes, even without full standardization.
9. Artifact signing and attestations have been explored.

By implementing these solutions, a Security Engineer Associate begins to create a more robust and consistent security framework within the development process. This level represents a significant step towards integrating security as a fundamental part of software engineering, rather than an afterthought.

The focus is on improving consistency, expanding coverage, and introducing more advanced security concepts, setting the stage for further advancement in DevSecOps practices.

Security Engineer Professional

Look at you, all grown up and speaking security fluently!

Just remember, hotshot, in the world of cyber, today's cutting-edge is tomorrow's legacy system. Keep pedaling.

To earn the title "Security Engineer Professional," one must demonstrate advanced integration of security practices throughout the development lifecycle without interrupting SDLC after any code commits, showcasing a proactive approach to vulnerability management and a commitment to standardized, and provide assurance to security processes.

Prior Knowledge

Security Engineer Professionals have built upon their associate-level experience, gaining deep knowledge of security tools, practices, and their integration into the development process. They understand the importance of standardization and efficiency in security workflows.

Problem Statement

At the L3 Security Engineer Professional level, security is well-integrated into the development process, but there are still challenges in achieving seamless, proactive security practices. The main issues include:

1. Potential for security issues to reach the pipeline stage, causing build failures.
2. Inconsistent reporting formats across different security tools.
3. Incomplete coverage of repositories and dependencies.
4. Reactive approach to security, focusing on discovery rather than prevention.
5. Centralized burden of security maintenance on a few key individuals.
6. Inconsistent application of threat modeling across all new features and systems.
7. Manual and potentially inconsistent reachability analysis for dependencies.

Solutions

To address these challenges and elevate to the L3 Security Engineer Professional level:

1. Implement git hooks for all scanning tools, ensuring local checks before commits reach the pipeline.
2. Configure all security tools to use standardized reporting formats (SARIF for source code, CDX/SPDX for dependencies).
3. Establish a policy to only procure modern tools that support standardized output formats.
4. Achieve high coverage across repositories through comprehensive tool implementation.
5. Develop and enforce conventional commit message standards, particularly for security-related changes.
6. Integrate threat modeling as a regular practice for all new features and systems development.
7. Create and implement manual reachability analysis playbooks for all dependency categories.
8. Train and empower all team members to share the security maintenance burden, rather than relying solely on leads or principals.
9. Start to create policy-as-code (OSCAL, Rego OPA)
10. Generate code analysis rules (Semgrep, CodeQL, Rego conftest)
11. All artifacts are signed, declaring attestations of activities performed.

By implementing these solutions, a Security Engineer Professional creates a robust, standardized, and proactive security environment within the development process. This level represents a significant advancement in maturity, where security is deeply ingrained in every stage of development. The focus is on preventing issues before they reach the pipeline, ensuring consistent and standardized reporting, and distributing security responsibilities across the team.

This approach sets the stage for even more advanced security integration and efficiency in the future. Allowing you to deliver quality software within expected security requirements without any fuss.

L4 Software Engineering Excellence

Well, well, well. You've reached the cyber equivalent of tech enlightenment. You don't just breathe security; you exhale zero-days. Your code is so secure, it makes Fort Knox look like a cardboard box. But don't get too comfortable on that pedestal – in this field, the moment you think you know it all is the moment before a new exploit humbles you. Stay hungry.

To achieve the pinnacle of "Software Engineering Excellence," one must demonstrate a holistic, proactive, and deeply integrated approach to security that permeates every aspect of the software development lifecycle, with a focus on continuous improvement and cutting-edge practices.

Prior Knowledge

At this level, engineers have mastered all aspects of secure software development, possessing deep knowledge of advanced security concepts, tools, and methodologies. They understand the intricate interplay between security, development, and operations, and are constantly pushing the boundaries of what's possible in secure software engineering.

Problem Statement

Even at the Software Engineering Excellence level, there are always challenges to overcome and improvements to be made. The main focus areas include:

1. Shifting from discovery-based to outcome-based security reporting.
2. Distributing security responsibilities across all team members.
3. Seamlessly integrating threat modeling into the continuous design process.
4. Automating advanced reachability analysis and risk assessment.
5. Standardizing commit messages for automated security documentation.
6. Implementing consistent policy-as-code for security assurance.
7. Ensuring artifact integrity and transparency.
8. Developing and maintaining custom, high-performance security analysis rules.

Solutions

To address these challenges and maintain the L4 Software Engineering Excellence level:

1. Implement VEX (Vulnerability Exploitability eXchange) reporting, focusing on outcomes rather than discoveries.
2. Foster a culture where all team members take ownership of security in their commits, treating security tooling as fundamental as unit tests.
3. Integrate threat modeling seamlessly into the design process, with continuous updates as systems evolve.
4. Implement advanced automated reachability analysis tools, with a triage queue for manual review of non-assailable items.
5. Enforce universal use of conventional commit messages, enabling automated VEX generation and clear security decision rationales.
6. Implement policy-as-code (using OSCAL, Rego OPA) for consistent security assurance reporting on every deployment.
7. Establish a robust artifact signing process with attestations and entries in at least two public transparency logs for external SBOM verification.
8. Develop and maintain generated code analysis rules (using tools like Semgrep, CodeQL, Rego conftest) that run in pre-commit hooks, focusing on business rules and reducing false positives.
9. Continuously educate team members on advanced security concepts, aiming for a deep understanding of frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK.

By implementing these solutions, an organization achieves and maintains Software Engineering Excellence. This level represents the cutting edge of quality Software Engineering and transparent Cybersecurity assurance, where security is not just integrated but is a fundamental, inseparable part of the software engineering process. The focus is on continuous improvement, pushing the boundaries of automated security, and striving for a level of maturity that outperforms vendor tools - a goal so lofty I playfully compare this goal to the heat death of the universe.

At this level, security is not just a practice but a mindset, deeply ingrained in every aspect of software development and operations. It's a state of constant evolution, always reaching for that next level of excellence in secure software engineering.