Security Starts with Pipeline: What DevOps Can Do Without Being Experts


Posted on by Radhakrishnan Krishna Kripa

Security no longer starts at the perimeter. It starts in the pipeline.

As organizations embrace DevOps and cloud-native architectures, they face increasingly complex security challenges. While many developers and DevOps professionals still view security as the responsibility of the security team, the truth is that DevOps teams are uniquely positioned to improve security even without deep expertise.

In fast-paced engineering environments, the lines between development, operations, and security are increasingly blurred. Yet, many teams still treat security as a post development concern, something to be “added on” by experts later. That mindset is outdated and very risky.

By embedding simple, proactive practices into its continuous integration and continuous delivery/deployment (CI/CD) pipeline, an organization can shift security left, reduce risk, and enable teams to deliver safer software without compromising velocity.

Why Security Belongs in the Pipeline

An organization’s CI/CD pipeline is where ideas become code and then code becomes production. It’s also where security should begin. The pipeline is not just a delivery engine it is a control point. And DevOps teams, even without formal security training, can harden this control point using thoughtful automation and safe defaults.

Most organizations do not start with full DevSecOps integration. But even incremental steps, especially when implemented at the pipeline level, can significantly improve a product’s security.

1. Secure CI/CD Foundations

If a pipeline is insecure, everything it builds and deploys is at risk.

  • Restrict access to pipeline configuration and secrets. CI systems like GitHub Actions, Azure Pipelines, or Jenkins often default to permissive settings to enforce them.
  • Use trusted agents or runners like on-prem virtual machines (VMs), internal physical machines, or cloud. Avoid executing jobs on public or shared infrastructure that may be compromised.
  • Isolate environments. Clearly separate build, staging, and production environments and also ensure secrets do not leak across them.

These are not advanced security measures, but they are good engineering practices.

2. Automate Dependency Scanning

Modern applications rely on a vast ecosystem of third-party and internal packages. A single vulnerable dependency can compromise an entire system.

  • Use scanners like Dependabot or OWASP Dependency Check to flag known common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) during the build.
  • Fail builds when critical vulnerabilities are detected.
  • Pin versions and use lock files to ensure deterministic, reviewed dependencies.

Once configured, these tools provide continuous protection with minimal overhead.

3. Practice Safe Secrets Management

Application Programming Interface (API) keys, tokens, and passwords should never appear in plaintext or version control.

  • Avoid hardcoding secrets in .env files or pipeline variables.
  • Use a secure secrets manager such as HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault, Azure DevOps Library, or Kubernetes secrets.
  • Automate rotation and audit access regularly.

An organization’s pipeline should consume secrets securely and covertly. They should not be stored.

4. Lint, Test, and Scan Early

Catch misconfigurations and insecure code before they reach production.

  • Use security focused linters for Dockerfiles, Infrastructure as Code (IaC) templates, and CI configuration.
  • Run static analysis tools like SonarQube to detect risky patterns in code.
  • Integrate checks into pull requests, not just post-merge. Early feedback is faster and more actionable.

Bonus: Generate an SBOM

A Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) lists every library and component used in an application. It is a crucial artifact for vulnerability awareness, supply chain security, and compliance.

Tools to generate SBOMs:

  • syft: Container and OS package SBOM generation
  • cyclonedx: Cross-platform SBOM spec and tools
  • trivy sbom: Combine vulnerability scanning + SBOM

This shifts security from being a blocker to becoming part of your quality process.

5. Monitor Pipeline Logs and Behavior

An organization’s pipeline is most vulnerable to attacks. Treat it like any production system.

  • Enable audit logging for changes to pipeline files. For example: azure-pipelines.yml and Jenkinsfile.
  • Digitally sign and verify build artifacts using checksums or MD5.
  • Alert on unusual behavior, such as changes to deployment logic or elevated permissions.

Visibility and accountability are key to preventing and responding to attacks.

Another Bonus: DevOps-First Practices That Scale

Some additional practices that bring outsized security value:

  • Harden container builds using minimal base images and scanning tools like Trivy or other options as available.
  • Validate Infrastructure as Code with tools to detect misconfigurations before they deploy.
  • Double check everything before it becomes a burden, surface security issues, and developer friendly feedback.

DevOps Can Drive Security Without Sacrificing Speed

With a few key changes like locking down your CI/CD pipeline, automating scans, and managing secrets responsibly, an organization can dramatically improve its security workflow and streamline it.

Security is no longer a function tacked on at the end. It is part of the engineering process, and it begins with how we build and deploy software. By making security a pipeline concern, we create a culture where safety and fast delivery go hand in hand.

Contributors
Radhakrishnan Krishna Kripa

Lead DevOps Engineer, Ansys Inc.

Blogs posted to the RSAConference.com website are intended for educational purposes only and do not replace independent professional judgment. Statements of fact and opinions expressed are those of the blog author individually and, unless expressly stated to the contrary, are not the opinion or position of RSAC™ Conference, or any other co-sponsors. RSAC™ Conference does not endorse or approve, and assumes no responsibility for, the content, accuracy or completeness of the information presented in this blog.


Share With Your Community

Related Blogs