10 DevSecOps Tools to Know as a Developer or Sysadmin

DevSecOps is an emerging software development methodology that integrates security practices into DevOps. By shifting security "left" and automating security checks and testing early in the development lifecycle, DevSecOps aims to reduce risk and deliver secure code faster.

To implement effective DevSecOps, having the right tools is crucial. This comprehensive guide looks at 10 must-know DevSecOps tools covering vulnerability scanning, secrets management, infrastructure security, and more.

What is DevSecOps?

DevSecOps combines development (Dev), IT operations (Ops), and security (Sec) to enable rapid and secure software delivery. Instead of siloed teams, everyone shares responsibility for security.

As Muhammed Ibrahim writes on GeekFlare, DevOps focuses on combining development and IT to enable continuous delivery via automated pipelines. DevSecOps takes it further by integrating security across the entire lifecycle – from coding to deployment.

With DevOps, testing and security happen later. But modern release cycles are too fast – issues found late are expensive to fix. DevSecOps shifts security "left" by baking it in from the start. Security scans, tests and checks run early as code is written.

This ensures vulnerabilities and weaknesses are caught and fixed quickly before making it to production. The result is more secure code releases in shorter cycles.

Why DevSecOps Tools Matter

To shift security left, having the right DevSecOps tools is key. As Riyaz Walikar explains on Medium, these tools allow teams to:

Automate repetitive security tasks like scanning and testing
Integrate security into CI/CD pipelines
Collaborate on security via shared dashboards and reporting
Scale security across large, complex environments
Monitor and visualize security metrics and Compliance

DevSecOps tools should be easy to use by everyone, not just security pros. They must also fit neatly into existing workflows without slowing things down.

Categories of DevSecOps Tools

There are many types of DevSecOps tools and solutions available. Here are some of the main categories:

Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

SAST tools analyze source code for vulnerabilities without executing the app. They scan code for insecure patterns, backdoors, weak cryptography, and more. Popular SAST tools include SonarQube, Checkmarx, Synopsys, and Veracode.

Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)

DAST analyzes apps in run-time by attacking the running application. DAST tools crawl the app, send simulated attacks, and detect vulnerabilities like XSS, SQLi, etc. Top options include OWASP ZAP, Acunetix, and PortSwigger Burp Suite.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Scanning

These tools scan infrastructure-as-code files and cloud templates for misconfigurations. They help enforce security best practices for Terraform, CloudFormation, Kubernetes YAML, and more. Prominent tools include Checkov, Terrascan, and Indeni Cloudrail.

Secret Management

Secret management tools securely store and control access to keys, tokens, passwords and other secrets needed across environments. Leading solutions include HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, and Thycotic Secret Server.

Container Scanning

Container scanners check for vulnerabilities, malware, and misconfigurations in container images and runtimes. Popular options are Aqua, Anchore, Qualys, and Trivy.

Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPPs)

CWPPs secures workloads and infrastructure across public cloud environments. They provide posture management, vulnerability management, compliance, and runtime protection. Top tools include Qualys Cloud Platform, Palo Alto Prisma Cloud, and Rapid7 DivvyCloud.

Software Composition Analysis (SCA)

SCA scans app dependencies and open source components for vulnerabilities. It identifies vulnerable libraries needing patching or upgrading. Snyk, Sonatype Nexus, and Black Duck are leading SCA tools.

Penetration Testing

Pen testing tools simulate attacker behaviors to probe environments for exploitable weaknesses. Some provide automated scanning while others enable manual testing. Common options include Metasploit, Nessus, Acunetix, and Kali Linux.

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

SIEM solutions collect and analyze logs, events, and alerts from multiple sources. They aggregate security data to detect threats, investigate incidents, and meet compliance requirements. Top SIEM tools include Splunk, IBM QRadar, Rapid7 InsightIDR, and LogRhythm.

Compliance

These tools assess environments against security policies, regulations, and standards like PCI DSS, HIPAA, ISO 27001, and NIST. They identify gaps and generate compliance reports. Chef InSpec, Tripwire, and SolarWinds Security Event Manager are popular compliance solutions.

Now let‘s look at 10 specific DevSecOps tools to consider adopting.

10 Top DevSecOps Tools

1. SonarQube

SonarQube is an open source static analysis tool to detect bugs and security vulnerabilities in source code. It supports over 20 programming languages including Java, C#, JavaScript, TypeScript, C/C++, and Python.

As Houston Briedenbach notes on Strongsphere, SonarQube highlights coding mistakes like unused variables, duplication, and complex code. The vulnerability scanner flags security issues like SQL injection and cross-site scripting.

Developers can fix flaws before checking in code. Automatic quality gates halt bad code. SonarQube integrates with CI tools like Jenkins, Azure DevOps, and Bitbucket Pipelines. Customizable dashboards provide visibility into quality metrics and security risks.

2. OWASP ZAP

The OWASP Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) is a popular open source web app scanner. It is designed for developers and security experts to test web apps for vulnerabilities during development.

ZAP offers automated and manual scanning options. Automated scanning crawls the app to map all pages and functionality. Manual testing allows you to explore interesting areas.

Key features include passive and active scanning, fuzz testing, REST API scanning, AJAX crawling, and integration via CLI, IDE plugins, and CI/CD pipelines. ZAP generates scan reports with risk levels, remediation guidance, and links to resources.

3. HashiCorp Vault

HashiCorp Vault is a secrets management tool for securely storing and tightly controlling access to tokens, passwords, certificates, API keys and encryption keys.

As Yevgeniy Brikman describes on Gruntwork, Vault provides encryption, access policies, and auditing to protect critical secrets across environments. It exposes secrets via API instead of storing them directly on disks or in config files.

Vault enables fine-grained access controls and credential rotation. It can dynamically generate short-lived credentials for more security. Vault also supports encryption as a service, PKI, and privileged access management.

4. Checkov

Checkov by Bridgecrew is an open source static code analysis tool specialized for infrastructure as code (IaC). It scans Terraform, CloudFormation, Kubernetes, and other IaC files for misconfigurations and security risks.

Checkov uses graph-based scanning to understand relationships between components. This finds issues like open security groups, unencrypted data stores, and more. Checkov checks IaC code against a framework of best practice policies.

It integrates smoothly into CI/CD pipelines to shift security left. Checkov is highly extensible – users can easily create custom policies and plugins.

5. Snyk

Snyk offers a developer-first approach to application security. It combines open source vulnerability management, container security, infrastructure as code scanning, and seamless integration into DevSecOps workflows.

The Snyk vulnerability scanner tests dependency manifests and containers for known security flaws in open source libraries. It also detects vulnerable packages in application images and runtimes. Misconfigurations in infrastructure as code get flagged via integrated SAST checks.

Snyk integrates tightly with GitHub, BitBucket, GitLab, VS Code, and CI/CD tools. Developers can fix issues right from their IDE without leaving their workflow. Custom GitHub checks and pull request apps catch vulnerabilities before merging to the main branch.

6. Aqua

Aqua Security provides full lifecycle protection for container and cloud native applications. Its platform spans vulnerability management, runtime security, and cloud security posture management.

Aqua scans containers and images for malware, vulnerabilities, sensitive data, and insecure configurations. At runtime it enforces access control, segmentation, encryption, and activity monitoring via host agents and network controls.

For cloud infrastructure security, Aqua checks the security state of Kubernetes, cloud storage, VPCs, load balancers and more. It detects misconfigurations, compliance gaps, and suspicious activity across public cloud environments.

7. ThreatMapper

ThreatMapper is an automated threat modeling tool by Secure Code Warrior. It allows developers and architects to identify and remediate security design flaws early before implementation.

Threat modeling traditionally requires significant security expertise. ThreatMapper streamlines the process for everyone. It auto-generates threat models from application architecture diagrams and code. Users get visual models showing components, data flows, trust levels, and threats.

Embedded intelligence highlights critical threats and prioritizes remediation. Guided fix advice specific to the codebase helps teams address issues. ThreatMapper integrates with SDLC and IDEs to shift threat modeling left.

8. Metasploit

Metasploit is a popular open source penetration testing framework used to test for exploitable weaknesses. It comes with over 3,000 built-in exploits and payloads to automate security testing.

John Melton explains on Comparitech that Metasploit allows security teams to simulate real attacks. The modular framework can be extended using third-party or custom plugins.

Key features include exploit automation, evasion modules, payloads to evade detection, collaboration via Metasploit Pro, and integration with leading SIEMs and dashboards.

While powerful, Metasploit requires expertise to use safely. Other options like Kali Linux also provide a wide range of ethical hacking tools.

9. CloudPassage

CloudPassage provides continuous security and compliance monitoring across public cloud environments like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.

The Halo cloud security platform delivers complete visibility into cloud assets, configurations, vulnerabilities, and activities. Halo uses automated scanning and AI-driven analytics to detect threats and policy violations across servers and containers.

For compliance, Halo checks cloud configurations against benchmarks like CIS Foundations and provides detailed remediation advice. Halo integrates via 150+ pre-built actions with ServiceNow, Slack, PagerDuty and other IT systems.

10. Contrast Security

Contrast Security protects web applications via instrumented software agents that embed security within apps without changing code. Agents identify vulnerabilities at runtime and block attacks.

According to Chris Tozzi at Fixate IO, Contrast applies runtime application self protection (RASP) to secure apps while in production. RASP offers context-aware analysis by executing within the app environment.

Agents isolate and interpret attack data to provide complete insight versus traditional perimeter tools. Security teams get actionable findings to quickly investigate issues and prevent breaches.

Contrast also offers interactive application security testing (IAST) by analyzing code, libraries, data flows, and configurations during development. Integration is available for popular languages and frameworks.

Implementing Effective DevSecOps Toolchains

With an ever-growing landscape of DevSecOps tools and solutions, the key is picking the right ones for your needs and using them effectively. Here are some best practices:

Start with gaps: Assess your current workflows, identify weak spots and choose tools to address specific gaps like scanning IaC or secrets management. Resist the urge to adopt every shiny new tool.
Integrate seamlessly: The best tools plug right into developer workflows supported by existing IDEs, repositories, pipelines, and ticketing systems. Avoid disjointed one-off tools.
Promote collaboration: Opt for tools with shared reporting and dashboards to drive security collaboration between Dev and Sec teams. Make security transparent.
Focus on productivity: Select user-friendly tools that make security tasks easy for developers without being disruptive or distracting. Avoid complex enterprise tools requiring Significant expertise.
Consider open source: Mature OSS tools like ZAP, Trivy, and Checkov offer capabilities on par with paid tools for a fraction of the cost. For other capabilities, commercial tools may be preferable.
Leverage automation: Tools should automate mundane tasks like dependency scanning, misconfiguration detection, test case generation etc. so teams can focus on value delivery.
Support iteration: Tools should enable easy remediation and re-testing of issues. Integration with ticketing systems helps track progress.
Provide visibility: Actionable findings, detailed reporting, customizable dashboards and metrics give leadership visibility into risk reduction.
Secure the pipeline: Tools should embed security across the entire pipeline – code, build, test, release, deploy, run. End-to-end protection reduces risk.

Conclusion

Implementing DevSecOps requires the right tools to integrate security into high-velocity development pipelines without compromising speed or innovation. This guide provided an overview of key DevSecOps tool categories and top tools to consider for comprehensive security across the DevOps lifecycle – from code to cloud.

The toolchain used will vary based on your tech stack and workflows. The critical thing is using these tools to automate security, enable collaboration between dev and sec teams, deliver visibility, and shift security as far left as possible.

With the right solutions that enhance rather than hinder development velocity, teams can release secure, resilient software faster than ever.