Decoding DevSecOps and DevOps Engineer Courses

The DevOps software development methodology seeks to break down the barriers between an organization’s development and operations teams, improving collaboration, speed, and efficiency. DevOps has become a best practice for many businesses. In a survey by Redgate Software, 74 percent of companies say they have now adopted DevOps practices in some form (Redgate, 2021). DevSecOps is a variant of DevOps that adds security into the mix, making IT security an essential concern throughout the development process.

With DevOps and DevSecOps in high demand right now, you might be searching for the right DevSecOps or DevOps course to fit your career goals. In this article, we’ll discuss how to compare and decode DevOps and DevSecOps programs and certifications so you can choose the right one.

Embracing DevOps and DevSecOps: The Surging Demand for IT Professionals

Both DevOps and DevSecOps are poised for significant growth in the next several years. This larger economic growth has naturally led to greater business demand for DevOps and DevSecOps professionals. MarketsandMarkets estimates that the worldwide DevOps market will grow from USD 10.4 billion in 2023 to USD 25.5 billion in 2028, with an annual growth rate of 19.7 percent (MarketsandMarkets). Meanwhile, the global DevSecOps market will be nearly quintuple in size during this period from USD 3.79 billion in 2021 to $17.24 billion in 2028 (Grand View Research).

Understanding DevOps Courses

With all this in mind, what should you look for from a certification in DevOps? The key concepts, skills, and tools that you should learn during your DevOps engineer training include:

• Continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD): CI/CD emphasizes automating the software building, testing, and deployment processes to make them faster and more reliable. Tools include Jenkins, CircleCI, and GitLab CI/CD.
• Infrastructure as code (IaC): IaC manages and provisions IT infrastructure through code files rather than manual processes, further automating IT operations and management.
• Microservices and containerization: Developers build applications as a loosely coupled collection of microservices that can be deployed independently as containers with technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes.
• Logging and monitoring: DevOps teams collect logs and monitor application performance to quickly detect and resolve issues. Tools include Grafana, Prometheus, and the ELK stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana).

Some DevOps engineers choose a certification that trains them in a specific public cloud platform, such as a Microsoft Azure or AWS DevOps course. However, when you’re just starting out, this can limit your knowledge and opportunities. Instead, it’s a wiser idea to select a vendor-neutral DevOps course to learn the fundamentals and then specialize by pursuing further Azure or AWS DevOps training.

Exploring DevSecOps Courses

In addition to the tools and techniques taught in DevOps, a DevSecOps course covers many important concepts. These include:

• Shift-left security: The term “shift-left security” refers to bringing IT security practices and concepts early in the software development process, from design and coding to testing and deployment.
• Security testing automation: IT security should be baked into the software testing process to quickly detect vulnerabilities and weaknesses. Tools include both static (SAST) and dynamic (DAST) application security testing solutions such as SonarQube, Checkmarx, Burp Suite, and OWASP ZAP.
• Threat modeling and detection: In threat modeling, DevSecOps engineers identify potential threats to the application and formulate methods to mitigate or address them. Techniques such as vulnerability scanning and penetration testing can help confirm the presence of security risks.
• Secure code practices: DevSecOps engineers learn about secure code practices to prevent common exploits such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). They also learn about security concerns in IT infrastructure and containerization technologies like Docker and Kubernetes.

Comparing and Decoding DevSecOps and DevOps Engineer Courses

Of course, not all programs are created equal regarding the right DevSecOps or DevOps course. The factors to consider when comparing these certifications include the following:

• Content: Make sure that your DevSecOps or DevOps course covers the concepts and tools relevant to your career objectives, such as CI/CD, version control, cloud platforms, and security testing.
• Format: Depending on your learning preferences, goals, and schedule, you may prefer to attend in-person lectures with an instructor or follow an online, self-paced, asynchronous program.
• Expenses: Consider the course cost, training materials, and the exam. You can receive a scholarship or obtain tuition reimbursement from your employer.
• Hands-on experience: Practical knowledge is essential for DevOps and DevSecOps practitioners, so look for a certification that offers hands-on labs and projects to apply your theoretical knowledge.
• Support and community: Check to see if the course provides opportunities to connect and network with fellow students and instructors, such as forums, chat groups, office hours, or Q&A sessions.
• Industry value: To help advance your career, your choice of DevSecOps or DevOps course should be offered by a well-regarded institution with a large alumni network.

Job Market Trends and Opportunities for DevOps and DevSecOps

Whether you choose a DevSecOps or DevOps course, the future looks bright for those interested in these growing fields. As of Aug 2023, there were more than 46,000 jobs in the United States on LinkedIn with the keyword “DevOps” and more than 8,000 jobs with the keyword “DevSecOps.”

As more organizations become aware of IT security concerns, the demand for DevSecOps engineers will only increase. According to Veracode’s State of Software Security report, 74 percent of software applications have at least one security flaw detected through automated scanning in the past 12 months (Veracode, 2023).

IT professionals who acquire valuable DevOps and DevSecOps skills can be well-compensated for this knowledge. According to Glassdoor, the average salary per year in the US for a DevOps engineer is USD 103,801 (Glassdoor, 2023), and for a DevSecOps engineer is USD 104, 689 (Glassdoor, 2023).

Source: eccouncil.org