Build security into the delivery pipeline: scan code and dependencies automatically, lock down CI/CD and repositories, secure infrastructure as code, and ship fixes fast.
Estimated time: 15–26 months · At about 10 hours a week.
Learning path
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Add SAST, dependency and secrets scanning to a pipeline.
Tune scanners so developers act on their results.
Hands-on projects and labs
Add Semgrep, Dependency-Check and Gitleaks to a pipeline for a sample app and tune out the noise.
Set up a pre-commit hook and push protection to block secrets.
Done when you can…
Run a pipeline that scans code, dependencies and secrets on every change.
Explain which findings should fail a build and why.
Beginner
Security in the software lifecycle
Learn where security fits at each stage, from requirements to operations, and why shifting checks earlier is cheaper. DevSecOps is the SDLC made continuous.
Understand runners, jobs, triggers, artefacts and deployments in a system such as GitHub Actions or GitLab CI. You cannot secure what you cannot build.
Generate attestations about how artefacts were built and sign them, so deployers can verify origin. This connects DevSecOps with supply chain security.
DevSecOps puts security checks into the same pipeline that builds and ships software, so problems are caught early and fixed by the people who wrote the code. It replaces the end-of-project security review with continuous, automated feedback.
The field covers scanning code, dependencies, containers and infrastructure definitions; securing the pipeline itself, which is a prime target; managing secrets; and enforcing policy as code. It needs both security knowledge and comfort with build and deployment tooling.
Why it matters
The pipeline is where software, credentials and production access meet, which makes it both the best place to catch flaws and a high-value target. Teams need engineers who can make security automatic without slowing delivery.
Typical job roles
Mid-levelDevSecOps engineerBuilds and runs security tooling in pipelines.
Mid-levelPlatform security engineerSecures CI/CD, repositories and build infrastructure.
SeniorSecurity automation leadDesigns the security controls across delivery.
LeadHead of platform securityOwns pipeline and platform security strategy.