Top 10 Challenges of the DevSecOps Movement Today

The DevSecOps movement aims to integrate security seamlessly into the development and operations lifecycle, ensuring that security is not an afterthought but an intrinsic part of the software delivery process. However, while the concept is powerful, its implementation comes with significant challenges. Below, we explore the top 10 challenges organizations face in adopting and scaling DevSecOps today.

1. Cultural Resistance to Change

Traditional development teams are accustomed to working in silos, with security as a separate function. Introducing DevSecOps requires breaking down barriers between developers, security teams, and operations, which often meets resistance. Many teams struggle with the shift in mindset, fearing that security will slow down development.

Solution:

• Promote a security-first culture with leadership buy-in.

• Implement security champion programs within development teams.

• Foster collaboration through integrated security training and joint team efforts.

2. Lack of Security Expertise Among Developers

Many developers have limited knowledge of security best practices. As a result, security vulnerabilities are often unintentionally introduced into codebases, and remediation becomes reactive rather than proactive.

Solution:

• Provide secure coding training and hands-on labs.

• Integrate security tools (SAST, DAST, and IAST) into the CI/CD pipeline.

• Implement automated security guardrails to help developers write secure code.

3. Tool Sprawl and Integration Challenges

The DevSecOps ecosystem is flooded with tools—SAST, DAST, dependency scanners, container security tools, etc. Managing multiple security tools across various development pipelines can lead to fragmentation, inefficiency, and false positives.

Solution:

• Adopt centralized security platforms that integrate with existing CI/CD tools.

• Use API-driven security tools that work with existing development workflows.

• Prioritize developer-friendly security tools to minimize disruption.

4. Balancing Speed with Security

Organizations often prioritize speed-to-market over security, fearing that adding security controls will slow down releases. However, ignoring security early in the process leads to costly vulnerabilities later.

Solution:

• Automate security testing within the CI/CD pipeline.

• Implement shift-left security, enabling developers to identify vulnerabilities early.

• Use risk-based security approaches to prioritize critical vulnerabilities over minor ones.

5. Compliance and Regulatory Complexity

Different industries have varying security and compliance requirements (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, NIST, PCI-DSS). DevSecOps must integrate security controls that ensure continuous compliance without adding manual overhead.

Solution:

• Implement policy-as-code to enforce security controls automatically.

• Use compliance automation tools that generate audit-ready reports.

• Adopt frameworks like NIST 800-53 and CIS benchmarks to streamline compliance.

6. Security Visibility Across Cloud-Native Environments

With cloud-native architectures (e.g., Kubernetes, microservices, and serverless), security teams often lack full visibility into how applications interact across environments, leading to blind spots.

Solution:

• Deploy runtime security monitoring and anomaly detection tools.

• Implement identity and access management (IAM) best practices.

• Use Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) scanning to detect misconfigurations early.

7. Managing Open-Source and Third-Party Risks

Modern applications rely heavily on open-source libraries and third-party dependencies, which can introduce supply chain risks if not properly vetted.

Solution:

• Use Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tools to detect vulnerable dependencies.

• Implement automated dependency tracking with real-time alerts.

• Enforce strict third-party vendor security policies.

8. Measuring DevSecOps Success and ROI

Many organizations struggle to quantify the value of DevSecOps initiatives. Without clear KPIs, it becomes difficult to secure ongoing investment and executive support.

Solution:

• Define DevSecOps metrics such as:

  • Mean Time to Detect (MTTD) and Mean Time to Respond (MTTR)

  • Vulnerability remediation rate

  • False-positive reduction rate

• Implement dashboards to track security trends and improvements over time.

9. Secure Secrets Management

Poorly managed secrets (API keys, credentials, tokens) can be exposed in source code, leading to security breaches. Many organizations lack robust secrets management practices, making applications vulnerable.

Solution:

• Use secrets management tools (e.g., HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager).

• Implement automated secrets scanning in repositories.

• Enforce least privilege access and audit secret usage regularly.

10. Lack of Executive Buy-In and Budget Constraints

Security is often seen as a cost center, making it challenging to secure funding for DevSecOps initiatives. If leadership does not prioritize security, DevSecOps adoption stagnates.

Solution:

• Align security investments with business goals (e.g., reducing breach costs).

• Demonstrate cost savings by preventing security incidents early.

• Present real-world case studies where DevSecOps improved security posture.

Final Thoughts

Despite its challenges, DevSecOps is no longer optional—it’s a necessity in today’s threat landscape. Organizations that proactively address these barriers will be better positioned to deliver secure, high-quality software at scale.

At ezRACI, we help organizations streamline security collaboration and compliance through built-in workflows, audit trails, and integration with industry-leading tools. Want to see how ezRACI can optimize your DevSecOps strategy? Get in touch today!