Section 10: AWS DevSecOps & Automation
DevSecOps integrates security at every phase of the software development lifecycle (SDLC). Automation enables fast, repeatable, and secure operations—vital for protecting sensitive systems in government environments.
Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC)​
Security activities are embedded throughout SDLC, ensuring compliance and risk reduction.
| Phase | Description |
|---|---|
| Design & Threat Model | Identify risks early (STRIDE, DREAD). Plan security in architecture. |
| Secure Coding | Adhere to standards (OWASP, CWE) and use SAST tools. |
| Security Testing | Employ DAST, SCA, and penetration testing. |
CI/CD with Security Gates​
Automated pipelines enforce security at every deployment stage.
| Gate | Description |
|---|---|
| SAST | Code scanned on commit. |
| SCA | Dependencies checked for vulnerabilities. |
| Container Scans | Images checked before registry push (Amazon ECR). |
| Policy as Code | Security policies enforced automatically (AWS Config, SCP). |
| Automated Rollback | Rapid revert to secure state if issues detected. |
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) & Security​
IaC governs infrastructure with code—versioned, tested, repeatable, and secure.
| IaC Controls | Description |
|---|---|
| Least Privilege | Restrictive IAM roles/policies. |
| Encryption Default | Data encrypted (at rest/in transit). |
| Network Segmentation | Strict security groups, ACLs. |
| Logging/Monitoring | Use CloudTrail, CloudWatch, AWS Config. |
| Security Scanning | Templates scanned for misconfigurations before release. |
| Remediation | Automatic fixes or alerts for non-compliance. |
Security Automation & Orchestration​
Automation enables fast response, monitoring, and secrets protection.
| Automation Area | Description |
|---|---|
| Incident Response | Automated workflows for alerts (GuardDuty, Lambda). |
| Central Logging | Centralized log aggregation (S3, Athena, SIEM). |
| Secrets Management | Stored in AWS Secrets Manager; auto-rotation. |
Govt/Classified Considerations​
| Priority | Description |
|---|---|
| Compliance | Map controls to frameworks (FedRAMP, SRG, NIST). |
| Supply Chain | Integrity scanning for all code/components. |
| Cross-Domain | Controls for data/code flow between domains. |
| Air-Gapped | Offline CI/CD, strict manual reviews. |
| Training/Culture | Ongoing DevSecOps/security education. |
Summary:
DevSecOps with automation in AWS delivers fast, secure, and compliant deployments for sensitive government systems. Security must be coded into every phase—from initial design and IaC, through CI/CD, to incident response and ongoing training.