DevOps revolutionized software development by making it faster and more efficient. However, as systems grow in size and complexity, security challenges inevitably arise. Lack of visibility into security coverage, tool interoperability issues, and overly permissive accounts can create security gaps that slow down deployments and introduce serious vulnerabilities.
Alarmingly, only 36% of security teams are fully embracing DevSecOps by integrating security into their DevOps processes. With security threats becoming increasingly sophisticated, joining this proactive majority is no longer optional. It starts with understanding the essential tools and the best solutions available to secure your DevOps pipeline.
What Are DevOps Security Scanning Tools?
Devops Security Scanning Tools are designed to integrate security measures directly into the software development lifecycle (SDLC). Instead of treating security as an afterthought, these tools enable teams to identify and address vulnerabilities early in the development process.
These tools offer a range of functionalities, including automated static and dynamic security testing, CI/CD pipeline security, infrastructure as code (IaC) security checks, secrets management, monitoring, logging, and container security. By automating security checks and embedding them into daily workflows, DevOps security scanning tools make it easier to consistently implement and maintain robust security practices.
Development teams can utilize these tools to perform automated security scans at various stages of the SDLC and collaborate with security teams to remediate identified vulnerabilities. Beyond scanning, these tools enhance communication and collaboration, ensuring a balance between rapid software releases and continuous security.
DevOps security scanning tools are fundamental to the DevSecOps approach, bridging the traditional gap between IT operations and security and enabling a comprehensive product security plan.
Types of DevOps Security Scanning Tools
A comprehensive security strategy in DevOps relies on a combination of different types of security scanning tools to protect the entire CI/CD pipeline and effectively shift security left. Here are some essential categories:
DevOps Security Toolchain
DevOps security toolchain tools provide a unified platform to manage and automate various security tools and policies. This centralized approach ensures consistent and streamlined security measures throughout the software lifecycle. By integrating different scanning capabilities, these toolchains help development teams seamlessly incorporate security into their DevOps processes and shift security left effectively.
SAST (Static Application Security Testing)
SAST tools, or Static Application Security Testing tools, employ a “white-box” testing method. They directly analyze the application’s source code to identify potential vulnerabilities during the development phases. SAST tools scan source, byte, or binary code for patterns indicative of security flaws without executing the program. This enables developers to detect issues like SQL injection, buffer overflows, and other common vulnerabilities early in the SDLC.
DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing)
In contrast to SAST, DAST tools, or Dynamic Application Security Testing tools, utilize a “black-box” testing method. They do not access the application’s source code. Instead, DAST tools simulate external attacks on running applications to uncover security issues in real-time operational environments. These tools identify vulnerabilities such as misconfigurations, authentication and authorization flaws, and runtime errors that can lead to attacks like SQL injection, Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF), and Cross-Site Scripting (XSS).
SCA (Software Composition Analysis)
SCA tools, or Software Composition Analysis tools, scan software component dependencies against databases of known vulnerabilities, such as Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) and the National Vulnerability Database (NVD). They also assess third-party components for licensing issues, outdated libraries, and policy violations. SCA tools help identify third-party security risks that could result in data breaches, malicious code execution, or Denial of Service (DoS) attacks.
SCA tools are often integrated into the CI/CD pipeline for automated scanning. They can also be used alongside other tools, including supply chain security tools, for comprehensive coverage of third-party risks and continuous security.
Container Security
Container security tools are designed to protect containerized environments. They scan container images for vulnerabilities, enforce runtime protections, and ensure compliance with security standards throughout the build and deployment process. Some container security tools also offer threat detection and response capabilities, allowing development teams to quickly implement mitigation workflows when new vulnerabilities are discovered.
IaC (Infrastructure as Code) Security
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) security tools automate the provisioning and management of infrastructure through code. These tools enable consistent and repeatable setups across development, staging, and production environments. IaC security tools scan these configurations for vulnerabilities and misconfigurations before deployment.
Benefits of DevOps Security Scanning Tools
- Vulnerability Management: DevOps security scanning tools proactively incorporate vulnerability checks into your CI/CD pipeline. This allows for early detection and management of security weaknesses.
- Early Issue Resolution: By integrating security scans early, teams can identify and fix security gaps before they escalate. This significantly reduces the attack surface by effectively managing dependencies and minimizing risks.
- Faster Deployments: Following DevSecOps principles, the quick resolution of security issues enabled by these tools avoids post-development bottlenecks associated with traditional security testing, leading to faster deployments.
- Enhanced Compliance: DevOps security scanning tools facilitate compliance by enforcing regulatory standards and security policies directly within the development workflow. Security configurations become part of the codebase, ensuring consistency and adherence to protocols at every stage.
- Improved Collaboration: These tools foster better collaboration between development, operations, and security teams. Security becomes a shared responsibility, creating a unified approach to risk management.
Top 11 DevOps Security Scanning Tools
Here are some of the leading DevOps security scanning tools categorized by type:
DevOps Security Toolchain
1. Jit
Jit is an open ASPM (Application Security Posture Management) platform designed to automate security checks throughout the SDLC. It enables developers to quickly identify and remediate vulnerabilities before applications reach production. Jit integrates with various security controls and open-source scanning tools to cover each stage of the SDLC, seamlessly embedding security testing into developers’ workflows. Its Security Plans are customizable to meet specific organizational security and compliance needs.
Jit’s platform provides enriched findings and immediate feedback on every code change, along with suggested code fixes for faster vulnerability remediation. It supports various development environments, including GitHub, AWS, and GCP.
Best For: Organizations seeking a comprehensive, easily implementable security solution that streamlines DevOps workflows with pre-built security plans.
Review Jit
“With Jit, we no longer need to understand and manage a lot of disparate tools – and this is huge! Getting it all in one console is a game changer.”
Static Application Security Testing (SAST)
2. Semgrep
Semgrep offers static analysis with a vast rule library and an intuitive rule syntax. It effectively detects security vulnerabilities and coding errors in over 17 programming languages. Extending beyond SAST, Semgrep also includes SCA functionalities, such as SBOM (Software Bill of Materials) generation and enforcement of open-source licensing requirements.
Best For: Organizations requiring an easy-to-use, multi-language code analysis and security assessment tool.
“What’s cool about Semgrep is how it feels like a tool designed with developers in mind. The pre-built rules are incredibly comprehensive and cover many potential issues. But if you need to customize them for your project, it’s easy. And if you ever get stuck, the community is always there to help you.”
3. Spectral
Spectral utilizes AI-powered technology with over 2000 detectors to continuously scan and monitor for both visible and hidden assets. Beyond asset visibility, Spectral seamlessly integrates with major CI systems and offers unique pre-commit hooks and custom plugins for real-time security checks.
Best For: Organizations needing real-time security scanning across multiple CI environments and codebases.
“Integrates easily into ADO, allowing us to track down exposures we previously did not know about.”
Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)
4. ZAP (OWASP ZAP)
ZAP (Zed Attack Proxy) functions as a proxy server, routing website traffic through it to enable real-time traffic analysis and vulnerability detection. ZAP supports various automated scans, including active scanning and AJAX spidering, providing detailed security assessments of web applications at any development stage.
Best For: Organizations of all sizes seeking a versatile web application penetration testing tool.
“The most appealing feature of OWASP ZAP is its ability to be used as a stand-alone application and as a plugin for other systems. This makes it very versatile and easy to use in various situations.”
5. Legitify
Legitify scans code repositories and infrastructure configurations to identify security vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. It integrates with various version control systems like Git, GitHub, and BitBucket. Legitify provides automated scanning and reporting, allowing development teams to quickly find and remediate vulnerabilities in their CI/CD pipelines.
Best For: Teams aiming to strengthen their application security posture comprehensively, from development to deployment.
Software Composition Analysis (SCA)
6. npm-Audit
npm-audit directly scans package dependencies for security vulnerabilities within the npm environment. It automates the checking of all types of dependencies, including direct, dev, bundled, and optional. npm-audit provides detailed reports and suggests fixes, enabling developers to quickly patch vulnerabilities within their existing workflows.
Best For: Organizations developing Node.js applications that prioritize maintaining secure dependencies.
7. Nancy
Nancy is a tool specifically designed to check for vulnerabilities in Golang dependencies. It leverages the Sonatype OSS Index to ensure comprehensive security coverage. In addition to pull request scans, Nancy allows scheduling daily scans via Travis-CI or GitHub Actions.
Best For: Organizations developing in Golang that need a lightweight and effective SCA solution.
Container Security
8. Trivy
Trivy supports security scanning across various environments, including Docker, Kubernetes, and Terraform. It applies security best practices to Kubernetes YAML files, helping to optimize Kubernetes workloads. Trivy also analyzes Dockerfiles and Terraform scripts to mitigate vulnerabilities like insecure configurations or inappropriate permission settings.
Best For: Organizations deploying cloud-native applications using Docker, Kubernetes, or Terraform.
“Trivy takes container image scanning to higher levels of usability and performance. With frequent feature and vulnerability database updates and comprehensive vulnerability scanning, it perfectly complements Harbor.”
9. Anchore
Anchore automates container image scanning in development, CI/CD pipelines, and runtime environments. It utilizes a sophisticated policy engine and optimized vulnerability feeds. Anchore provides actionable insights and automated workflows to minimize false positives and streamline the vulnerability remediation process.
Best For: Organizations seeking automated container scanning with built-in automated remediation assistance.
“Very powerful, policy capabilities are a key differentiator that enables it to support real-world CI/CD workflows.”
Infrastructure as Code Security
10. KICS (Keep Infrastructure Code Secure)
KICS automatically parses and scans standard IaC files for insecure configurations that could expose applications, data, or services to risks. It supports major IaC platforms like Terraform, CloudFormation, and Ansible. KICS also assesses API designs to identify misconfigurations and enforce API security best practices.
Best For: Organizations needing security scanning tools for their infrastructure configurations and APIs.
11. Prowler
Prowler offers customizable and automated security assessments tailored to specific cloud environments such as AWS, Azure, GCP, and Kubernetes. It monitors cloud infrastructure for potential misconfigurations and vulnerabilities and verifies compliance with key security frameworks like CIS, NIST, and PCI-DSS. Prowler includes visualizations and proactive remediation recommendations.
Best For: Organizations seeking customizable security assessments and compliance verification for their cloud environments.
Integrating Strength and Speed with DevOps Security Scanning Tools
Securing your DevOps pipeline is not just about preventing security threats; it’s about embedding security into the very core of your development and deployment processes. By adopting a DevSecOps approach and leveraging effective DevOps security scanning tools, you elevate security to be as important as development and operations, enhancing both the speed and safety of your software releases.
Jit simplifies DevOps security by centralizing 17 powerful tools, including Prowler, Kics, Nancy, npm-audit, Trivy, and ZAP, into a single, unified toolchain. Combined with Jit’s readily deployable security plans, these tools seamlessly integrate into your development pipeline, automating and strengthening security protocols from the outset of development. Book a demo to discover how our unified security solution can benefit your organization.
