What Is DevSecOps? A Guide for Belgian Companies

DevSecOps is the practice of integrating security into every phase of the software development lifecycle, rather than treating it as a separate step at the end. For Belgian companies looking to release software faster without compromising security, DevSecOps offers a practical framework to achieve both goals simultaneously.

DevSecOps Explained

Traditional development workflows often follow a pattern where code is written, tested, and then handed to a security team for review before deployment. This creates bottlenecks, delays releases, and means vulnerabilities are discovered late — when they are most expensive to fix.

DevSecOps shifts security left, embedding automated security checks directly into the CI/CD pipeline. Every code commit triggers security scans, every container image is checked for vulnerabilities, and every infrastructure change is validated against security policies — all automatically.

The Three Pillars of DevSecOps

1. Culture

DevSecOps requires a cultural shift where developers, operations, and security teams share responsibility for security. Security is not a gate to pass through — it is a shared practice woven into daily work.

2. Automation

Manual security reviews do not scale. DevSecOps relies on automated tools integrated into the pipeline:

• SAST (Static Application Security Testing) — scans source code for vulnerabilities before compilation.
• DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing) — tests running applications for security flaws.
• SCA (Software Composition Analysis) — checks third-party dependencies for known vulnerabilities.
• IaC scanning — validates infrastructure-as-code templates against security best practices.
• Container scanning — checks container images for vulnerabilities and misconfigurations.

3. Continuous Improvement

DevSecOps teams measure security metrics, track vulnerability trends, and continuously refine their processes. Security posture improves with every release cycle, not just during annual audits.

Why Belgian Companies Should Adopt DevSecOps

Several factors make DevSecOps particularly relevant for organizations in Belgium:

• NIS2 compliance — the directive requires organizations to implement security throughout their systems and supply chains. DevSecOps provides a practical framework to meet these requirements.
• GDPR obligations — automated security testing helps ensure that applications handling personal data meet security-by-design requirements.
• Competitive advantage — Belgian companies that can release secure software faster gain an edge, especially in regulated industries like fintech and healthcare.
• Cost reduction — finding and fixing vulnerabilities early in development costs a fraction of addressing them in production.

Building a DevSecOps Pipeline

A typical DevSecOps pipeline includes security checks at every stage:

1. Code commit — pre-commit hooks check for secrets (API keys, passwords) and run linting rules.
2. Build — SAST tools scan source code, SCA tools check dependencies.
3. Test — DAST tools test the running application, integration tests verify security controls.
4. Deploy — IaC scans validate infrastructure, container images are checked before deployment.
5. Monitor — runtime security monitoring detects anomalies and potential breaches in production.

Getting Started with DevSecOps

Transitioning to DevSecOps does not require a complete overhaul. Start with these practical steps:

1. Add secret detection — prevent API keys and credentials from being committed to repositories.
2. Introduce dependency scanning — automatically flag known vulnerabilities in third-party libraries.
3. Automate SAST — add static analysis to your CI pipeline to catch common vulnerability patterns.
4. Scan container images — if you use Docker or Kubernetes, add image scanning before deployment.
5. Run penetration testing — validate your pipeline security with regular pentests to catch what automated tools miss.
6. Train developers — invest in secure coding training so developers write more secure code from the start.

How ICTLAB Can Help

ICTLAB helps Belgian companies implement DevSecOps practices that match their team size, technology stack, and security requirements. We design and build secure CI/CD pipelines, integrate the right security tooling, and train your team to maintain and improve the pipeline over time.

Whether you are building your first pipeline or adding security to an existing workflow, our Brussels-based team brings hands-on experience with the tools and practices that make DevSecOps work in practice.