Distributed systems are complex, and building them brings in the need for DevOps best practices. Just like all other software development lifecycles (SDLC), DevOps to needs to be managed carefully to be most efficient. Moreover, the systems developed using DevOps need to be managed in a structured way to ensure continuous security.
Although it is easier to implement DevSecOps in your organization in a traditional setup, it is much harder in a remote workforce environment. How can you implement DevSecOps in a hybrid setup? If you are looking for the answer to this question then, you are at the right place.
In this article, AntiDos will highlight six DevSecOps best practices that you should adopt during hybrid work.
6 DevSecOps Best Practices For Hybrid Work Environment
Here are six DevSecOps best practices you must adopt in a hybrid work setup.
1. Document Everything
When your team is working in a hybrid work environment, it is much easier to lose track of things. That is why it is important for IT and DevOps leaders to put more emphasis on documentation. Everything from project plans, actions, decisions, notes, minutes of the meetings should be documented. This will help you refer back to it when you need it without spending hours looking for it.
This will have a positive impact on your team’s productivity and keeps you on track to completing the projects successfully. Project documents can define the role of each individual in the team and provide them with the necessary guidance. What’s more, it also enables businesses to hold every team member accountable for their actions.
Teams can use the reference documents to determine the deliverables of the project and get over obstacles they might encounter mid way during the project. This allows your DevOps teams to continue with their day to day operations no matter what the circumstances might be.
2. Ensure Transparency
The first thing you need to understand is how your hybrid work environment is impacting communication and collaboration. When your team is working remotely, you might be communicating with your team through communication tools and channels. Although, it can serve as a considerable alternative but despite the advancement, it can not replace face to face, in person communication.
Make sure your team clearly understands your message because there is a risk of confusion and misunderstanding when you are communicating via these tools. Sometimes, your team member might not get the true essence of your message and might take your message as something else. You need to make everything crystal clear and ensure transparency to prevent any such issues.
3. Map Business Value With Technical Delivery
In today’s era of remote work and distributed workforce, platforms and environments are becoming more and more complicated. This is more evident at an enterprise level. All this has forced employees to find easier ways to connect. As DevOps teams have to switch between on-premise and cloud environments across multiple cloud applications and business units, businesses will have to create new processes and tools that can help them manage everything from a unified dashboard.
The core focus should be on creating business value instead of putting a lot of emphasis on technical delivery. Align the business value every task you perform delivers with the client deliverables. This will help you plan and prioritize different tasks in your projects. Ignoring business value can force you to complete a task which does not deliver as much business value as other tasks, which could eventually have a detrimental impact on overall project progress.
Yes, you might complete a milestone but that is not important in the context of your project success. By mapping business value to the deliverables, you can easily track the return on investment of your development team. As a result, your projects not only surpasses client expectations but also help you meet your revenue targets. As a business working on client projects, there is nothing better than that for the success of your business.
4. Automate Security Testing and Reviews
Instead of conducting security testing and security reviews manually, it is highly recommended that you harness the power of automation for this purpose. This will not only streamline your process but will also give you better visibility throughout software development and deployment. What’s more, you also get more control over the process, which is crucial in a remote work environment.
By using automated security testing tools, IT leaders can accelerate the development process and enhance the overall productivity while giving more control and visibility to top management. As a result, you can deliver software before the deadlines, which reduces the risk of project failure.
5. Consider The Human Impact
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word “DevOps”? If your answer is technical processes then you are not alone. Most people tend to think of continuous delivery, continuous integration and cloud infrastructure. DevOps has more to it than just that. It also has a human element to it that most businesses neglect.
Ask yourself, How DevOps implementation will impact your employees? Answering this question will help you create a successful DevOps strategy. This is important in a traditional work environment but even more so in a hybrid work setup as it can impact everything from organization culture, collaboration and connections. Focus on the people and organization culture when implementing DevOps in a hybrid work environment.
6. Put Yourself In The Shoes of An IT Advisor
Think of yourself as an IT advisor for a moment. You need to act as a bridge that connects the IT department with other business units. Instead of thinking of other departments as opposition, you need to act as an advisor who mediates between IT and other functional units. This will help CIOs create long term relationships with other departments and provide them an opportunity to gain insights into how other business units work and other investments your business has. With a big picture in front of them, they are more likely to make great decisions.
How do you implement DevSecOps in a hybrid work environment? Share it with us in the comments section below.
