In order to create applications that are compliant with internal guidelines of the enterprise as well as regulatory standards, deliberate design decisions need to be made. More importantly, you need to follow specific processes for implementing them. A DevOps approach carries in its very fabric a great deal of innovation, fully integrating the compliance process into the rest of the software delivery pipeline to ensure that the software that’s created is secure right from the first stage of the development process. 

We’ve condensed the DevOps approach to compliance into three crucial aspects:

A High Level of Collaboration

Normally, compliance is an aspect of management that concerns the security and legal team of an enterprise, but not necessarily one that software testers, developers, or IT Ops team members need to concern themselves with. Practising DevOps has changed the dynamic entirely. Engineers are not compliance experts by nature, but they cannot ignore challenges that the enterprise might have to meet. Furthermore, compliance is a dynamic aspect of security, prone to frequent changes, and the frameworks are regularly updated. A true DevOps approach requires engineers to get involved in the compliance process, to engage with the security team and to become aware of the compliance changes within their work environment.  

Accurate Tracking of Compliance Across the CI/CD Pipeline

A true DevOps approach to compliance involves implementing processes that require you to verify and vet the state of compliance at every level of the software delivery process. For example, when developers are designing new code, they need to consider compliance as well. When the quality assurance team tests the code, they must verify that it meets compliance standards and goals. Finally, when IT Ops deploys the code, monitoring should be absolutely accurate to ensure that compliance needs are being fulfilled.

A Strong System of Auditing

Auditing compliance across the software delivery lifecycle is another important stage in the process. Reporting and auditing requirements of software may vary depending on the compliance framework. A DevOps approach would require you to make sure that you are logging in and able to report compliance-related data across various levels of the enterprise.

The DevOps approach involves an in-depth audit of all stages of the CI/CD process by collecting data that demonstrates where the enterprise stands in terms of meeting compliance goals. A strong auditing system should accurately measure your success in achieving them. Should something go wrong with the process, you require complete visibility into where the issue originated, how to fix it, and what might be important considerations for meeting compliance challenges successfully in the future.

CloudNow brings you cutting edge a technology stack supported by robust processes for a true DevOps approach to compliance. Our role is to understand DevOps in the specific context of your business and help you leverage the process for the best results, ensuring that compliance standards and goals are met across every level of your enterprise.

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