#Shift left definition software#
#Shift left definition series#

Shift left is very much about decentralizing security to match the speed and scale of the cloud, and when done poorly, it can erode trust and be viewed as a gating factor to releasing high-quality code. Security must catch up to the pace of development, not slow it down.

#Shift left definition software#

This is a crucial consideration, given that accelerating software development and increasing efficiency is often the driving force behind adopting DevOps practices in the first place. One of the most commonly cited concerns we hear from organizations attempting to shift left is the potential to create a bottleneck in development, as developers need to complete additional steps to clear compliance and security hurdles. While this is an important step in the cycle, there are many instances in which this is too late to begin thinking about the integrity of your software and supporting infrastructure - particularly as organizations adopt DevOps practices, resources are increasingly provisioned declaratively, and the development cycle becomes a more iterative, continuous process. Historically, security was centered around applying checks and scanning for known vulnerabilities after software was built as part of the test and release processes. In the case of security, this means weaving security guardrails and checks into development, fixing problems at the source rather than waiting to do so upon deployment or production. The idea is to “shift” tasks that have typically been performed by centralized and dedicated operations teams earlier in the software development life cycle (SDLC). What does “shift left” actually mean?įor those who might not be familiar with the term, “shift left” can be used interchangeably with DevOps methodologies.

#Shift left definition series#

Here at Rapid7, we believe the “shift left” movement very much falls in the latter category.īecause we see shifting left as so critical to an effective cloud security strategy, we’re kicking off a new blog series covering how organizations can seamlessly incorporate security best practices and technologies into their existing DevOps workflows - and, of course, how InsightCloudSec and the brilliant team here at Rapid7 can help.

But others are colloquial ways for the industry to talk about complex topics that have a massive impact on how organizations and teams drive innovation and work more efficiently.

There’s no shortage of buzzwords in the tech world.