Last August, the Defense Department (DoD) threw down the gauntlet on software development with the release of the reference design for the DoD Enterprise DevSecOps Initiative. The goal is to develop software quickly and securely through collaborative, open source, and Agile methodologies. That would drive vulnerabilities out of software early and deliver it “at the speed of mission,” while including security right from the start.

The initiative, headed by Air Force Chief Software Officer Nicolas Chaillan, aims to help DoD break free of the slow waterfall process of software development it has traditionally used. Waterfall typically addresses security only as an afterthought. The new approach will help the department keep pace with both the fast-moving world of software development and the ever-shifting cybersecurity landscape. With continuous delivery, rapid prototyping, and constant testing and feedback, DevSecOps can give the military services and DoD components the tools they need when they need them.