DevSecOps Engineer Roadmap: Skills, Tools & Certifications You Need
Friday, August 8, 2025
Due to rapid evolvement in threats, security can no longer be an afterthought in DevOps. Strict regulatory requirements, aggressive release cycles and cloud-based infrastructure.
By 2025, 68% of organizations have adopted DevSecOps to safeguard most of their cloud infrastructure. This increased practice symbolizes enhanced need for integrated security throughout the DevOps cycle. Any security leaks can lead to critical data breaches.
With such industry trends, the need for DevSecOps Engineers has ever-increased. If you want a DevSecOps Engineer roadmap, details about DevSecOps certification and more, keep reading the blog.
What is DevSecOps?
When the term ‘DevSecOps’ is expanded, it gives us the following:
DevOps + Security + Operations = DevSecOps
It is a software development approach that integrates security practices along with the cultural and philosophical approach of DevOps. It means that rather than opting for security at the end of the SDLC (software development lifecycle), security practices are opted throughout the SDLC.
About 70% of security team members state that security has ‘shifted left’. This means that security is integrated at the beginning of the development lifecycle rather than getting added at the end.
Therefore, the core purpose of DevSecOps is to integrate security in the CI/CD pipeline.
What is the Difference between DevOps & DevSecOps?
The following are the key differences between DevOps and DevSecOps, especially between the two of these engineers:
Context of Difference | DevOps | DevSecOps |
Custom code security ownership | Security checks are only done on open-source or library code. | Static and dynamic analysis is run on in-house code. Developers are responsible for code security. |
Threat intelligence integration | No threat detection integration in pipelines. | Real-time threat data is logged continuously. |
Security telemetry feedback loops | Performance and operation logs are often recorded. | Security event telemetry and automated feedback loops are created into CI/CD. |
Security culture incorporation | Only high-priority issues are escalated. | Training in the form of security workshops and gamified hackathons is practised for Devs and Ops. |
Secrets management | Often managed by ad hoc Dev/Ops teams. | Automation rotation, vaulting and scanning of secrets or tokens is practised. |
Regulatory “Compliance as Code” | The team relies on manual compliance checks and documentation. | Compliance rules are automated in the pipeline. An instant audit report is thus created. |
Incident simulation and chaos engineering | Outages and failover drills are the key concerns. | Security breach simulations are automated as a part of continuous testing. |
Why Pursue a DevSecOps Certification in 2025?
Specifically from a career point of view, pursuing a DevSecOps certification is one of the most solid career moves you can make. The following are the main reasons why you must pursue a career in this emerging field:
Enormous career opportunities and Demand
The global DevSecOps industry stood at $9 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to $20 billion by 2030. Opting for pipeline-level security is becoming an industry standard. In fact, organizations that previously worked with Azure DevOps have actively switched to DevSecOps practices.
Competitive Salaries
The average salary of a DevSecOps Engineer in India is ₹4 lakhs and it goes up to ₹32 lakhs. Therefore, the salary ranges are quite competitive in the industry.
The average salary of a DevSecOps Engineer in the US is $138,909/year. The number goes even higher for experienced engineers.
Modern Professionals for Modern Problems
Many new threats such as supply chain attacks and cloud-native vulnerabilities are emerging in the industry. DevSecOps professionals make it non-negotiable to automate security in CI/CD pipelines , securing containers/Kubernetes and orchestrating AI-powered security automation.
Scarcity in the Market
37% of IT leaders quote that they cannot find qualified DevSecOps talent thus, making this certification a fast-track for many aspiring professionals.
What are the Best DevSecOps Certifications to Consider?
The following are the best DevSecOps certifications to consider when starting a career in DevSecOps:
DevSecOps Foundation – DevOps Institute
Offered by PeopleCert, the DevSecOps Foundation certification trains you in principles and practices of DevSecOps to integrate security throughout the IT lifecycle. It is beginner-friendly certification with only prerequisite being DevOps knowledge.
Cost: US$245–649
Prerequisites: None
Ideal for: Entry-level professionals in DevSecOps
Certified DevSecOps Professional – Practical DevSecOps
Offered by Practical DevSecOps (a Hysn Technologies company), the Certified DevSecOps professional (CDP) certification validates your practical expertise in assessing current state of DevSecOps, embed security in DevOps and manage vulnerabilities.
Cost: US$899
Prerequisites: None (basic Linux knowledge)
Ideal for: Beginners/intermediate in hands-on DevSecOps
Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS) – CNCF
This certification is created by Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) in collaboration with the Linux Foundation. This certification validates the skills of a Security Specialist who specializes in using an open-source tool called Kubernetes.
The exam is hands-on that tests knowledge in cloud security and Kubernetes.
Cost: ~US$790 (with CKA)
Prerequisites: Valid CKA, Kubernetes experience
Ideal for: Kubernetes Admins
GIAC Cloud Security Automation (GCSA)
Offered by GIAC, the Cloud Security Automation (GCSA) certification validates your skills in cloud native toolchain, DevSecOps methodology and security controls throughout CI/CD pipelines. The goal is to become skilled in improving integrity and security of cloud native systems.
Cost: US$949+
Prerequisites: Cloud security experience, Linux/Git, Jenkins
Ideal for: Cloud-native security and automation experts
AWS Certified Security – Specialty
Offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), this certification is best-suited for cloud DevSecOps roles. This certification validates your expertise in creating and implementing security solutions in the AWS Cloud.
Cost: US$300
Prerequisites: 5 years IT security + 2 years AWS security experience
Ideal for: Experienced AWS security professionals
What are the Job Roles after DevSecOps Certification?
You can land the following job roles after the DevSecOps certification knowledge:
DevSecOps Engineer
Cloud Security Engineer
Application Security Engineer
DevSecOps Consultant
How to Get Started with DevSecOps Course?
If you want to become a DevSecOps engineer, it is important to have the basics cleared. To do so, you must have DevOps knowledge first. If you don’t even have DevOps knowledge, it is mandatory to have Linux knowledge.
Looking for the best DevSecOps training online? Look no further than Network Kings, a one-stop platform for learning all things tech. Choose Network Kings for the following reasons:
You learn from top 1% engineers working in Cisco, Juniper, Microsoft, Fortinet, IBM, AWS, Sophos, etc.
We have the world’s biggest virtual labs that are available 24/7.
We cover the latest industry tools and technologies prevailing in the industry.
In fact, we have also collaborated with Engineer Edge where we tailor your resume, apply to jobs that match your profile and help you 3x your salary package. You get 50% off if you’re an existing Network Kings student.
Want to learn more? Check it out here.
FAQs:
What is DevSecOps?
DevSecOps integrates security into every stage of the software development lifecycle by combining DevOps practices with continuous security automation and cultural practices so security is not an afterthought.
How does DevSecOps differ from DevOps?
DevSecOps adds continuous security checks, threat intelligence, secrets management, automated compliance-as-code, and security telemetry/feedback loops into the CI/CD pipeline—whereas traditional DevOps focuses on faster build/deploy cycles and may treat security separately.
Which certifications are best for starting a DevSecOps career?
Good starting certifications include DevSecOps Foundation (DevOps Institute), Certified DevSecOps Professional (Practical DevSecOps), and for cloud/Kubernetes security: CKS (CNCF) and GIAC GCSA; experienced cloud pros can consider AWS Certified Security – Specialty.
What job roles can I get after DevSecOps certification?
Common roles are DevSecOps Engineer, Cloud Security Engineer, Application Security Engineer, and DevSecOps Consultant.
What foundational skills are required to begin learning DevSecOps?
Start with DevOps fundamentals and Linux; then learn CI/CD, containerization (Docker), Kubernetes, cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP), and security tooling (SAST/DAST, IaC scanning, secrets management).
