DevSecOps (SAST/DAST): How to Embed Security into CI/CD and Why It's a Must-Have for the Modern Developer

Why Security Can No Longer Be "After Release"

A few years ago, the typical scenario looked like this: developers write code, testers check functionality, and security specialists get involved at the very end — literally right before the production rollout. At best. At worst — after an incident. This approach is outdated: modern teams release several times a day, and manual security audits simply can't keep up with the pace of changes.

That's why classic AppSec is being replaced by DevSecOps — a culture in which security is embedded into every stage of the development lifecycle, rather than bolted on the side. The key tools here are SAST (static code analysis) and DAST (dynamic analysis of a running application), as well as scanning dependencies, containers, and secrets.

The DevSecOps (SAST/DAST) course on the asibiont.com platform is a practical guide to action. You won't just learn what Semgrep or OWASP ZAP is — you'll build a full-fledged secure CI/CD pipeline in GitHub Actions that automatically finds vulnerabilities and blocks dangerous changes. And you'll do it from scratch, even if you've never dealt with security before.

What DevSecOps Is and Why Everyone Is Talking About It

DevSecOps is a methodology that extends the familiar DevOps with three letters: Security. Its main principle is shift left: security tasks need to be solved as early as possible, at the code-writing stage, not at the end. This reduces the cost of fixing vulnerabilities and lowers the risk of leaks.

According to IBM's "Cost of a Data Breach Report" (2025), the average cost of a data breach for an organization is millions of dollars, and the time to detect and contain an incident is measured in months. Companies that automate security in pipelines detect problems faster and spend fewer resources on fixing them.

The main categories of tools you'll get to know in the course:

The course covers all these areas. You won't just study theory — you'll build a working pipeline that you can immediately transfer to your own repository.

What You'll Learn in the DevSecOps (SAST/DAST) Course

The program is built around practice. Here are the key skills you'll gain:

1. Setting Up SAST with Semgrep and SonarQube

You'll learn how to connect Semgrep to GitHub Actions and write your own rules for finding vulnerabilities. For example, a rule for detecting SQL injections in Python code:

rules:
  - id: sql-injection
    patterns:
      - pattern: $DB.execute("..." + $VAR + "...")
    message: "Possible SQL injection: use parameterized queries"
    severity: ERROR
    languages: [python]

Semgrep is easy to learn and doesn't require compiling the project. SonarQube provides deeper analysis and code quality metrics. You'll figure out when each tool is appropriate.

2. Dynamic Scanning with OWASP ZAP

DAST analysis is performed on a running application. OWASP ZAP is the most popular open-source tool in this area. You'll learn how to run ZAP in automatic scan mode directly from the pipeline:

- name: OWASP ZAP Baseline Scan
  uses: zaproxy/action-baseline@v0.12.0
  with:
    target: 'https://staging.example.com'
    rules_file_name: '.zap/rules.tsv'
    cmd_options: '-a'

You'll configure scanning so that it doesn't break the build on false positives, but blocks the merge on critical findings.

3. Container and SBOM Scanning with Trivy

If you use Docker, you know: images can contain vulnerable packages. Trivy scans images, file systems, and generates an SBOM (Software Bill of Materials) — a list of all components. Example command:

trivy image --format cyclonedx --output sbom.json myapp:latest

You'll learn how to integrate Trivy into the pipeline and automatically generate SBOMs for compliance reports.

4. Finding Secrets with Gitleaks

Leaked API keys and passwords are one of the most common causes of hacks. Gitleaks scans commit history and current files. You'll set up a pre-commit hook and a CI step that prevents secrets from getting into the repository.

5. Blocking Merges on Critical Vulnerabilities

One of the main highlights of the course — you'll set up branch protection rules so that a PR cannot be merged if SAST or DAST found Critical or High severity vulnerabilities. This turns security from a recommendation into a hard requirement.

6. Automating Compliance Reports

Many standards (PCI DSS, ISO 27001) require regular vulnerability reports. You'll learn how to generate them automatically: collect the results of all scanners into a single JSON or HTML and send them to GitHub Actions artifacts.

How Learning Works on asibiont.com

The asibiont.com platform uses artificial intelligence to create personalized lessons. This isn't just a set of articles — the neural network analyzes your current level, goals, and learning pace, and then generates educational material that suits you specifically.

Key features:

• AI-generated lessons. You get text lessons adapted to your experience. For a beginner, the AI will explain the basics of CI/CD and what a vulnerability is, while for an experienced developer it will immediately provide examples of advanced Semgrep configurations.
• Text format. No videos — only structured text with code examples, commands, and explanations. This is convenient: you can copy commands, return to the necessary fragments, and search through the text.
• 24/7 access. Learn at any time, at any pace. All materials are available online.
• Practical assignments. After each block, you apply your knowledge in practice: configure tools in your repository, write rules, analyze reports.

Why is AI learning effective? The neural network adjusts the difficulty to your level: if you're already familiar with GitHub Actions, you won't have to sit through an introductory lecture. If you're a beginner, the AI will break down complex topics into simple steps and provide analogies. This approach saves time and makes learning meaningful.

Who Will Benefit from This Course

The DevSecOps (SAST/DAST) course is designed for a wide audience:

• Developers who want to master security and add in-demand skills to their resume. Understanding SAST/DAST is a big plus when applying to product companies and fintech.
• DevOps engineers responsible for CI/CD. You'll learn how to embed security scanning into pipelines and automate compliance.
• Testers who want to move into security. DAST skills and working with OWASP ZAP are a direct path into AppSec.
• Team leads and architects who need to build secure development processes in their team.
• Students and aspiring specialists who want to master modern practices right away, rather than outdated approaches.

If you already work with Git and are at least superficially familiar with CI/CD, the course will give you maximum benefit. But even without deep experience, you can go through the path from scratch — AI adaptation will help.

Why AI Learning Is Modern and Effective

Traditional courses often suffer from one drawback: the material is the same for everyone. A beginner gets bored with advanced topics, while an experienced developer wastes time on the basics. AI generation solves this problem.

The neural network on asibiont.com creates lessons that match your level and goals. Want to dive deeper into container security? Get more examples with Trivy and Checkov. Need to quickly get up to speed with Gitleaks? The AI will generate a compact lesson with commands and pre-commit setup.

Moreover, AI explains complex topics in simple language. For example, the difference between SAST and DAST can be described like this:

• SAST — like checking a building's blueprint: you analyze the project without building the house.
• DAST — like checking an already-built house for sturdiness: you knock on the walls and see if they crack.

Such analogies help you remember concepts. AI selects them for your context.

Another advantage is the ability to learn at your own pace. Text lessons can be reread, code can be copied, and you can experiment. All of this makes learning on asibiont.com flexible and practice-oriented.

Practical Example: Building a Secure Pipeline in GitHub Actions

Let's look at what the final pipeline you'll build in the course might look like. This is a simplified version, but it gives an idea of the structure.

name: DevSecOps Pipeline
on: [push, pull_request]

jobs:
  security:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Gitleaks scan
        uses: gitleaks/gitleaks-action@v2
        env:
          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
      - name: Semgrep SAST
        uses: returntocorp/semgrep-action@v1
        with:
          config: p/ci
      - name: Trivy container scan
        uses: aquasecurity/trivy-action@master
        with:
          image-ref: 'myapp:latest'
          format: 'sarif'
          output: 'trivy-results.sarif'
      - name: Upload SARIF
        uses: github/codeql-action/upload-sarif@v3
        with:
          sarif_file: 'trivy-results.sarif'
      - name: OWASP ZAP Baseline Scan
        uses: zaproxy/action-baseline@v0.12.0
        with:
          target: 'https://staging.example.com'

This pipeline runs on every push and pull request, checking secrets, static code, containers, and dynamic vulnerabilities. On critical findings, the build fails and the merge is blocked. You'll set up a similar (or more advanced) pipeline in your repository as part of the course.

Job Market and Career Prospects

DevSecOps skills are now among the top requirements for developers and DevOps engineers. According to LinkedIn, the number of job postings mentioning "DevSecOps" is steadily growing. Companies in fintech, e-commerce, and cloud providers are looking for specialists capable of building secure CI/CD.

Salaries for such specialists are above the market average for developers. For example, in the US, the median salary for a DevSecOps engineer exceeds $120,000 per year (Glassdoor data, 2025). In Russia and the CIS, income depends on the level: a junior can expect 80–120 thousand rubles, a senior — 300 thousand rubles and above. Exact figures vary, but the trend is obvious: security in development is a highly paid niche.

The course provides specific tools that you can immediately list on your resume: Semgrep, OWASP ZAP, Trivy, Gitleaks, GitHub Actions. These are not abstract knowledge but practical skills that are tested in interviews.

How to Start Learning

If you want to master DevSecOps and learn how to build secure pipelines, start with the DevSecOps (SAST/DAST) course on the asibiont.com platform. You'll get a personalized program generated by AI for your level and immediately apply your knowledge in your repository.

There's no need to wait until security becomes "problem #1" in your team. Start learning today — and become the specialist who builds processes, rather than cleaning up the aftermath.

Go to the DevSecOps (SAST/DAST) course

Want to master this topic? Check out the full course on ASI Biont — interactive AI-powered learning.