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Definition

CI and CD stand for continuous integration and continuous delivery/continuous deployment. In very simple terms, CI is a modern software development practice in which incremental code changes are made frequently and reliably. Automated build-and-test steps triggered by CI ensure that code changes being merged into the repository are reliable. The code is then delivered quickly and seamlessly as a part of the CD process. In the software world, the CI/CD pipeline refers to the automation that enables incremental code changes from developers’ desktops to be delivered quickly and reliably to production.

Why is CI/CD important?

CI/CD allows organizations to ship software quickly and efficiently. CI/CD facilitates an effective process for getting products to market faster than ever before, continuously delivering code into production, and ensuring an ongoing flow of new features and bug fixes via the most efficient delivery method. 


<p>This eBook details three ways of achieving security with speed. </p>
<ul>
<li>Run the right test at the right time and to the right depth</li>
<li>Align remediation efforts with business risks</li>
<li>Empower developers to secure code as fast as they write it  </li>
</ul>

The Top Three Ways to Build Security into DevOps

This eBook details three ways of achieving security with speed. 

  • Run the right test at the right time and to the right depth
  • Align remediation efforts with business risks
  • Empower developers to secure code as fast as they write it  

What is the difference between CI and CD?

Continuous integration (CI) is practice that involves developers making small changes and checks to their code. Due to the scale of requirements and the number of steps involved, this process is automated to ensure that teams can build, test, and package their applications in a reliable and repeatable way. CI helps streamline code changes, thereby increasing time for developers to make changes and contribute to improved software.

Continuous delivery (CD) is the automated delivery of completed code to environments like testing and development. CD provides an automated and consistent way for code to be delivered to these environments.

Continuous deployment is the next step of continuous delivery. Every change that passes the automated tests is automatically placed in production, resulting in many production deployments.

Continuous deployment should be the goal of most companies that are not constrained by regulatory or other requirements.

In short, CI is a set of practices performed as developers are writing code, and CD is a set of practices performed after the code is completed.

CI/CD | Synopsys

How does CI/CD relate to DevOps?

DevOps is a set of practices and tools designed to increase an organization’s ability to deliver applications and services faster than traditional software development processes. The increased speed of DevOps helps an organization serve its customers more successfully and be more competitive in the market. In a DevOps environment, successful organizations “bake security in” to all phases of the development life cycle, a practice called DevSecOps.

The key practice of DevSecOps is integrating security into all DevOps workflows. By conducting security activities early and consistently throughout the software development life cycle (SDLC), organizations can ensure that they catch vulnerabilities as early as possible, and are better able to make informed decisions about risk and mitigation. In more traditional security practices, security is not addressed until the production stage, which is no longer compatible with the faster and more agile DevOps approach. Today, security tools must fit seamlessly into the developer workflow and the CI/CD pipeline in order to keep pace with DevOps and not slow development velocity. 

The CI/CD pipeline is part of the broader DevOps/DevSecOps framework. In order to successfully implement and run a CI/CD pipeline, organizations need tools to prevent points of friction that slow down integration and delivery. Teams require an integrated toolchain of technologies to facilitate collaborative and unimpeded development efforts.


What AppSec tools are required for CI/CD pipelines?

One of the largest challenges faced by development teams using a CI/CD pipeline is adequately addressing security. It is critical that teams build in security without slowing down their integration and delivery cycles. Moving security testing to earlier in the life cycle is one of the most important steps to achieving this goal. This is especially true for DevSecOps organizations that rely on automated security testing to keep up with the speed of delivery. 

Implementing the right tools at the right time reduces overall DevSecOps friction, increases release velocity, and improves quality and efficiency.


The Synopsys’ portfolio of tools and services can help with your DevSecOps Effort

Synopsys CI/CD MAP services provide consultation support to help you develop a maturity action plan (MAP) according to the state of your organization’s DevSecOps readiness.

Synopsys’ comprehensive set of application security testing (AST) tools help you test for and remediate security vulnerabilities in your CI/CD pipeline.

  • Coverity® SAST: Coverity integrates seamlessly into the developer workflow and overall CI/CD pipeline. The Code Sight™ IDE plugin enables Coverity to find critical vulnerabilities and quality defects on the developer’s desktop while code is being written. By integrating Coverity into your CI/CD pipeline and leveraging Coverity’s contextual remediation advice, developers can find and fix vulnerabilities early in the SDLC.

  • Black Duck® SCA: Black Duck’s automated policy management allows you to easily integrate and automate open source governance into your DevSecOps pipeline. Developers can identify high-risk components, or easily find components that violate policy while coding. Automated scanning enables automated alerts or build-halts, based on policy violations, all while using CI tools like Jenkins. Security and operations teams can inspect apps and containers before they are deployed.

  • WhiteHat Dynamic™: Continuous and​ on-demand scanning to automatically check for vulnerabilities as your web applications evolve. 

  • Seeker® IAST: Built for CI/CD and DevOps, Seeker is easy to deploy and scale in your CI/CD development workflows. Native integrations, web APIs, and plugins provide seamless integration with the tools you use for on-premises, cloud-based, microservices-based, and container-based development.

Built-in contextual eLearning helps supplement your organization-wide training efforts. You can educate and grow the right mix of dev and security champions for your DevSecOps initiatives. Synopsys portfolio integrations allow eLearning to recommend specific lessons based on issues identified by Code Sight, Coverity, and Seeker. 


What are the benefits of CI/CD?

  • Automated testing enables continuous delivery, which ensures software quality and security and increases the profitability of code in production.
  • CI/CD pipelines enable a much shorter time to market for new product features, creating happier customers and lowering strain on development.
  • The great increase in overall speed of delivery enabled by CI/CD pipelines improves an organization’s competitive edge.
  • Automation frees team members to focus on what they do best, yielding the best end products.
  • Organizations with a successful CI/CD pipeline can attract great talent. By moving away from traditional waterfall methods, engineers and developers are no longer bogged down with repetitive activities that are often highly dependent on the completion of other tasks. 

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