How to become a DevSecOps Engineer

Build security into the pipeline instead of bolting it on: automated checks, secure defaults, fast feedback.

20-30 weeks4 phases17 steps14 free resources4 checkpoint tests

Before you start this one

Around 1-3 years in DevOps, development or security. It combines two disciplines, so it is rarely a first role.

Best for

Engineers who like automation and want security to be a property of the system rather than a gate at the end.

Maybe not for you if

Freshers with no delivery pipeline experience. Do DevOps or backend first, you cannot secure a pipeline you have never built.

The 4 phases

What each phase gets you to. The steps, resources and checkpoint inside each one open with a free account.

  1. Phase 1 - Pipeline and systems fundamentals

    5-8 weeks

    Goal: Know the delivery pipeline well enough to secure it without breaking it.

    4 steps · ends in a scored checkpoint (60% to clear) · assumes some devops or development experience, you can read code in at least one language

  2. Phase 2 - Application security fundamentals

    5-7 weeks

    Goal: Recognise and explain the common vulnerability classes in code you read.

    4 steps · ends in a scored checkpoint (65% to clear)

  3. Phase 3 - Automated security in the pipeline

    6-9 weeks

    Goal: Add checks that catch real issues without drowning the team in noise.

    5 steps · ends in a scored checkpoint (65% to clear)

  4. Phase 4 - Response and governance

    4-6 weeks

    Goal: Handle a disclosed vulnerability calmly and prove control to an auditor.

    4 steps · ends in a scored checkpoint (70% to clear)

Open the full DevSecOps Engineer roadmap

Free account, no card. It takes about a minute and you do not need to verify your email to start.

  • All 17 steps, in order, with why each one is there
  • 14 hand-picked free resources, no paid course upsells
  • The specific mistake people make at each stage
  • 4 scored checkpoint tests, so progress is earned not ticked
  • Progress saved per step, so a break does not cost you the thread
  • Adaptive start, phases your test history already clears are skipped

What hiring actually looks like here

DevSecOps postings typically expect threat modelling and vulnerability management alongside automation, scripting, cloud and container security. Indian job descriptions commonly name specific tools rather than the discipline: a CI system, a SAST scanner, an SCA or container scanner, Terraform and Kubernetes, so know at least one of each by name and by hand. It is commonly described as a hybrid role reached from DevOps or security rather than entered directly.

We claim no placement outcome, salary or success rate. This describes what is commonly reported about the role, nothing more. Linked resources are credited to their authors.

Comparing paths?