DevSecOps Interview Questions with Tools Latest 2025
Introduction
Modern organizations can no longer afford to treat security as an afterthought. DevSecOps integrates security into every stage of the DevOps lifecycle, ensuring faster releases without compromising compliance or risk posture.
This CloudSoftSol 2025 interview guide covers real-world DevSecOps interview questions, mapped with industry-standard tools, practical examples, and enterprise best practices.
1. What Is DevSecOps?
Answer:
DevSecOps is the practice of embedding security controls, automation, and policies into DevOps workflows—making security a shared responsibility across development, operations, and security teams.
Core Principles:
- Shift-left security
- Automation over manual reviews
- Security as code
- Continuous compliance
2. DevSecOps vs DevOps
| Aspect | DevOps | DevSecOps |
|---|---|---|
| Security | Post-deployment | Built-in |
| Testing | Functional | Security + Functional |
| Ownership | Ops | Everyone |
| Speed vs Safety | Speed-focused | Balanced |
DevSecOps = DevOps with security by default
3. DevSecOps Lifecycle & Tools Mapping
| Stage | Security Focus | Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Code | Secrets, SAST | GitGuardian, SonarQube |
| Build | Dependency scanning | Snyk, OWASP Dependency-Check |
| Test | DAST | OWASP ZAP, Burp |
| Deploy | IaC security | Checkov, tfsec |
| Runtime | Threat detection | Falco, AWS GuardDuty |
| Monitor | Compliance | Splunk, Azure Monitor |
4. Shift-Left Security Interview Question
Q: What does Shift-Left Security mean?
Answer:
Shift-Left Security moves security checks earlier in the SDLC, catching vulnerabilities during development rather than after deployment.
Examples:
- Pre-commit secrets scanning
- SAST in pull requests
- IaC scanning before provisioning
Tools:
- Git hooks
- GitHub Advanced Security
- SonarQube
5. SAST vs DAST Interview Questions
| Feature | SAST | DAST |
|---|---|---|
| Code access | Required | Not required |
| Phase | Early | Post-deploy |
| Speed | Fast | Slower |
| Examples | SonarQube | OWASP ZAP |
Interview Tip: Mention IAST for hybrid scanning.
6. Secrets Management in DevSecOps
Q: How do you handle secrets securely in CI/CD?
Answer:
- Never hardcode secrets
- Use centralized secret managers
- Rotate secrets automatically
Tools:
- HashiCorp Vault
- AWS Secrets Manager
- Azure Key Vault
- Kubernetes Secrets (with encryption)
7. Container Security Interview Questions
Q: How do you secure Docker images?
Answer:
- Use minimal base images
- Scan images for vulnerabilities
- Sign images
- Enforce runtime policies
Tools:
- Trivy
- Clair
- Docker Scout
- Cosign
8. Kubernetes Security (DevSecOps)
Q: How do you implement security in Kubernetes?
Answer:
- RBAC with least privilege
- Pod Security Standards
- Network policies
- Admission controllers
Tools:
- OPA Gatekeeper
- Kyverno
- Falco
- Kube-Bench
9. Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Security
Q: How do you secure Terraform/CloudFormation?
Answer:
- Static analysis of IaC
- Policy-as-code enforcement
- Drift detection
Tools:
- Checkov
- tfsec
- Terraform Cloud policies
- AWS Config
10. CI/CD Pipeline Security
Q: How do you secure a CI/CD pipeline?
Answer:
- Least privilege pipeline roles
- Artifact integrity checks
- Secrets masking
- Secure runners/agents
Tools:
- GitHub Actions OIDC
- Azure DevOps secure pipelines
- Jenkins credentials store
11. Cloud Security in DevSecOps
Q: How is DevSecOps implemented in cloud platforms?
Answer:
- Policy enforcement
- Continuous monitoring
- Automated remediation
Tools:
- AWS Security Hub
- Azure Defender
- GCP Security Command Center
12. Compliance & Governance in DevSecOps
Answer:
Compliance is automated using policy-as-code.
Standards Covered:
- SOC2
- ISO 27001
- PCI-DSS
- HIPAA
Tools:
- Open Policy Agent
- Cloud Custodian
- AWS Config Rules
13. Runtime Security Interview Questions
Q: How do you detect threats in production?
Answer:
- Behavioral monitoring
- Anomaly detection
- Intrusion detection
Tools:
- Falco
- Sysdig Secure
- AWS GuardDuty
14. DevSecOps Metrics (KPIs)
Answer:
- Mean time to remediate (MTTR)
- Vulnerabilities per release
- Security test coverage
- Failed builds due to security
Security that slows releases is broken security
15. Advanced DevSecOps Interview Questions
- How do you implement zero-trust in CI/CD?
- How do you handle false positives?
- How do you secure multi-cloud pipelines?
- How do you prevent secrets leakage?
- How do you scale DevSecOps in large orgs?
Real-World DevSecOps Scenario
Problem: Developers bypass security scans
Solution:
- Make security fast
- Automate approvals
- Provide secure defaults
Golden Rule: Make the secure path the easiest path
Final Thoughts
DevSecOps is not a toolset—it’s a culture powered by automation. Interviewers look for candidates who can integrate security without slowing delivery.
At CloudSoftSol, we help engineers master DevSecOps, cloud security, and modern DevOps interviews with hands-on, real-world insights.
SEO Meta Description (≤160 chars)
SEO Meta Description (≤160 chars)DevSecOps interview questions with tools. Learn CI/CD security, SAST, DAST, Kubernetes, cloud & IaC security best practices.
