In today’s federal IT landscape, building secure software from the very beginning is vital to the success of any software development project.
With cybersecurity mandates such as President Trump’s recently announced Executive Order on overall federal cybersecurity, OMB Memorandum M-22-18, and the NIST SSDF, agencies need to guarantee that security is integrated and maximized across the full development lifecycle.
This is where DevSecOps comes into play, the fusion of development, security, and operations that ensures security is embedded into every phase of the software lifecycle.
“In fact, it’s often called ‘SecDevOps’ because security isn’t just a step, it’s the critical starting point,” said Chris Nesbitt, DevSecOps Engineer at Makpar. “Too often, it’s treated as a final checklist item, but in today’s government threat environment, security must be foundational from the start.”
At Makpar, we help agencies put this mindset into action by making security a built-in foundation throughout the development process, and not an afterthought. Here’s how we use DevSecOps to secure our customers’ software development pipelines.
Design with Security at Every Step
The foundation of DevSecOps is simple: to build with security in mind at every step. Retrofitting cybersecurity into a finished application often leads to costly rework and missed vulnerabilities. Instead, federal IT development teams and supporting partners should adopt a security-first mindset from the beginning.
This includes defining applicable encryption protocols, using secure authentication methods such as mutual TLS and OpenID Connect (OIDC) with single sign-on, and proactively identifying worst-case scenarios for data misuse or misrepresentation.
Infrastructure as Code for Instant, Secure Environments
Secure infrastructure must be repeatable. That’s why we leverage infrastructure as code (IaC) tools like Terraform to define and provision secure environments. With just a single command, our teams can spin up entire pipelines with all the right security protocols in place, ready for development and testing without compromising on compliance.
Responsible Use of LLMs in the Pipeline
Large Language Models (LLMs) are revolutionizing development speed and capability, but they bring new security considerations. Makpar has taken a hybrid approach where instead of relying on commercial LLMs alone, we use a custom-trained LLM that allows for greater control over data exposure, guardrail enforcement, and user-specific permissions.
For example, our internal projects use custom-indexed data sets and prompt engineering to ensure LLMs provide accurate and concise responses without risking hallucinations or leaks. We implement guardrails to exclude sensitive data before the model even ingests it, and set granular access controls so responses vary based on user role and permissions.
Accelerated and Secure Development
LLMs are also powering more efficient workflows. From vibe coding sessions that debug in real-time to using AI for generating infrastructure as code, we’re seeing clear gains in development velocity. But speed doesn’t come at the cost of security: everything is reviewed, refined, and audited by skilled engineers to ensure compliance and stability.
DevSecOps That Delivers
Securing the software pipeline from day one is about more than tools. It’s about strategy, automation, and discipline.
“At Makpar, we apply a tailored delivery strategy that optimizes automation and workflows across the federal software pipeline,” added Nesbitt. “Our approach streamlines development, ensures security and compliance with federal standards, and drives meaningful cost savings. By improving operational efficiency and enabling faster, more transparent delivery, we help agencies focus on what matters most, which is delivering mission-critical outcomes.”
At Makpar, we help federal agencies operationalize DevSecOps by combining security-first thinking with modern tools, repeatable infrastructure, and responsible AI integration. Our approach results in faster delivery, enhanced security, and software pipelines designed to support the mission from the onset.
Discover how Makpar enables secure, modern digital government.
