How to apply security at the source using GitOps

GitOps is a methodology that uses a Git repository as the single source of truth for software assets, enabling a consistent and automated deployment model that integrates security practices directly at the source. By leveraging version control systems like Git, GitOps allows developers to manage infrastructure and applications declaratively, ensuring that changes are automatically reconciled with the desired state defined in the repository, primarily through tools such as Flux and ArgoCD. This approach enhances security by enabling a "shift left" strategy, where potential vulnerabilities and configuration errors can be addressed early in the development process, thereby reducing manual interventions and allowing for swift rollbacks and traceability. While GitOps is often associated with Kubernetes, its principles can be applied beyond it, though challenges such as idempotency and secrets management may arise. By integrating security practices into the GitOps workflow, organizations can improve their security posture, automate vulnerability scanning, and implement policy-as-code, paving the way towards a unified Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP).