AZ-400 Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions Exam

Design a strategy for security and compliance scanning, including dependency, code, secret, and licensing scanning

Designing a robust scanning strategy ensures that security risks are caught early in the development process. By including dependency scanning, code scanning, secret scanning, and licensing scanning, teams can cover multiple risk areas. This security and compliance scanning approach helps maintain code quality and compliance with industry standards. A good strategy emphasizes early detection to prevent issues from reaching production.

To build this strategy, start by mapping project assets and assessing their risk levels. Next, select tools and configure them to run automatically in your pipelines. Typical scanning categories include:

• Dependency scanning for third-party libraries
• Code scanning for static analysis
• Secret scanning for credentials and keys
• Licensing scanning for open-source compliance
  This list ensures every area receives attention.

Many tools can help implement these scans in Azure. For example, you can use Azure Security Center for built-in vulnerability scanning and Microsoft Defender for Cloud for richer insights. Third-party services like SonarCloud, WhiteSource, or Black Duck can integrate easily with Azure pipelines. Ensure every tool is set up to run on every commit to enforce continuous protection.

Finally, establish policies for handling scan results and remediating issues. Use dashboards or reports to track progress and measure improvements over time. Adopt a shift-left philosophy by moving security checks earlier in the development lifecycle. Consistent reviews and updates to your strategy will help maintain high security and compliance standards.

Configure Microsoft Defender for Cloud DevOps Security

Microsoft Defender for Cloud DevOps Security provides proactive threat protection for your Azure workloads. It integrates with Azure DevOps to scan pipelines and repositories for vulnerabilities and compliance issues. The service offers real-time alerts and recommendations to help teams respond quickly. By centralizing security data, it supports better decision making across development and operations.

To configure this service, first enable the Microsoft Defender plan in the Azure portal. Then link your Azure DevOps organization or GitHub repositories using the built-in connectors. Once connected, Defender will analyze build pipelines, artifacts, and IaC templates. This setup ensures pipelines are continuously monitored for security issues.

Defense teams can view security findings in the Defender for Cloud dashboard and export them to work item systems. You can set custom policies to enforce security standards before code merges or deployments. Integration with Azure Policy helps automate compliance checks across environments. This policy-as-code approach reduces manual effort and enforces consistency.

Best practices include automating alerts so teams are notified immediately when issues arise. Regularly review scan results and track resolution times to improve response workflows. Maintaining an exception list for low-risk findings can help focus on critical issues.

Configure GitHub Advanced Security for both GitHub and Azure DevOps

GitHub Advanced Security (GHAS) adds advanced scanning features directly into your repositories. It includes code scanning, secret scanning, and dependency reviews to detect vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. Enabling GHAS helps shift security checks earlier in the development process. It also provides detailed insights into potential threats in pull requests.

To set up GHAS in GitHub, navigate to your organization settings and enable security features for selected repositories. Configure CodeQL queries for custom code analysis and activate secret scanning to catch exposed credentials. In Azure DevOps, you can connect repositories to GitHub Enterprise or use mirror repos with GHAS enabled. This ensures consistent security scanning across both platforms.

GHAS integrates with GitHub Actions to run scans on every pull request or commit. Use branch protection rules and required status checks to block merges when high-severity issues are found. The security dashboard shows a consolidated view of findings across all repositories. These controls help enforce preventive measures before code reaches production.

Review GHAS alerts regularly and assign them to the appropriate team for rapid remediation. Track remediation metrics to identify recurring issues and improve coding practices. This continuous feedback loop raises overall code quality and security posture.

Integrate GitHub Advanced Security with Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Integrating GitHub Advanced Security with Microsoft Defender for Cloud provides a unified security view. This integration brings GHAS findings into the Defender dashboard, offering a centralized location for all security alerts. Teams can correlate data across their Azure resources and code repositories. A unified view simplifies threat prioritization and response.

To enable this integration, add your GitHub organization in the Defender for Cloud settings and grant necessary permissions. Defender will then start ingesting code scanning and secret scanning alerts from GHAS. You can filter and group alerts by severity, repository, or resource type. This streamlined pipeline helps teams focus on the most critical issues first.

Once connected, use the Defender dashboard to drill into GHAS alerts and see code references, remediation suggestions, and links back to GitHub. Automate alert notifications by forwarding them to Azure Sentinel or Azure Monitor workbooks. This end-to-end flow enhances visibility and incident response. It also aligns security processes across development and cloud operations.

Regularly audit the integration to ensure new repositories and teams are included. Adjust severity thresholds and retention policies as your environment evolves. These continuous improvements will keep your security posture up-to-date.

Automate container scanning, including scanning container images and configuring an action to run CodeQL analysis in a container

Automating container scanning helps identify vulnerabilities in images before they are deployed. By integrating scanners into your build pipelines, you can enforce security checks on every container image. Tools like Trivy, Clair, and Twistlock can scan for known CVEs and misconfigurations. This approach ensures consistent container security across environments.

Azure Container Registry (ACR) includes a built-in vulnerability scanner that can be configured to run on new images. You can also use GitHub Actions to launch container scans or run CodeQL analysis inside a container. Configure your CI/CD pipeline to halt the build if any high-severity issues are found. These automated gates prevent vulnerable containers from reaching production.

To set up CodeQL in a container, include a job in your workflow file that pulls the CodeQL Docker image and runs analysis on your codebase. Save the results as artifacts or push them to the GHAS dashboard for review. Combine this with image scanning to cover both code and container layers. This dual approach provides layered security checks for comprehensive protection.

Maintain up-to-date scanner versions and base images to avoid missing new vulnerabilities. Generate regular reports to track trends and improve remediations. By automating container scans, teams reinforce a strong security posture without manual intervention.

Automate analysis of licensing, vulnerabilities, and versioning of open-source components by using Dependabot alerts

Dependabot alerts help automate the tracking of vulnerabilities and license issues in open-source dependencies. When a new issue is detected, Dependabot raises an alert in your GitHub repository. It also creates pull requests to update dependencies to secure versions. This process supports supply chain security and helps maintain compliance.

To enable Dependabot, add a configuration file in your repository specifying update frequency and package ecosystems to monitor. Dependabot checks for new versions and license changes on a set schedule. You can configure it to merge minor updates automatically while requiring reviews for major version bumps. This balance helps teams manage risk and stay current.

Dependabot’s pull requests include release notes and change logs for easy context. Security alerts for dangerous dependencies appear in the GitHub Security tab and can be forwarded to issue trackers. Teams should review each alert, test changes, and merge updates promptly. This workflow reduces manual effort and keeps your software resilient.

Monitoring license changes ensures you avoid unapproved packages with restrictive terms. Dependabot also groups related alerts for easier triage. By automating dependency management, teams can focus on development rather than manual updates.

Conclusion

Automating security and compliance scanning in Azure DevOps involves designing a comprehensive strategy that covers code, dependencies, secrets, and licenses. Configuring Microsoft Defender for Cloud and GitHub Advanced Security gives teams powerful tools to scan pipelines and repositories continuously. Integrating these services provides a single pane of glass for prioritizing and remediating security issues. Automating container scans and using Dependabot further strengthens security by catching vulnerabilities early and keeping dependencies up to date. Altogether, these practices help maintain a strong defense throughout the software delivery lifecycle.