DevOps leaders chart the course for secure software delivery at JFrog Leadership Exchange

With software-driven innovation at the heart of every industry, organisations are under constant pressure to accelerate development without compromising security or reliability. According to the 2024 State of DevOps Report, elite DevOps performers deploy code 208 times more frequently than low performers, with a significantly lower failure rate. However, this rapid deployment also introduces challenges—Gartner estimates that software supply chain attacks cost $46 billion in 2023 and will increase to become a $138 billion burden by 2031. This underscores the urgent need for organizations to implement proactive security measures within their DevOps processes.

The theme of this year’s event, seamless software delivery for tomorrow, addressed these pressing concerns, emphasising the need for streamlined, secure, and agile development processes. As digital transformation accelerates, organisations must embrace EveryOps—an all-encompassing approach that unifies DevOps, DevSecOps, and MLOps, ensuring security, automation, and scalability across the entire software lifecycle. By breaking down silos and fostering end-to-end visibility, EveryOps empowers teams to accelerate software delivery while maintaining resilience and efficiency in an ever-evolving tech landscape.

To tackle these challenges, Leadership Exchange – Seamless Software Delivery for Tomorrow, hosted by JFrog in collaboration with YourStory, provided a dynamic platform for DevOps professionals. The event featured keynote addresses and an engaging panel discussion, fostering crucial conversations on security, scalability, and the future of DevOps.

Embracing seamlessness in software delivery

The opening session set the stage with insights from Yashaswi Mudumbai, Senior Director - Solutions Engineering, APAC, JFrog, who highlighted the increasing complexities in software delivery and the necessity of integrating security from the ground up. His keynote, "The Future of Software Delivery: Embracing Seamlessness in 2025," emphasised the evolution of DevOps, focusing on securing the software supply chain, early vulnerability detection, and leveraging a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) for transparency and compliance. He underscored the importance of treating security as an integral component rather than an afterthought, ensuring resilience and trust in software deployments.

Strengthening enterprise DevOps with security

Meghraj Patil, Solutions Engineer at JFrog, delved into Secure Enterprise DevOps, offering insights on embedding security within the entire Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). He discussed companies' integration challenges, particularly in managing multiple security tools, and proposed a platform-based approach as a more efficient alternative to best-of-breed solutions.

Patil cited real-world examples from industries like fintech and gaming to illustrate how regulatory requirements shape security practices. He also introduced frameworks such as SLSA for enhanced security compliance and automation in software supply chains. Key takeaways included the necessity of continuous security monitoring, contextual vulnerability triage, and the adoption of a security-first culture to mitigate risks from unpatched vulnerabilities and evolving threat landscapes.

Navigating the future of DevOps

The event culminated in an engaging panel discussion titled "Navigating the Future of DevOps: Integrating Security and Emerging Practices". The panel featured Yashaswi Mudumbai alongside Mainak Bandyopadhyay, Director of Engineering at Medallia, who shared their perspectives on the evolution of DevOps and emerging security trends.

Key insights from the discussion included:

• Shifting Security Left: Both panellists stressed the importance of integrating security early in the development lifecycle. Bandyopadhyay emphasised that security engineers should be involved from the design phase to address vulnerabilities proactively.
• Developer-Centric Security Approaches: Mudumbai highlighted that modern security measures must be developer-friendly, advocating for integrated security tools within CI/CD pipelines to reduce friction and increase adoption.
• Modernising Legacy Systems: Addressing DevOps challenges in legacy environments, Bandyopadhyay suggested containerisation and modernised build systems as strategies to streamline workflows and reduce cycle times.
• AI-Driven DevOps: Mudumbai predicted self-healing pipelines and AI-embedded security as game-changers for DevOps by 2030, emphasising the need for organisations to adapt to automated remediation and evolving security risks.

This highly interactive session saw enthusiastic participation from DevOps leaders, reinforcing the importance of collaborative, security-first mindsets in modern software delivery.

Looking ahead

The Leadership Exchange provided an invaluable platform for industry leaders to discuss best practices, tackle emerging challenges, and share strategies for seamless, secure, and efficient DevOps execution. As the field continues to evolve, integrating security into every stage of software development remains paramount, ensuring organisations stay resilient in an increasingly complex digital ecosystem.

With insightful discussions, networking opportunities, and forward-thinking perspectives, this edition of Leadership Exchange reaffirmed the need for continuous innovation in the DevOps landscape.