The Hidden Costs of Not Implementing DevSecOps

Data breaches are rising in cost and complexity, making security essential for every SaaS and software company. This blog explores the true costs of breaches, why DevSecOps is a business strategy, and how nearshore DevSecOps services deliver an edge.

The expensive reality of saas security breaches

According to IBM’s 2025 Cost of a Data Breach Report, the average cost of a cybersecurity breach has reached $4.54 million globally, and even higher for SaaS platforms storing customer data. As data breaches become more common, and expensive, the notable ones make headlines. Some of the examples included below were on the lower end of cost and some on the higher end, but they all suffered consequences beyond just money.

MoveIt Data Breach (2024–2025): A third-party file transfer vulnerability exposed sensitive data for multiple SaaS vendors, leading to lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny. There are strong calls from within the Payment Card Industry to improve compliance protocols and cloud security measures as it’s a notoriously targeted industry, and underprotected. Estimates from various sources put the total breach cost anywhere from $9 to $12 billion USD. However, it could be even more since an exact calculation is difficult to put together due to all of the downstream impacts.

CircleCI (2024): Due to mismanaged CI/CD environments, secrets were leaked and the breach led to revoked tokens, customer churn, and public distrust. Over 200,000 DevOps teams were actively using the platform at the time! It can be especially frustrating for the software development community when tools or platforms lack the very protections they are used to build in other systems. While the breach has not been officially quantified, estimates put it at around $4.8 million USD.

Each of these cases underscores how failing to integrate security into the software development lifecycle (SDLC) can lead to massive consequences.

AI-Generated code risks

The hidden costs of data breaches you’re probably not calculating

In most cases, it is difficult to calculate the exact cost of a data breach due to downstream impacts and the ongoing nature of some of them. However, there is always more on the line than money, such as:

Reputational damage in software development
Trust is everything in business and in life. A breach can erode customer confidence, drive churn, and harm your brand for years. This can be especially true in software development, as one big mistake will not go unnoticed in the tech community, and security should be baked into the development lifecycle.
Compliance & legal penalties
Failure to comply with data protection regulations (GDPR, HIPAA, SSDF) can result in major fines and lawsuits. After a data breach, depending on the scale and the industry, regulators may investigate, levy fines, or mandate sweeping changes.
Product delivery delays
Security incidents derail your roadmap, forcing dev teams to prioritize patches over innovation. When application security is not robust throughout the SDLC, the organization will pay the price with lost market share, revenue, and innovation opportunities.
Talent drain in DevOps teams
Security lapses often create blame-heavy environments. Developers leave, and finding replacements with cybersecurity expertise is costly. With multiple career options, developers don’t have to stick around after costly mistakes.

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Why DevSecOps is a strategic investment for businesses

DevSecOps is more than just a security layer, it’s a business strategy that drives resilience for software companies. The separation between development and business is thinner than ever, and DevSecOps builds on the importance of culture and collaboration before tools.

Collaboration and communication – DevSecOps only works when development, security, and operations teams are connected and collaborating. For far too long, software was built by siloed teams, each passing off problems down the line. With enhanced collaboration problems are caught early, security is included in every part of the process, and outcomes are better.
Shared responsibility – When all teams are responsible for security at every stage in the development process, it makes for stronger security processes and results.
Continuous learning and improvement – As attackers become more sophisticated, so too must developers. Continuous learning is the only way to ensure security holds up and innovations are incorporated when they make sense.
Shift-left security – As the catch phrase of DevSecOps, shift-left security allows teams to catch issues early when they are cheaper and easier to fix, but it also builds on all of the main components of DevSecOps previously listed.
Automated scans – Automate as much as possible for integrating static code, secrets, and containers into your CI/CD.
Security-as-Code – Last, ensure governance at scale with policy enforcement tools (like Open Policy Agent).

How to implement DevSecOps best practices

If you already have DevOps, you’re halfway there. If you’re starting from scratch, begin by blending security into existing workflows and team culture.

Steps to get started:

Run a DevSecOps maturity assessment to identify risk areas and where you stand today.
Harden CI/CD pipelines with automated security testing.
Adopt DevSecOps tools like Snyk or GitHub Advanced Security.
Embed security champions across teams.
Evaluate nearshore providers based on DevSecOps expertise.

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The nearshore advantage in DevSecOps services

Implementing DevSecOps while running normal business operations can be overwhelming. This is where nearshore DevSecOps companies add value, combining cost-efficiency, skill, and time-zone alignment.

Key advantages of nearshore DevSecOps teams:

Experienced in cloud-native stacks, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), GitOps, and DevSecOps tools.
Real-time collaboration during U.S. hours.
Lower costs without compromising compliance.
Scalable support for secure code reviews, threat modeling, and compliance reporting.

Working with a nearshore DevSecOps partner ensures agility, scalability, and strong security, without the cost of building a team from scratch.

Skipping DevSecOps today may save time, but it will cost you more in the long run. From data breach fallout to compliance penalties, the risks are rising. By embedding security into your development lifecycle and partnering with a skilled nearshore DevSecOps company, you can scale securely, confidently, and cost-effectively.

Want to evaluate your DevSecOps readiness or explore a nearshore security partner? Contact us today for a free consultation.