When does continuous security monitoring take place in the DevOps workflow?

Continuous security monitoring is primarily conducted in the operations phase of the DevOps workflow. This is because, during this phase, applications and infrastructure are actively running in a production environment, which presents real-time vulnerabilities and threats that need to be addressed promptly.

Monitoring during the operations phase allows for the detection of anomalies, compliance checks, threat intelligence integration, and real-time feedback on security posture. This ongoing scrutiny ensures that any security issues can be identified and remediated quickly, thus reducing potential risks to the system.

While aspects of security can be integrated during the planning and development phases, the most dynamic and critical environment for continuous monitoring is during operations, where the potential for security incidents is highest. Hence, the focus on maintaining a secure environment post-deployment aligns with the operational nature of the DevOps model.