Author: Mike Vizard

  • Minimus Unfurls Service for Accessing Secure Software Artifacts

    Minimus Unfurls Service for Accessing Secure Software Artifacts

    Minimus today at the 2025 RSA Conference launched a managed service through which it ensures application development teams are provided access to a secure set of minimal container images and virtual machines.

    Company CTO John Morello said the Minimus service eliminates the possibility that developers might inadvertently download software artifacts that might be infested with malware.

    At the core of the Minimus service is an operating system the company specifically developed to make managing the orchestration of software artifacts simpler. That capability then enabled Minimus to ensure that hardened software artifacts that have been configured to minimize the overall size of the attack surface that might be presented can be integrated into DevSecOps workflows, said Morello.

    Minimus also constantly monitors threat intelligence to ensure the security of those artifacts while also providing developers with real-time insights into potential threats to reduce overall risk, he added.

    While a lot of progress has been made in securing software supply chains, too many developers are still downloading software artifacts from insecure repositories. The Minimus service provides an alternative approach to accessing software artifacts that have been vetted by application security experts for known vulnerabilities and security weaknesses, said Morello.

    It’s not clear why more DevSecOps teams are not limiting the number of repositories that application developers can use to download software artifacts but cybercriminal syndicates have clearly become more adept at injecting malware into them as part of an effort to infect as many downstream applications as possible. Unfortunately, it might not be years before that malware is actually activated.

    DevSecOps teams have been making a concerted effort to provide application developers with scanning tools that discover vulnerabilities and malware in software artifacts. However, the success of those efforts is often limited simply because the number of alerts being generated overwhelms the ability of application developers to recognize and remediate issues based on their actual severity. The Minimus service reduces the need to run those scans by ensuring the software artifacts being used are secure in the first place, said Morello.

    It’s not clear how many application security incidents can be traced specifically back to vulnerabilities and malware in software artifacts, but most developers would prefer to not have to address an issue discovered months, sometimes even years, after an application has been deployed in a production environment. As always, an ounce of prevention is always going to be worth more than a pound of any proverbial cure.

    The challenge at this point isn’t so much finding the technologies required to secure those artifacts as much as it might be changing the culture of application developers that have for decades now routinely downloaded artifacts from public repositories without considering the application security implications.

    Hopefully, the overall state of application security will improve as more organizations move to lock down their software supply chains. In the meantime, however, DevSecOps teams rather than investing in more tooling may want to consider trying to solve the issue at the root source of the repository problem.

  • Feature Management’s Role in DevOps with Trevor Stuart

    Feature Management’s Role in DevOps with Trevor Stuart

    Trevor Stuart, general manager and senior vice president of Harness, explains how feature management is becoming a critical extension of DevOps workflows a year after the acquisition of Split Software. 

    Feature management is fast becoming a critical pillar in modern DevOps workflows, especially as organizations seek to keep up with the rising volume and velocity of software development. Stuart discusses how the evolution of feature flags has reshaped deployment practices and the expectations of software delivery teams.

    The core value of feature flags lies in their ability to enable safer, faster releases. They give teams the flexibility to toggle functionality without redeploying code, making it possible to mitigate risk during production rollouts. Initially used sparingly and often managed via manual config files, feature flags are now a mainstream method for progressive delivery. They help organizations validate features with specific user segments, reduce blast radius when issues arise, and support experimentation in real-world conditions.

    Stuart highlights that the growing use of AI-generated code, modular microservices, and increasing product personalization have only amplified the need for robust feature flag systems. These tools now serve not just as toggles, but as real-time control layers for dynamic configuration, adaptive experimentation, and telemetry-based feedback. Companies are increasingly using them to fine-tune AI models, personalize customer experiences, and refine software quality using real-time performance data.

    Despite broad awareness, many teams still rely on homegrown or brittle solutions, leading to maintenance issues and outages. The challenge is often organizational: determining whether to build, buy, or integrate these capabilities into broader CI/CD pipelines. Stuart argues that deeply integrating feature flagging into delivery workflows—particularly as part of a unified platform—is essential for scale and consistency.

    As software complexity grows, so does the need for intelligent automation. Stuart envisions pipelines that not only deploy features but also observe impact, run experiments, adapt based on results, and even feed signals back into models. It’s a shift from manual gates to data-driven automation, marking a pivotal transition in how DevOps teams manage risk, velocity, and innovation.