On The Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Security

In previous weeks, we discussed OAST , SAST , and DAST . And now we will look at another important part of DevSecOps (and DevOps in general): IAC Security. I can almost hear some friends saying, "No way, there's no such thing!" but let's continue. As automation improves and infrastructure management becomes more complex, making these environments secure has become the top priority. Without proper protections, misconfigurations in the infrastructure can lead to security vulnerabilities or compliance issues.

This week’s article focuses on IaC, which is the method of managing and provisioning your infrastructure via code instead of manual setup. IaC adds speed, scalability, and consistency to infrastructure management but also brings security challenges. Mistakes in IaC scripts, untracked changes, or weak version control can lead to serious security gaps. Let’s dive into more details.

Key Security Considerations for IaC

When working with IaC, there are several important security considerations to keep in mind to avoid critical risks. First, version control for IaC scripts is extremely important. It ensures that every change made to the infrastructure can be tracked and audited. Without a history of changes, it becomes nearly impossible to determine the source of security issues. Using tools like Git and implementing structured workflows that require code reviews before changes are merged adds an extra layer of security. Additionally, integrating automated validation processes into CI/CD pipelines helps catch potential misconfigurations early. This strengthens the infrastructure security and allows for early intervention, preventing major problems. These methods ensure that IaC is securely managed and that infrastructure changes are trackable, auditable, and safe.

Another important consideration is managing access control. If the wrong people can modify IaC files, the infrastructure is left vulnerable to security threats. Adopting the “least privilege ” principle minimises risk by ensuring that users only have the permissions necessary for their jobs. Combining this with RBAC and MFA makes the system more resilient to unauthorised changes.

Data encryption is also a key consideration. IaC files often contain sensitive information like API keys, credentials, and configuration secrets. Leaving this info in plain text makes the entire infrastructure vulnerable to attackers. There are many tools to solve this, but using secret management tools such as HashiCorp Vault or AWS Secrets Manager ensures that sensitive data remains encrypted. Additionally, organisations should regularly rotate their secrets to reduce the risk of compromised credentials.

CI/CD pipelines are critical to automating infrastructure, so adding security checks to these processes is equally important. Automated tools such as Checkov and KICS , which we will explore in the following sections, scan IaC files for vulnerabilities before deployment, ensuring misconfigurations are caught before they cause problems. This proactive approach helps maintain security throughout the infrastructure’s lifecycle.

And monitoring and auditing are essential for maintaining security. Without continuous monitoring, unauthorised changes can go unnoticed, leading to security breaches. Centralised logging systems like ELK Stack or AWS CloudTrail allow real-time tracking of infrastructure changes. Alert systems can notify teams when suspicious activities are detected. Regular audits ensure the infrastructure complies with security standards and help address any policy violations quickly.

Top Tools for IaC Security

At this point, we’ve painted a broad picture of IaC security. As systems become more complex, securing them becomes even more important. Many organisations now use IaC to automate and manage their environments. This introduces the challenge of ensuring that the infrastructure configurations are secure, compliant, and free from vulnerabilities. Fortunately, there are tools specifically designed to solve these problems. Let’s take a look at some of the top IaC security tools.

SaltStack : It is a versatile configuration management and orchestration tool written in Python. It helps with automation tasks, especially provisioning, configuring, and managing cloud infrastructure. It excels at event-driven automation, meaning it can react to infrastructure changes in real-time. This is especially useful for organisations that want their infrastructure to automatically adapt to new conditions. SaltStack’s ability to manage both cloud and on-premise environments makes it a strong choice for large-scale infrastructure automation.

Spacelift : It is a cloud-agnostic platform that automates IaC management. It integrates with tools like Terraform , Pulumi , and K8s , making infrastructure management easier. Spacelift emphasises security by using Open Policy Agent to enforce security policies. With features like RBAC and customizable workflows, it’s an excellent tool for organisations managing infrastructure across multiple clouds.

Checkov : It is a static analysis tool for IaC that scans for misconfigurations in cloud infrastructure code. It works with popular IaC frameworks like Terraform and CloudFormation , and its robust policy engine allows custom security rules to be created. Checkov makes it easy to catch security issues early by integrating with CI/CD pipelines so you can automate the process of checking your infrastructure before it goes live.

Tfsec : It is a security scanner focused on Terraform. It helps identify potential security vulnerabilities in Terraform configurations before they are deployed, ensuring your infrastructure code is secure from the start. Tfsec is known for being fast and easy to integrate into development pipelines, providing real-time feedback on any issues it finds.

Terrascan : It is an open-source tool designed to secure IaC by detecting security and compliance violations. It supports multiple IaC platforms, including Terraform and Helm . Terrascan allows you to enforce security policies and ensure compliance with standards like CIS, NIST, and HIPAA by writing custom policies using Open Policy Agent. It’s a great choice for large organisations managing complex cloud infrastructure.

KICS (Keeping Infrastructure as Code Secure): It is an open-source tool designed to detect security vulnerabilities in IaC frameworks like Terraform, CloudFormation, and Ansible. KICS offers a large library of security queries to help identify misconfigurations and compliance issues in your IaC templates. By integrating KICS into your CI/CD pipeline, you can automate security scans to catch vulnerabilities early in the development process.

Infracost : It is a tool that helps estimate the cost of cloud infrastructure changes before they are deployed. It integrates with Terraform to provide real-time feedback on the cost implications of your infrastructure modifications. This tool is especially helpful for teams wanting to avoid unexpected costs and better manage their cloud spending.

env0 : It is a cloud management platform that automates governance and cost control for cloud environments using IaC templates. It integrates with Terraform and other IaC frameworks, allowing teams to enforce policies, manage budgets, and control access to cloud resources. With env0, organisations gain visibility into their cloud infrastructure, ensuring resources are used efficiently and that costs are kept under control.

Xygeni : It is a real-time IaC security platform that focuses on policy enforcement and compliance. It helps prevent misconfigurations by ensuring your infrastructure code meets security standards before it is deployed. Xygeni integrates seamlessly with popular CI/CD pipelines like Jenkins and GitLab, allowing teams to automate security checks throughout the development process.

This list can certainly be extended further. So, which one is your favourite?

Common Mistakes in IaC Security and How to Avoid Them

One common mistake in IaC security is hardcoding secrets directly into config files. Storing sensitive information like API keys, passwords, or tokens in plain text within your IaC files exposes your infrastructure to security risks if these files are accidentally shared or leaked. To avoid this, organisations should adopt secret management tools such as HashiCorp Vault or AWS Secrets Manager, which securely handle sensitive data and integrate it into the infrastructure when needed without revealing it in the code itself.

Another common issue is skipping proper reviews of IaC changes. Deploying changes without a thorough review process can lead to unnoticed vulnerabilities or misconfigurations, which can then become serious security threats in production environments. Implementing a peer review system where every change is reviewed and validated before being merged is crucial. Using tools like pull requests in Git and automated code analysis can help ensure that errors are caught early.

Not using version control for IaC files is a critical oversight. Without version control, it’s challenging to track changes or revert to previous configurations when necessary. This can lead to confusion and slow down troubleshooting efforts. To avoid this, teams should always use version control systems like Git to track every modification to IaC files, ensuring there is a clear record of what has changed, when, and by whom. By addressing these common mistakes — securing secrets, implementing proper reviews, and using version control — organisations can significantly enhance the security and reliability of their IaC practices.

Conclusion

In 2024, IaC security has become a critical part of modern DevSecOps practices. Ensuring that your infrastructure is secure while automating it through IaC tools is the key to operational success in the future.

Taking DevSecOps to the Next Level

If you need a training platform that makes this process easier and shows you all possible methods, here’s your opportunity! If you want to deepen your knowledge of IAC Sec and improve your DevSecOps skills, there is a great opportunity to learn everything we have talked about here — like adding IAC Sec to your CI/CD pipelines and working with tools like DAST, SAST and OAST. Whether you are new to DevOps or have some experience, this course is designed for all levels and is easy to follow step by step. Ready to start?

Check out the course and sign up here: Certified DevSecOps Professional Course

If you are serious about growing your security skills and want to become an expert in DevSecOps, this course is perfect for you!