Best Practices for Infrastructure as Code Security

In the realm of DevOps, infrastructure as code is a buzzword that needs to be addressed with great caution while bearing in mind a closer tie between various divisions of the same corporation. Otherwise, how can you start to make specific enhancements and increase your revenue most effectively once you think of your complete infrastructure as a dedicated and unified code? Many modern businesses that rely substantially just on the operation of DevOps processes do this today. Another notion that can be employed in this situation to organize and categorize multiple infrastructure domains as code is DevOps containerization.    

The need to expand your existing infrastructure as code and afterward analyze it using the best development and integration-related technologies has developed alongside the DevOps concept for as long as it has existed. Many pros would argue that while DevOps would have persisted despite continuous development and integration, it was only significantly stronger with the concept of infrastructure as code. 

So in this article, we will explore what infrastructure is as code, what benefits it offers, and what best practices you can follow.

What is Infrastructure as Code? 

The phrase “Infrastructure as Code” (IaC) describes the method of supplying and controlling computing infrastructure using machine-readable configuration documents based upon the conceptual framework linked to networking, load balancers, VMS, and data storage.

These processes were traditionally carried out manually by developers and operators using a variety of software and installation methodologies. Nevertheless, programmers and administrators can employ IaC technologies to bundle these procedures into straightforward automation scripts or algorithms that finish all activities and accelerate the entire build process. IaC has the natural ability to decrease discrepancies in the workflow, enhance overall quality, and increase efficiency by expediting the task.

In general, there are two ways to write infrastructure as code:

Declarative (Functional):

The declarative methodology entails writing out or defining the target’s desirable or necessary configuration. Programmers specify the prerequisites or technologies required for setting up the infrastructure or system using this way. The procedures for establishing the server can be specified.

Imperative (Procedural):

This method defines the commands that must be executed to produce the desired result. The imperative approach concentrates on how the infrastructure might be modified to accomplish the goal.  

Benefits of using infrastructure as code

1. Increased Pace

The main advantage of IaC technologies in DevOps is accelerating the process. It gets rid of the manual procedures and irregularities that are present in the software project. Programmers can now forego the labor-intensive manual methods involved in IT management thanks to infrastructure as a code. Development teams can quickly implement the modifications while keeping an identical version of the program or software.

2. Reduced management

Enterprises must constantly deploy several software and IT infrastructure in today’s competitive and complex software-driven market to maintain a stable IT ecosystem. Systems are necessary for the current company to manage its infrastructure and cut expenditures efficiently. Technologies for infrastructure as code eliminate these issues and improve the automation of infrastructure management.

3. Rapid Application Development Process 

Technologies for infrastructure as code allows programmers and administrators immediate access to control and resources. They can utilize the code often by IaC deployment, which requires them to develop it once. Consequently, it reduces the effort needed to protect and conserve the software development process. IaC tools allow programmers to concentrate on the most fruitful part of software development.

4. Crisis Recovery

Throughout a cyber disaster, IaC tools give the software development team additional capabilities to rescue their massive infrastructure. You can execute a nearly identical manifest again whenever a new location is required to bring the system online.

5. Collaboration

Version control feature of IaC that enables multiuser collaboration across a single location. Programmers can control modifications to various infrastructure elements as they work on them.

6. Scalability

It also enables businesses to assess their discrepancies and improvement opportunities; scalability is essential for overseeing IT infrastructures. Additionally, IaC tools simplify the process for programmers to improve the system and boost capacity in response to user requests.

When to apply for IaC? 

Any time you want to handle any infrastructure. Nevertheless, concerning the precise needs and resources, it gets more complicated. Whereas many need both infrastructure & configuration management, one might call for only rigorous infrastructure management. 

Concerns about the system itself arise, such as whether the tool offers the required feature set, security implications, integrations, etc. Additionally, the learning curve enters the picture because people like more straightforward, clearer tools than complex ones.

Top Infrastructure as Code Tools

1. Terraform

A widespread Infrastructure as a Code solution is Terraform. A declarative methodology is the foundation of this open-source technology. Getting the desired condition or outcome comes after a pre-implementation verification. The cloud computing platforms AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and OpenStack, are all functional with Terraform. It is essentially concerned with creating the toolkits required for well-liked third-party connections.   

The architecture of DevOps groups can be described as code using Terraform, and execution strategies can be created to specify what will happen when the code is executed. Programmers can automate many infrastructures with this technology independent of the cloud.

2. CloudFormation by AWS

Programmers can automate their installations and create code for the infrastructure using a configuration tool called AWS CloudFormation. App developers can evaluate changes to the Aws Platform and see how they influence their current system by using the IaC tool. Additionally, this declarative approach offers significant advantages to businesses using AWS for their IT infrastructure.

3. Chef

Chef is another well-known infrastructure-as-code tool. For operations, including continuous deployment and integration, businesses use Chef as a setup management solution in DevOps. Helps the developers to provide many steps that your IT admins can follow to set up a new system to the desired outcome by using their “Cookbooks” for development.

4. Pulumi

The most recent tool for IaC is called Pulumi. C#, Go, TypeScript, Python, and JavaScript are some well-known languages it covers. Many IaC DevOps use scenarios are compatible with Pulumi. It provides automated choices, including simple monitoring, deployment distribution, thorough identification control, & quality management, and usage regulations. There are simple lessons available for each of these amenities.

Best Practices for Infrastructure as Code Security

1. Concentrate on the coding

Since IaC is a programming-as-code system, you should set up the required infrastructure as much as possible by coding in configuration files. When it comes to each of the unique infrastructure needs, these files serve as the only credible source. When you have access to every piece of code, you can install the infrastructure rapidly, even without incident, without needing to log in manually. Furthermore, since your code already satisfies the criteria for infrastructure state description, you can exclude it from the rest of the instructions.

2. Set Continuous Priority on Integration and Ongoing Delivery

The infrastructure code must be handled via continuous integration and deployment, like your app’s source code. Additionally, it’s critical to build up test automation that launches each time the code structure is altered. Test automation can eliminate many possible post-deployment problems when used with infrastructure configurations. Constant monitoring also assists in continuously identifying threats and keeping track of the infrastructure’s protection during the development life-cycle.

3. Pick a modular architecture.

An unchanging infrastructure must be prioritized when selecting an IaC system. To accomplish this, you must utilize a predefined infrastructure numerous times and afterward swap it out whenever a configuration upgrade or modification is required. By doing so, the requirement to update the setup of the entire infrastructure is removed, preventing configuration errors, bringing consistency, and boosting protection. Programmers can keep track of each modification and put a more balanced procedure in place with little to no setup changes.

Wrapping Up

As this article comes to a close, we are now acquainted with how IaC is an approach that makes tried-and-true coding principles easier to use and implements them effectively in just about any infrastructure. More significantly, it makes it possible to dissolve the distinction between what constitutes software and the ecosystem. Identical in concept, DevOps joins programmers and the operations department into a unified team to ensure ongoing success. 

Moreover, hire professional developers with years of industry experience to streamline the entire process.

Get in touch with us to learn more about how to apply it in your company.