Security should always be front and center when working with any cloud environment. The same is true when leveraging a tool like Terraform to help manage the underlying cloud infrastructure. As with any cloud service, Terraform has its own set of security best practices that must be followed in order to protect resources and prevent malicious activity. Here are seven Terraform security best practices to help keep your infrastructure secure.
Use Version Control
Setting up version control is an essential part of any development workflow. The same is true for Terraform. By using version control systems like Git, you can store all of your Terraform configurations and create a history of changes. This helps identify any unwanted changes and gives you the ability to roll back if needed.
Create Separate Accounts
Creating separate accounts for development, testing and production is a best practice that should be applied to all cloud environments. For Terraform, it’s important to set up separate accounts for each environment. This helps keep production resources secure and allows for easier debugging of development issues.
Use Multiple Authentication Factors
Using multiple authentication factors is a great way to help protect Terraform configurations. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) allows you to add an extra layer of security to your account by requiring a second factor, such as a code sent to your mobile phone, to gain access.
Validate Inputs
When working with Terraform, it’s important to validate all inputs. This helps ensure that your configuration is valid and that no malicious code is being injected into your environment. You can do this by using Terraform’s built-in validation functions or by using a third-party tool like the Terraform Validator.
Encrypt Sensitive Data
If you are working with sensitive data in your Terraform configurations, it is important to encrypt it. You can do this by using Terraform’s built-in encryption functions or by using a third-party tool like the Terraform Encryption Library.
Create Access Policies
Creating access policies is another important part of securing your cloud environment. With Terraform, you can create role-based access control (RBAC) policies to restrict user access to certain parts of your environment. This helps ensure that users have access to only the resources they need.
Monitor and Audit
Finally, it’s important to monitor and audit your Terraform configurations. By using a tool like Sysdig Secure, you can monitor for any changes to your Terraform files and alert you when changes occur. This helps ensure that your configurations are up-to-date and that no malicious activity is taking place.
These are just a few of the security best practices you should follow when working with Terraform. By following these best practices, you can ensure that your cloud environment is secure and safe from malicious activity.
Share the Security Love
Now that you’re familiar with the Terraform security best practices, make sure to share this article on social media to help spread the love and help keep everyone’s cloud environments safe.