Ansible and Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity

In today’s world, cybersecurity is more critical than ever. Whether it's adding new functionality, upgrading existing features, or auditing current systems, the question of how to enhance security always comes up.

How many of us have been disappointed when a solution doesn’t address security concerns due to time constraints or budget limitations? Is there a way to integrate security into the core of our solutions from the start?

And how do you achieve this when working with virtual machines (VMs) in a distributed architecture?

Cybersecurity and Automation Tools

Cybersecurity focuses on the processes and procedures that protect corporate infrastructure from attacks. When breaches do occur, these processes help limit the attacker's access and minimize damage. Automating these processes can significantly reduce the cost of maintaining a secure environment.

Automation tools like Ansible, Puppet, Chef, SaltStack, and Terraform are widely used in the industry, with Ansible and Terraform being particularly prominent leaders. In this article, I will focus on strategies that can be implemented using Ansible to enhance cybersecurity while lowering costs.

What is Ansible

Ansible is an automation tool used to execute tasks on remote servers. It relies on YAML-formatted files, known as Playbooks, to define these tasks, which are then pushed and executed on the remote servers using SSH.

At its core, a Playbook is a simple list of tasks that are run against a set of servers by a specified user.

But how does that work?

Ansible Mindset

Like any tool, Ansible can be used as simply or as complexly as you need. Personally, I approach Ansible with a "to-do list" mindset. Breaking down tasks into small, manageable steps and then linking them into larger workflows has always been the most effective approach for me.

For instance, if I need to make a change to a server, such as installing and configuring a Samba service on a VM, I break it down into a series of steps:

• Take a snapshot of the VM
• Update the repositories on the Linux server
• Apply any necessary updates
• Reboot, if required
• Set up new users or groups
• Install Samba
• Configure the server files
• Create new directories for shared folders
• Assign permissions to shared folders
• Add firewall rules
• Start the Samba service
• Test the Samba server
• Remove the snapshot once everything is working

Each of these steps can be divided into one or more tasks, which can then be combined into a role within a Playbook. A series of roles or tasks can be grouped together in a Playbook to handle the entire process of installing Samba.

However, simply following these steps doesn't inherently improve security.

Adding Security to the Process

When security is integrated into this process and included in Ansible scripts, it ensures that all new installations consistently follow established security protocols. For example:

• Samba configuration files adhere to a predefined enterprise standard.
• Copies of configuration files are stored in a central repository for auditing.
• User and group setups follow enterprise procedures.
• Checkpoints are added to verify that:
  • Only authorized users have access to new shared folders.
  • The firewall is enabled, and necessary rules are applied.

The Ansible script created for installing Samba can easily be adapted to install Apache, with the base security measures already in place. This means only the Apache-specific changes are needed, saving time while maintaining a high level of security.

Once these security measures are embedded into the scripts, every future execution will automatically follow these security standards. While it's still a manual process to verify that these security protocols are followed, that's where code reviews come in.

So Why Do This?

Security models like Zero Trust Access (ZTA) introduce additional steps to ensure that solutions are secure. If these steps aren’t followed, new attack surfaces can be created, which attackers can exploit.

By integrating the security models into your automation tool, you incur a one-time development effort and minimal ongoing cost. Once the models is in place, security becomes an integral part of the process.

This approach also ensures a consistent security models across the enterprise. As security needs evolve, the tools required for deployment are already in place, making it much easier to roll out updates and maintain security standards.

What are you doing to integrate security into your enterprise solutions?