What is infra as code?
Infrastructure as Code is a technique in which you specify the infrastructure of your application or service in code. As an example, servers, databases, data stores, etc. are the infrastructure. By editing the code it can create, change or update. In the end, the changes will deploy. In a nutshell, infra as code is exactly what it sounds like: converting infrastructure to code.
With Infra as code, you are no longer dealing with actual infrastructure directly. But you can interact with the software that controls the hardware. Consider a mobile phone: it is a physical device, yet we interact with it (text, call, etc.) through a software interface.
How it helps organizations?
Let’s take a deeper look at what IaC can do for your company:
Faster speed and consistency
IaC’s purpose is to make things faster by reducing manual processes and slack in the process. A code-based approach allows you to complete more in less time. There is no need to wait for the admin to manually complete the current task before moving on to the next. This also implies that you can iterate faster and frequently.
Another significant advantage of IaC is consistency. You don’t have to worry about completing the tasks. Because it’s the weekend or because your administrator is busy with something else. You can also make changes on a global scale while keeping the same software version, for example.
Efficient SDLC
IaC gives the developer more power. Developers will be able to focus more on app development because of consistent and dependable infrastructure. Furthermore, they may write once and reuse the code several times. As a result, it is saving time and effort while maintaining total control.
Reduced management effort
There was a need to have admins to manage storage, networking, compute and other layers in a data center. IaC eliminates a need for these multiple roles. Those admins can now focus on next task to complete.
Why doing SAST on the infra as code is important?
Static application security testing (SAST) is used by QA testers to safeguard IaC by evaluating the source code and finding potential vulnerabilities. Three candidates instantly come to mind when it comes to open-source SAST tools.
Checkov is a fantastic choice for SAST because it offers 131 rules for Azure CIS benchmarks, 172 rules for AWS, and 7 rules for Google Cloud Platform. Furthermore, testers can examine terraform, terraform plan, cloud formation, K8S, Docker files, and ARM templates. Trivy, on the other hand, analyzes Terraform, Kubernetes, and Docker files using the tfsec security scanner and supports Azure, AWS, Cloudstack, and Google. Finally, Anchore focuses on discovering vulnerabilities in Docker files and container registries, despite the fact that it is mostly a paid tool and not entirely open-source.
