The Shared Responsibility Model in IaC

The Shared Responsibility Model in IaC

Cloud providers operate under a shared responsibility model where they secure the underlying infrastructure while customers secure their configurations and data. IaC shifts more responsibility to customers by giving them complete control over resource configuration. This increased control requires deeper understanding of security implications across all cloud services used.

Provider-specific security features add complexity to IaC security. Each cloud platform offers unique security services and configuration options. AWS Security Groups differ from Azure Network Security Groups, which differ from Google Cloud Firewall Rules. IaC templates must correctly implement platform-specific security controls while maintaining portability where possible. Multi-cloud deployments multiply this complexity.

Compliance requirements further complicate IaC security. Regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS mandate specific security controls and configurations. IaC templates must encode these requirements accurately, and changes must maintain compliance. Automated compliance checking becomes essential as manual reviews cannot keep pace with IaC deployment speeds.