Ansible security hardening uses Ansible automation to systematically apply security configurations to servers, network devices, and cloud infrastructure. It also addresses securing Ansible itself, including protecting credentials, securing communication channels, and validating playbook integrity.
Ansible hardens infrastructure through idempotent playbooks that enforce desired security state. Security-focused roles apply CIS benchmarks to operating systems, configure firewall rules, manage user accounts, enforce password policies, and deploy monitoring agents. Ansible Vault encrypts sensitive variables and files within playbooks using AES-256. Execution security requires SSH key-based authentication with privilege escalation through become directives rather than direct root access. Ansible Tower/AWX adds RBAC for playbook execution, credential management with external vault integration, and audit logging of all automation runs. Playbook linting with ansible-lint catches security anti-patterns like plaintext passwords and unsafe shell commands. Content Collections from Ansible Galaxy should be verified and version-pinned. Check mode (dry run) validates changes before application. Molecule provides testing frameworks to verify security roles produce expected configurations.
Manual security hardening is inconsistent, slow, and impossible to maintain at scale. Configuration drift over time undoes hardening work. Ansible provides repeatable, auditable, version-controlled security automation that can be applied across thousands of systems simultaneously. However, Ansible itself becomes a high-value target because it has privileged access to managed infrastructure, making its own security paramount.
CDA maps Ansible hardening to the SPH (Security Posture and Hygiene) domain. Our missions develop security-focused Ansible roles for CIS benchmark compliance, implement Ansible Vault with external KMS integration, and establish governance for playbook development and execution.