Sherlocked Security – Security as Code (OPA, Rego)
Automating Security Policies at the Code Level with Open Policy Agent
1. Statement of Work (SOW)
Service Name: Security as Code (OPA, Rego)
Client Type: Enterprises, SaaS Providers, Cloud-Native Organizations, DevOps Teams
Service Model: Policy Definition, Automation, and Continuous Integration into Development Pipelines
Compliance Coverage: NIST SP 800-53, CIS Benchmarks, PCI-DSS, GDPR, SOC 2
Assessment Types:
- Policy Definition for Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
- Security Policy Implementation via Open Policy Agent (OPA)
- Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Delivery (CD) Policy Automation
- Code Review and Policy Testing via Rego Scripting
- Real-time Policy Enforcement during Development Cycle
2. Our Approach
[Initial Security Requirements Gathering] → [Policy Framework Design] → [OPA & Rego Configuration] → [Integration with CI/CD] → [Policy Enforcement & Testing] → [Ongoing Monitoring & Updates]
3. Methodology
[Security Policy Mapping] → [OPA Configuration & Rule Writing] → [Integration into CI/CD Pipeline] → [Policy Testing] → [Continuous Monitoring & Feedback Loop]
4. Deliverables to the Client
- Security Policy Framework Documentation
- Open Policy Agent (OPA) Policy Scripts (Rego)
- CI/CD Integration Plan for Security Policy Enforcement
- Test Cases for Policy Validation
- Policy Performance Evaluation Report
- Ongoing Monitoring Strategy
- Compliance & Risk Mapping
- Optional: Developer and DevOps Team Training
5. What We Need from You (Client Requirements)
- Access to source code repositories (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket)
- Details on your CI/CD pipeline structure (Jenkins, GitLab CI, CircleCI, etc.)
- List of security compliance requirements (e.g., PCI-DSS, SOC 2)
- Infrastructure as Code (IaC) templates (Terraform, CloudFormation, etc.)
- Access to your cloud provider’s admin console (AWS, GCP, Azure)
- NDA and policy approval for integration
6. Tools & Technology Stack
- Open Policy Agent (OPA)
- Rego (policy language)
- Terraform / CloudFormation for IaC
- Jenkins, GitLab CI, CircleCI for CI/CD pipeline integration
- GitHub Actions, AWS CodePipeline, Azure DevOps
- Static Analysis Tools: TFLint, Checkov, CloudFormation Linter
- Policy Test Harness: OPA CLI, Conftest
7. Engagement Lifecycle
1. Kickoff & Requirements Gathering → 2. Policy Framework Design → 3. OPA Policy Definition → 4. CI/CD Integration → 5. Testing & Validation → 6. Reporting → 7. Ongoing Monitoring & Updates
8. Why Sherlocked Security?
| Feature | Sherlocked Advantage |
|---|---|
| Automated Policy Enforcement | Policies integrated directly into CI/CD pipelines for real-time feedback |
| Compliance-Driven Rules | Tailored security policies that align with compliance frameworks |
| Real-Time Feedback Loop | Immediate policy violations are reported during build/deploy phases |
| Flexible & Scalable | Policies can scale across multiple environments, tools, and platforms |
| Rego Expertise | Deep knowledge of Rego and policy scripting for complex use cases |
9. Real-World Case Studies
FinTech SaaS: Policy-Driven Terraform Security
Client: Cloud-native financial platform
Action: Implemented OPA to enforce security policies for Terraform modules (e.g., ensuring encrypted S3 buckets, secure IAM roles).
Outcome: No misconfigurations in production deployments; automated security checks integrated into DevOps pipeline.
Healthcare Platform: CloudFormation & OPA Integration
Client: Healthcare application hosting on AWS
Action: Configured OPA to validate CloudFormation templates against HIPAA and PCI-DSS requirements.
Outcome: Detected and remediated misconfigured IAM roles before deployment; ensured sensitive data protections were always active.
10. SOP – Standard Operating Procedure
- Kickoff & Review of Security Requirements
- Policy Framework Design (mapping to compliance standards)
- OPA Setup and Rule Writing (via Rego)
- Integration of OPA with CI/CD pipelines
- Development of Test Cases and Validation Procedures
- Continuous Monitoring Strategy for policy enforcement
- Developer Walkthrough or Training Session (Optional)
- Final Report and Ongoing Policy Review Process
11. Security as Code Checklist
1. Security Policy Design
- Identify security requirements (compliance, best practices, internal rules)
- Map infrastructure components to policy requirements (e.g., IAM roles, encryption)
- Determine which stages of CI/CD will enforce policies (e.g., plan, apply, deploy)
- Design comprehensive rules for each security domain (networking, storage, access controls)
2. OPA Configuration & Rego Scripting
- Configure OPA server and integrate it into the CI/CD pipeline
- Write Rego policies for Terraform/CloudFormation security checks
- Develop policies for access control, encryption, and network security rules
- Validate policy correctness with Conftest or OPA test framework
- Test for false positives and optimize performance of the policy engine
3. CI/CD Integration & Policy Enforcement
- Integrate OPA policies with CI/CD tools (Jenkins, GitLab CI, CircleCI, etc.)
- Ensure policies are enforced at all stages:
terraform plan,apply, and post-deploy verification - Ensure security scans are performed automatically after each code push or PR merge
- Configure notifications and alerts for policy violations (e.g., Slack, email)
4. Policy Testing & Validation
- Test policies using real-world IaC templates for false positive/negative results
- Run CI/CD pipeline simulations to validate policy enforcement
- Check for unhandled exceptions or errors in Rego scripts
- Implement unit and integration tests for OPA policies
- Perform load testing on OPA policy engine to ensure performance under load
5. Continuous Monitoring & Updates
- Set up automated tools to monitor policy compliance continuously (via OPA’s audit mode)
- Implement regular updates for policies based on evolving security threats
- Integrate threat intelligence into policy definitions for real-time updates
- Conduct periodic review and refactoring of Rego rules
6. Reporting & Documentation
- Provide a detailed security report with policy findings and recommendations
- Document policy definitions and the rationale behind them
- Provide audit trails for policy violations and remediation actions
- Recommend process improvements based on observed CI/CD security gaps