Speaker 1: All right, diving deep today, folks into security automation and
Speaker 1: our guide Ansable. We're going through excerpts from the Security
Speaker 1: Automation with Ansable too. I got to say this book
Speaker 1: is pretty fascinating.
Speaker 2: You know. One of the things that really struck me
Speaker 2: is how ansable lets you essentially define your security processes
Speaker 2: as code.
Speaker 1: Yeah. I was going to say that sounds a little
Speaker 1: intimidating at first.
Speaker 2: Oh, I know, but ansable uses this language called yaml. Okay,
Speaker 2: and it's actually surprisingly human readable, almost like writing a
Speaker 2: clear step by step recipe for how you want your
Speaker 2: security setup.
Speaker 1: Makes sense. So these these recipes, they're what the book
Speaker 1: calls playbooks, right exactly.
Speaker 2: And those playbooks they use modules, which are these pre
Speaker 2: built components for different tasks.
Speaker 1: Okay, so you're basically breaking down complex actions into these
Speaker 1: manageable modules.
Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. Think of it this way. You could, you know,
Speaker 2: deploy a whole web server, like a fully functional web server,
Speaker 2: but already locked down against common attacks, all with a
Speaker 2: single command.
Speaker 1: Wow. That's impressive.
Speaker 2: That's that's the power that ansable can give you, even
Speaker 2: for even for complex setups like a like like a
Speaker 2: limmy piece stack right.
Speaker 1: Right, so much more efficient than doing everything manually step
Speaker 1: by step. Yeah.
Speaker 2: Absolutely.
Speaker 1: Now. The book also talks about uh Ansible Tower, which
Speaker 1: seems to be like a like a central control panel
Speaker 1: almost for managing all these playbooks precisely.
Speaker 2: You can schedule playbooks to run automatically, so you.
Speaker 1: Could set it to say, run vulnerability scans every.
Speaker 2: Night exactly, and then receive notifications in the morning.
Speaker 1: Oh nice if anything pops up.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so you don't have to rely on you know,
Speaker 2: memory or sticky notes anymore.
Speaker 1: Work smarter, not harder. Absolutely. Now. The book also mentions
Speaker 1: Jenkins in run Deck. Yeah, are those are those similar
Speaker 1: tools to ansible Tower.
Speaker 2: They're all under this sort of automation umbrella, but each
Speaker 2: one kind of has has its own, its own strengths.
Speaker 2: So Jenkins, you're probably familiar with. It's popular for continuous
Speaker 2: integration and delivery. So imagine this. Every time you update
Speaker 2: your website, Jenkins automatically runs a bunch of security tests
Speaker 2: so you're not accidentally introducing you know, vulnerabilities.
Speaker 1: So it's like a security guard. It's constantly checking your work.
Speaker 2: Yeah, keeping an eye on things.
Speaker 1: Okay, what about rendeck then, so run Dick.
Speaker 2: Is really good at orchestrating these complex workflows. So it's
Speaker 2: kind of like a conductor leading an orchestra of ansable playbooks,
Speaker 2: so you can manage multiple playbooks, chain them together, you know,
Speaker 2: control that the whole flow of your automated processes. And
Speaker 2: that's really helpful for larger organizations or those those intricate
Speaker 2: security setups.
Speaker 1: Right, so we've kind of laid out the basic tools here.
Speaker 1: Now let's get into into some real world applications. Yeah,
Speaker 1: the book highlights this example of building a secure WordPress
Speaker 1: site right from scratch using antsable.
Speaker 2: You know, building a website. If you're not careful, it
Speaker 2: can be a security nightmare. Oh absolutely, But with antsable
Speaker 2: you can basically automate that whole process. So everything from
Speaker 2: setting up your web server, to configuring firewalls, to hardening
Speaker 2: SSH access, even setting up encrypted backups to know the cloud.
Speaker 1: Then the book even mentions automating those those pesky WordPress updates, which,
Speaker 1: let's be honest, nobody likes doing those, but they're so.
Speaker 2: Essential, absolutely crucial, and antsable can just take care of
Speaker 2: that for you.
Speaker 1: No more security headaches from those outdated plugins. Then. All right,
Speaker 1: so we've talked about websites what other real world security
Speaker 1: automation examples does the book dive into.
Speaker 2: So one really fascinating area is log monitoring, log monitoring okay,
Speaker 2: and automated defense.
Speaker 1: Interesting.
Speaker 2: So antsple can help you set up a system that
Speaker 2: automatically collects logs from all your servers, analyzes them for
Speaker 2: suspicious activity okay, and it can even take action to
Speaker 2: block attacks in real time.
Speaker 1: Wow, that sounds incredibly advanced. It is how does that
Speaker 1: even work?
Speaker 2: So the book does does a great job of breaking
Speaker 2: this down. But let's say you're using the elastic.
Speaker 1: Stack okay for your for your log analysis. So this
Speaker 1: elastic search, log stash, Cabana and beats. Antsible can deploy
Speaker 1: that whole stag for you, configure it, get it all
Speaker 1: set up, and then imagine your logs detect an SSH
Speaker 1: broot force attack. Antsible can actually trigger a serverless function
Speaker 1: in AWS Lambda so automatically block that attacker's IP address.
Speaker 2: So it's like it's like having a security guard who
Speaker 2: not only sees the threat but also knows how to
Speaker 2: shut the door before the intruder can even get in.
Speaker 1: Exactly. It's proactive defense.
Speaker 2: That's amazing. Yeah, what other kind of uh, defensive moves
Speaker 2: can can Ansible handle.
Speaker 1: Another great example is a web application security testing. So
Speaker 1: you're probably familiar with os zaph, which is, you know,
Speaker 1: a very powerful open source security scanner. So now imagine
Speaker 1: integrating those ZAP scans into your automated build process. Okay,
Speaker 1: so answell can make that completely seamless. You're constantly catching
Speaker 1: vulnerabilities before they even reach production. That's a that's a
Speaker 1: game changer for sure. I'm starting to see how how
Speaker 1: versatile Ansable can be for for security.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and we're just we're just scratching the surface here.
Speaker 2: The book also covers advanced security hardening based on these
Speaker 2: industry standard guidelines like c I DRESS benchmarks and STIGs.
Speaker 1: Yeah, those are like the rule books for for security best.
Speaker 2: Practices exactly, and Ansable make sure that you're you're following
Speaker 2: them to a t.
Speaker 1: So Ansle's like that that friend who's always on top
Speaker 1: of their security game, always reminding you to update your
Speaker 1: passwords and install the latest patches. But in this case, Ansible.
Speaker 2: Actually does it for you exactly. It takes care of it.
Speaker 1: Now, what about cloud environments like uh like AWS? Does
Speaker 1: Ansible handle handle hardening in those as well?
Speaker 2: Absolutely, it can automate that process as well. Okay, so
Speaker 2: making sure your cloud infrastructure is just as secure as
Speaker 2: as your on premise system, got it. And it can
Speaker 2: even handle those those continuous security practices you know, like
Speaker 2: automated vulnerability assessments and security patch audits.
Speaker 1: Right, So it's it's really covering all the bases. Yeah,
Speaker 1: now what about container security. Yeah, everybody's talking about doctor
Speaker 1: and Kupernetes these days.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, container security is crucial these days, and antsable is
Speaker 2: ready for the challenge. The book really dives into this
Speaker 2: whole area of automating vulnerability assessments for Docker containers using
Speaker 2: tools like Docker bench for Security, Claire Anchor Engine, and Trivia.
Speaker 2: So think of it like having a security scanner that's
Speaker 2: specifically designed for this containerized world.
Speaker 1: So antible is making sure that no stowaways are sneaking
Speaker 1: onto our container ships.
Speaker 2: Exactly, catching those vulnerabilities early.
Speaker 1: Right. So this all sounds incredibly hands off. Yeah, but
Speaker 1: what happens when something does go wrong? How does ansable
Speaker 1: help with things like incident response and forensics?
Speaker 2: That's where things get really interesting. Ancible can automate tasks
Speaker 2: like collecting forensic artifacts and setting up those malware analysis
Speaker 2: environments using tools like like Cuckoo, Sandbox and mi sp
Speaker 2: So it's like having a specialized team that not only
Speaker 2: secured the perimeter, but also knows how to swiftly investigate
Speaker 2: a crime scene.
Speaker 1: Impressive. But what about for those of us who want
Speaker 1: to kind of take our our automation skills to the
Speaker 1: next level. Can we actually create our own ansable modules
Speaker 1: for specific security tasks?
Speaker 2: You absolutely can. The book actually walks you through creating
Speaker 2: a custom ansable module for security testing. And that's perfect
Speaker 2: for those who who want to really tailor antsable to
Speaker 2: their their unique needs, adding that extra layer of power
Speaker 2: and flexibility to their to their security automation toolkit.
Speaker 1: So you're saying we can essentially build our own security
Speaker 1: gadgets and tools with.
Speaker 2: Answer in a way. Yeah, you can get really creative
Speaker 2: with it.
Speaker 1: I love it. Now before we all go full on
Speaker 1: cue from James Bond. The book also mentions antsible vault, yes,
Speaker 1: for managing you know, all those important secrets securely.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, that's crucial, right because.
Speaker 1: You don't want those sensitive credentials just line around it.
Speaker 1: So it's like having a separate, locked vault for all
Speaker 1: your most sensitive information exactly.
Speaker 2: Ansable Vault make sure that your secrets are kept safe
Speaker 2: and encrypted perfect.
Speaker 1: And then there's also ansible Galaxy.
Speaker 2: Ah yes, ansable Galaxy.
Speaker 1: Which sounds like a treasure trove of pre built ansable
Speaker 1: roles in modules.
Speaker 2: It is. It is a game change, you said, Oh yeah,
Speaker 2: it's a public repository where the antsible community creates and
Speaker 2: shares roles and modules. So think of it like an
Speaker 2: open source app store for security automation. You have access
Speaker 2: to these pre built solutions for everything from hardening operating
Speaker 2: systems to setting up entire security framework.
Speaker 1: So it's like having a team of security consultants at
Speaker 1: your fingertips right freely sharing their expertise.
Speaker 2: That's the beauty of the open source community.
Speaker 1: Now, the book also mentions a couple of open source
Speaker 1: answable projects that that sound particularly useful. Yeah, can you
Speaker 1: tell us a bit more about those.
Speaker 2: Yeah, there are some some fantastic projects out there, so
Speaker 2: d bops for example. Okay, it's like it's like a
Speaker 2: blueprint for building a secure Debian based data center. It's
Speaker 2: this collection of antswable roles that covers everything from from
Speaker 2: basic system configuration to setting up complex services like email,
Speaker 2: servers and databases.
Speaker 1: So you're basically getting a pre made security foundation for
Speaker 1: your entire infrastructure exactly.
Speaker 2: Saves you a ton of time and effort.
Speaker 1: That's that's incredible. And what was the other project?
Speaker 2: The other project is is algo, and that one focuses on, uh,
Speaker 2: setting up a personal ip SEC VPN in the cloud. Okay, interesting,
Speaker 2: So if you're if you're concerned about privacy and security,
Speaker 2: you know, while you're browsing the web, Algo can help
Speaker 2: you create this, uh, this secure tunnel for your your
Speaker 2: internet traffic.
Speaker 1: So it's like it's like having your own personal security
Speaker 1: detail exactly for your online activity. I'm seeing a pattern here.
Speaker 1: Ansable seems to be all about empowering you to take
Speaker 1: control of your own security, whether it's for your servers,
Speaker 1: your network, or even your your personal browsing habits.
Speaker 2: You hit the nail on the head. Ansable gives you
Speaker 2: those tools and the flexibility to really address a wide
Speaker 2: range of security concerns, from those you know, large scale
Speaker 2: enterprise deployments to individual privacy needs.
Speaker 1: And the best part is you don't need to be
Speaker 1: a coding expert.
Speaker 2: To use it, right rights uh anles Yamel syntax is
Speaker 2: designed to be human readable, right, easy to understand. It's
Speaker 2: about making security automation accessible to a wider audience, not
Speaker 2: just those you know, system administrators or security specialists.
Speaker 1: Speaking of system administrators, though, the book stresses the importance
Speaker 1: of secure the ansable controller itself.
Speaker 2: Yes, absolutely, Why.
Speaker 1: Why is that so crucial? I mean, if we're using
Speaker 1: antsable to automate all these security tasks, shouldn't it just
Speaker 1: be secure by default?
Speaker 2: That's a that's a great point, and it really highlights
Speaker 2: a crucial, crucial thing. The answable controller. It's the brain
Speaker 2: of your your automation operations, right. It's the machine that
Speaker 2: stores your playbooks, it manages your inventory of systems, it
Speaker 2: executes your commands. So if the controller is compromised, uh,
Speaker 2: attackers could potentially gain control over you know, your whole infrastructure.
Speaker 1: Well that's that's a scary thought. So it's like it's
Speaker 1: like protecting the control room of your your security fortress exactly. Yeah.
Speaker 1: What kind of uh, what kind of hardening measures does
Speaker 1: the does the book recommend for the controller?
Speaker 2: It really emphasizes following you know, those industry standard security practices.
Speaker 2: So we're talking about things like like hardening the operating system,
Speaker 2: restricting access to only authorized users using strong passwords or
Speaker 2: or SSH keys for authentication.
Speaker 1: So basically, all the things that we've been talking about
Speaker 1: for for our servers and applications should also be applied
Speaker 1: to the the ansible controller itself. Absolutely, practice what you're preach.
Speaker 2: Right, right, and the book even uh even provides a
Speaker 2: sample antsable playbook for hardening the controller, which is a
Speaker 2: great a great starting point.
Speaker 1: Oh that's very helpful.
Speaker 2: Yeah, but remember security, it's it's a continuous process. It's
Speaker 2: not just a one time thing.
Speaker 1: Right, It's not to set it and forget it kind
Speaker 1: of deal.
Speaker 2: Exactly. You need to regularly review and update, you know,
Speaker 2: your security measures as new threats emerge, as vulnerabilities are discovered.
Speaker 1: So you need to stay vigilant, stay proactive.
Speaker 2: Right. Antsable is a it's a powerful tool, but it's
Speaker 2: it's only as effective as the as a person using it.
Speaker 1: Right.
Speaker 2: You need to stay informed, you need to keep your
Speaker 2: your playbooks up to date. You need to be prepared
Speaker 2: to adapt to the ever changing security landscape.
Speaker 1: So it's like it's like having a self driving car.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, you know, it can take you where you
Speaker 1: want to go, but you still need to pay attention
Speaker 1: to the road, right and be ready to take the
Speaker 1: wheel if necessary. Exact automation can can enhance your security efforts,
Speaker 1: but you can't replace human judgment and expertise absolutely.
Speaker 2: And speaking of expertise, the book also touches upon Ansable's
Speaker 2: role in continuous security practices.
Speaker 1: Continuous security. That sounds that sounds like a very proactive approach.
Speaker 1: Can you tell us a bit more about that?
Speaker 2: Yeah, So continuous security is all about integrating security into
Speaker 2: every single stage of the software development life cycle. Okay,
Speaker 2: So it's not just about you know, testing for vulnerabilities
Speaker 2: at the end. It's about building security into the process
Speaker 2: from from the very beginning.
Speaker 1: So it's like having a security consultant embedded in your
Speaker 1: development team exactly constantly reminding everyone about security best practices. Right.
Speaker 2: So security is never an afterthought, it's baked into the process.
Speaker 1: Okay, So where does where does ansable fit into this? Then?
Speaker 2: So ansable cann act actually play a key role in
Speaker 2: automating a lot of these continuous security tasks. For example,
Speaker 2: you could use ansable to automatically run static code analysis
Speaker 2: tools okay, to identify potential vulnerabilities in your code base, so.
Speaker 1: It's like having a code reviewer who's specifically looking for
Speaker 1: security flaws exactly.
Speaker 2: And you can also use ansable to automate security testing
Speaker 2: as part of your continuous integration and continuous delivery pipeline.
Speaker 2: So imagine, you know, automatically running security tests every time
Speaker 2: you make a change to your cod ensuring that you're
Speaker 2: not accidentally introducing new vulnerabilities.
Speaker 1: So it's like having a security guard at the entrance
Speaker 1: to your your code repository, checking every single commit for
Speaker 1: potential threats. That's that's pretty cool. Yeah, but what about
Speaker 1: vulnerabilities that are already already present in third party libraries
Speaker 1: or dependencies. Can can ansable help with those as well?
Speaker 2: It actually can. The book talks about using antsable with
Speaker 2: tools like UH like o WASP dependency check to automatically
Speaker 2: scan your applications for known vulnerabilities in third party components.
Speaker 1: That's amazing. So antsible can also automate the process of
Speaker 1: patching those vulnerabilities once they're they're identified, right.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, you can think of it as having this this
Speaker 2: automated security medic that can that can quickly UH triage
Speaker 2: and treat any any security wounds.
Speaker 1: Interesting before they become serious infections. I'm really starting to
Speaker 1: appreciate the uh, the depth and breadth of of Antsible's capabilities. Yeah,
Speaker 1: in continuous security.
Speaker 2: It's it's pretty impressive, and we're really just scratching the
Speaker 2: surface here. There's a there's a whole world of continuous
Speaker 2: security practices that that ansable can help automate.
Speaker 1: Wow. So it's like it's like ansible provides a framework
Speaker 1: almost for building a security conscious culture yea within your
Speaker 1: organization where security is everyone's responsibility and automation is the
Speaker 1: key to making it happen efficiently and effectively.
Speaker 2: That's that's a great way to put it. It's about
Speaker 2: shifting from from a reactive security mindset to a proactive
Speaker 2: one where security is baked into into every process and
Speaker 2: and automation helps you helps you stay ahead of the curve.
Speaker 1: It's definitely a security journey we should all, uh, we
Speaker 1: should all be on. We've covered a lot of ground already,
Speaker 1: from ansable basics to to real world security automation examples
Speaker 1: an simble Galaxy securing the ansable controller continuous security. But
Speaker 1: there's one more area that I'm I'm really excited to explore.
Speaker 1: Docker security the world's going container crazy, and I'm I'm
Speaker 1: eager to learn how how antsable can help us secure
Speaker 1: those those containerized environments.
Speaker 2: You're right, Docker security is it's a hot topic these days.
Speaker 2: It's only going to become more critical as as containers
Speaker 2: become the standard for deploying applications. And luckily antsable is
Speaker 2: well equipped to tackle these challenges of container security. And
Speaker 2: we'll dive into the details.
Speaker 1: Hold on, you're about to say, after the break, won't
Speaker 1: you got you? We don't do brakes in these in
Speaker 1: these deep dives, right.
Speaker 2: Of course, Sorry about that, So let's.
Speaker 1: Jump right into this container security discussion.
Speaker 2: Sounds good. You know, it's easy to get caught up
Speaker 2: in the in the speed and agility of deploying applications
Speaker 2: with Docker, but sometimes security can feel like an afterthought.
Speaker 1: It's like building a super fast race car and forgetting
Speaker 1: to install seatbelts exactly.
Speaker 2: But luckily antsable can help us integrate security into our
Speaker 2: Docker workflows from the from the ground up.
Speaker 1: So it's like having a pit crew that's that's not
Speaker 1: only focused on speed, but also on making sure that
Speaker 1: the car is safe to drive. Right of good analogy,
Speaker 1: what kind of what kind of security checks can Ansable
Speaker 1: perform on Docker containers.
Speaker 2: Well, the book mentions using Antsable with tools like Docker
Speaker 2: bench for Security, which is basically a script that checks
Speaker 2: your Docker environment against a set of of security best
Speaker 2: practices okay, defined by the Center for Internet Security CIS.
Speaker 1: So it's like having a certified safety inspector examine our
Speaker 1: our race car to make sure it meets.
Speaker 2: All the regulations exactly, checking for those potential vulnerabilities.
Speaker 1: What sort of things does does doctor Bitch for Security
Speaker 1: look for?
Speaker 2: It covers a really wide range of areas from from
Speaker 2: host configuration and doctor demon settings to UH to container
Speaker 2: image security and run time options. Okay, so for example,
Speaker 2: it checks things like whether your doctor demon is running
Speaker 2: with with proper user permissions, right if your if your
Speaker 2: container images are are signed and from you know, trusted sources,
Speaker 2: and whether you're whether you're running containers with UH with
Speaker 2: unnecessary privileges.
Speaker 1: So it's like checking for everything from from loose bolts
Speaker 1: and faulty wiring to to making sure the driver's wearing
Speaker 1: a helmet.
Speaker 2: That's a that's a great way to put it, and
Speaker 2: and ansable can automate all of these checks so you
Speaker 2: can run them regularly as part of your you know,
Speaker 2: your continuous integration and delivery pipeline, so you.
Speaker 1: Can catch those those security issues early on before they
Speaker 1: become a major problem. It's like having a continuous uh
Speaker 1: ceasty inspection throughout the race, not just not just at
Speaker 1: the starting line, but what about vulnerabilities that might be
Speaker 1: lurking within the within the container images themselves. How can
Speaker 1: how can ansible help with that?
Speaker 2: That's where tools like like Claire come in. It's a
Speaker 2: it's a powerful open source project that analyzes container images
Speaker 2: for for known security vulnerabilities.
Speaker 1: It's like having an X ray machine that can scan
Speaker 1: the contents of your container right and identify any hidden
Speaker 1: dangers exactly.
Speaker 2: And ansable can actually integrate with uh with Claire okay
Speaker 2: to automate the process of scanning your container images before
Speaker 2: you deploy them.
Speaker 1: So it's like having a security checkpoint at the container
Speaker 1: port making sure that no uh no dangerous goods are
Speaker 1: allowed in exactly. Now, if if Claire finds any vulnerabilities,
Speaker 1: can can Ansible help with with patching those containers?
Speaker 2: Absolutely? Ansable can even help you automate the process of
Speaker 2: patching those containers, so you can very quickly room mediate
Speaker 2: those those security risks.
Speaker 1: So it's like having a container repair shop. Yeah, that
Speaker 1: can quickly fix any any security holes right before they
Speaker 1: can be exploited. Are there are there any other tools
Speaker 1: besides Claire that they can help with with this vulnerability scanning?
Speaker 2: Claire is great, but it's it's not the only option.
Speaker 2: The book also mentions anchor Engine and Trivia, which both
Speaker 2: offer similar vulnerability scanning capabilities for Docker containers.
Speaker 1: So we've got multiple tools to choose from, each with
Speaker 1: its its own its own strengths and specialties. It's like
Speaker 1: having a whole team of of container security experts at
Speaker 1: our disposal. Right exactly, how does how does ansable help
Speaker 1: us manage all of these different tools?
Speaker 2: So antsable can it can orchestrate these tools and integrating
Speaker 2: them seamlessly into your your existing workflows. It's like having
Speaker 2: a container security command center that oversees all the security
Speaker 2: operations for your your docrized applications.
Speaker 1: This is said, this is starting to sound very very sophisticated.
Speaker 1: But what if what if we want to take things
Speaker 1: a step further? The book mentions writing your own ancible modules?
Speaker 1: Could you actually create uh custom modules for for specific
Speaker 1: Docker security tasks.
Speaker 2: You absolutely can't. If you have you know, unique security
Speaker 2: requirements or want to kind of extend Ansible's capabilities, you
Speaker 2: can write your own your own modules using Python.
Speaker 1: So it's like being able to build your own specialized
Speaker 1: container security.
Speaker 2: Tools exactly customize it to your needs.
Speaker 1: What kind of custom modules could you could you create?
Speaker 2: The possibilities are are pretty much endless. You know, imagine
Speaker 2: a module that automatically scans your your Docker files for
Speaker 2: for security misconfigurations before you even uh, before you even
Speaker 2: build the images.
Speaker 1: So it's like having a security consultant review your your
Speaker 1: container blueprints before you even start construction.
Speaker 2: That's a good way to think about it. What else
Speaker 2: you could create a module that automatically enforces security policies
Speaker 2: on your on your running containers, making sure that they
Speaker 2: adhere to you know, your organization's security standards.
Speaker 1: Like having a security enforcer patrolling your your container yard,
Speaker 1: making sure everyone's following the rules right.
Speaker 2: So those those custom modules give you that that power
Speaker 2: to really tailor Ansable to your to your specific Docker
Speaker 2: security needs.
Speaker 1: We've covered so much ground in this deep dive, from
Speaker 1: antsable basics to to real world security automation examples ansable
Speaker 1: Galaxy Exploration, securing the Ansible Controller, Continuous security, and now
Speaker 1: Docker security. Right, my head spinning with all this awesome information.
Speaker 2: I know it's a lot to take in, but the
Speaker 2: key takeaway here is that ansable is an incredibly powerful
Speaker 2: and versatile tool for automating security tasks.
Speaker 1: And the best part is it's it's constantly evolving. Absolutely,
Speaker 1: new new features and modules are being added all.
Speaker 2: The time, right and the antsable community is incredibly active.
Speaker 2: You know, they're constantly creating and sharing new content and
Speaker 2: best practices.
Speaker 1: So it's like it's like joining is Security Automation Superhero
Speaker 1: League exactly.
Speaker 2: With ansable as your as your sidekick, you can you
Speaker 2: can take on the toughest security challenges and emerge victorious.
Speaker 1: I love a happy ending. Thanks for thanks for joining
Speaker 1: us on this deep dive into into security automation with
Speaker 1: with ansl.
Speaker 2: It's been a pleasure.
Speaker 1: We hope you've you've learned a ton and are and
Speaker 1: are inspired to to explore the the endless possibilities of
Speaker 1: antsable for securing your systems, your applications, and and your
Speaker 1: peace of mind.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, security automation is the future, and and ansable is
Speaker 2: a great way to get started.
Speaker 1: Couldn't agree more. Yeah, we'll see you all next time.
Speaker 2: See you in Welcome back to our deep dive into
Speaker 2: security automation with uh with antsable.
Speaker 1: You know, last time we talked about ansable being like
Speaker 1: a security Swiss army knife. Right. It can handle you know,
Speaker 1: everything from basic hardening to setting up malware analysis environments.
Speaker 2: It's a versatile tool, it is.
Speaker 1: But the book also mentions this thing called antsible vault.
Speaker 1: What's that all about?
Speaker 2: Ansible vault. That's all about keeping your your secrets safe. Okay,
Speaker 2: I think passwords, API keys, any any sensitive information you
Speaker 2: wouldn't want just lying around in plain text in your playbooks, right.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that'd be That'd be like leaving the combination to
Speaker 1: your safe written on a sticky note.
Speaker 2: Attached to the door exactly. So ansple vault lets you
Speaker 2: encrypt these these sensitive variables. Okay, So they're protected even if,
Speaker 2: even if someone gains unauthorized access to your playbooks.
Speaker 1: So it's like having a separate, locked compartment within your
Speaker 1: ansible toolkit, right for the for the really important stuff.
Speaker 1: But how do you actually use ansle vault? It sounds
Speaker 1: a bit uh complicated.
Speaker 2: It's it's actually surprisingly straightforward. Ansible provides a command line
Speaker 2: tool to to encrypt and decrypt variables. You can even
Speaker 2: encrypt entire files or yammel blocks within your playbooks.
Speaker 1: So when when ansable runs those playbooks, it automatically decrypts
Speaker 1: the secrets exactly, so you can use them. Okay, that
Speaker 1: takes care of keeping secrets safe. But what about finding
Speaker 1: pre built ansable content. The book mentions ansible Galaxy.
Speaker 2: Ah, yes, antsible Galaxy.
Speaker 1: It sounds like a treasure trove of security automation goodness,
Speaker 1: it really is.
Speaker 2: It's a game changer. It's a public repository of ansable
Speaker 2: roles and modules created and shared by the antsible community.
Speaker 2: Think of it like an open source app store for
Speaker 2: security automation.
Speaker 1: So instead of reinventing the wheel every time you can,
Speaker 1: you can browse galaxy and find roles for hardening specific
Speaker 1: operating systems, or deploying security tools, or even setting up
Speaker 1: entire security frameworks exactly.
Speaker 2: And these roles are oft created by experts in their
Speaker 2: respective fields, so you're getting really high quality, battle tested
Speaker 2: ansable code.
Speaker 1: That's incredible. It's like having a team of security consultants
Speaker 1: on speed dial, but instead of charging exhorb at hourly rates,
Speaker 1: they're giving away their their expertise for free.
Speaker 2: That's the power of open source to.
Speaker 1: Make things even easier. Does ANSEL have a way to
Speaker 1: like easily use this stuff?
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, ansble provides a command line tool to search,
Speaker 2: download and it's all roles directly from Galaxy.
Speaker 1: Okay, so this is starting to feel like we're assembling
Speaker 1: an entire security automation arsenal here.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: But the book also mentions a few open source ansable
Speaker 1: projects that sound especially intriguing. Can you can you tell
Speaker 1: us more about those?
Speaker 2: Yeah, there are there are some fantastic projects out there,
Speaker 2: each with a unique focus. D BOPS, for instance, it's
Speaker 2: like a it's like.
Speaker 1: A blueprint for building a secure Debian based data center.
Speaker 1: It's a collection of ansable roles that covers everything from
Speaker 1: basic system configuration to to setting up complex services like
Speaker 1: email servers and databases. So it's like having a pre
Speaker 1: made security foundation for your for your entire infrastructure. That's
Speaker 1: got to save a ton of time and effort.
Speaker 2: Oh absolutely. And then there's LGO, which focuses on setting
Speaker 2: up a personal I p SEC VPN in the cloud.
Speaker 1: Okay, interesting.
Speaker 2: So if you're if you're concerned about privacy and security
Speaker 2: while you're you know, browsing the web, algo can help
Speaker 2: you create this secure tunnel for your for your internet traffic.
Speaker 1: So algo is like having your own personal security detail
Speaker 1: for your online activity. I'm starting to see a pattern here.
Speaker 1: Looks that ansable is all about empowering you to take
Speaker 1: control of your own security, whether it's for your servers,
Speaker 1: your network, or or even your personal browsing habits.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you're absolutely right. Ansible provides the tools and the
Speaker 2: flexibility to address this this wide range of security concerns,
Speaker 2: from from those large scale enterprise deployments to individual privacy needs.
Speaker 1: And the best part is you don't need to be
Speaker 1: a coding wizard to use it.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Antsiple's YAML syntax is it's designed to be human readable,
Speaker 2: easy to understand. It's about making security automation accessible to
Speaker 2: a wider audience, not just you know, system administrators or security.
Speaker 1: Specialists being a system administrators. Though, the book also talks
Speaker 1: about securing the antsable controller itself.
Speaker 2: Yes, very important.
Speaker 1: Why why is that so important? If we're using antsable
Speaker 1: to automate all these security tasks shouldn't it just be
Speaker 1: secure by default?
Speaker 2: You know, that's a great question, and it highlights a
Speaker 2: crucial point. The answable controller. It's the brain of your
Speaker 2: automation operations. It's the machine that stores your playbooks, manages
Speaker 2: your inventory of systems, executes your commands. So if the
Speaker 2: controller is compromised, attackers could potentially gain control over your
Speaker 2: entire infrastructure.
Speaker 1: That sounds like a recipe for disaster. So it's like
Speaker 1: it's like protecting the control room of your security fortress.
Speaker 2: Exactly what kind of hardening.
Speaker 1: Measures does the book recommend for the controller.
Speaker 2: Well, it emphasizes following those industry standard security practices we've
Speaker 2: been talking about, so hardening the operating system, restricting access
Speaker 2: to authorize you users, and using strong passwords or SSH
Speaker 2: keys for authentication.
Speaker 1: So basically, all the things that we've been talking about
Speaker 1: applying to our servers and applications should also be applied
Speaker 1: to the ansible controller itself. It's like practicing what you
Speaker 1: preach when it comes to security.
Speaker 2: Exactly, you got it. And the book actually provides a
Speaker 2: sample ansable playbook for hardening the controller, which is a
Speaker 2: great starting point.
Speaker 1: Well that's very helpful, but is setting it up once enough.
Speaker 2: Remember, security is a continuous process, not a one time event.
Speaker 2: You need to regularly review and update your security measures
Speaker 2: as as new threats emerge, as vulnerabilities are discovered.
Speaker 1: Right, It's not enough to just set up antsable and
Speaker 1: then forget about it. You've got to stay vigilant. You've
Speaker 1: got to stay proactive to make sure that your your
Speaker 1: security automation stays effective.
Speaker 2: Ansable is a powerful tool, but it's only as effective
Speaker 2: as the person using it. Right, you need to stay informed.
Speaker 2: You need to keep your playbooks up to date and
Speaker 2: be prepared to adapt to the ever changing security landscape.
Speaker 1: That's a great point. It's like having a self driving car.
Speaker 1: He can take you where you want to go, but
Speaker 1: you still need to pay attention to the road and
Speaker 1: be ready to take the wheel if necessary.
Speaker 2: That's a great analogy.
Speaker 1: Automation can augment your security efforts, but it can't replace
Speaker 1: human judgment and expertise absolutely. And speaking of expertise, the
Speaker 1: book also touches upon ansable's role in continuous security practices. Yes,
Speaker 1: can you tell us a little bit more about that.
Speaker 1: I'm particularly interested in how ansable can help with with
Speaker 1: automating security throughout the development life cycle.
Speaker 2: Sure, So continuous security is all about integrating security into
Speaker 2: every stage of the software development life cycle. It's not
Speaker 2: just about testing for vulnerabilities at the end. It's about
Speaker 2: building security into the process from the very beginning.
Speaker 1: So it's like having a security consultant embedded within your
Speaker 1: development team exactly, constantly reminding everyone about security best practices
Speaker 1: and ensuring that security is never an afterthought precisely.
Speaker 2: An antsable can play a key role in automating many
Speaker 2: of these continuous security tasks. For example, you can use
Speaker 2: antsable to automatically run static code analysis tools to identify
Speaker 2: potential vulnerabilities in your code base, So.
Speaker 1: It's like having an automated code reviewer who's who's specifically
Speaker 1: looking for for security flaws exactly.
Speaker 2: And you can also use ensible to automate security testing
Speaker 2: as part of your CICD pipeline.
Speaker 1: Right your continuous integration continuous delivery pipeline exactly.
Speaker 2: So imagine automatically running security tests every time you make
Speaker 2: a change to your code, ensuring that you don't accidentally
Speaker 2: introduce new vulnerabilities.
Speaker 1: That's like having a security guard at the entrance to
Speaker 1: your code repository, checking every single commit for potential threats.
Speaker 1: But what about vulnerabilities are that are already present in
Speaker 1: third party libraries or dependencies. Can can Ansible really help
Speaker 1: with those?
Speaker 2: Actually it can. The book mentions using Ansible with tools
Speaker 2: like a WASP dependency check to automatically scan your applications
Speaker 2: for known vulnerabilities in third party components.
Speaker 1: Oh, that's like having a security detective who investigates the
Speaker 1: backgrounds of everyone who's who's involved in your project, right
Speaker 1: just to make sure they're not bringing any shady baggage
Speaker 1: with them.
Speaker 2: I like that Analogy and Ansible can even help you
Speaker 2: automate the process of patching those vulnerabilities once they're identified.
Speaker 1: So it's like having an automated security medic who can
Speaker 1: quickly triage and treat any security wounds before they become
Speaker 1: serious infections. I'm really starting to appreciate the depth and
Speaker 1: breadth of Antsible's capabilities in the realm of continuous security.
Speaker 2: It's pretty amazing what you can do with it.
Speaker 1: It really is. Now we've covered so much ground in
Speaker 1: this deep dive, from ansple basics to continuous security, even
Speaker 1: a bit of ansible galaxy exploration. But there's one more
Speaker 1: topic that I'm really excited to explore Docker security. The
Speaker 1: world's going container crazy and I can't wait to see
Speaker 1: how antsable can help us secure those those containerized environments.
Speaker 2: You're right, doctor, Security is a hot topic. Yeah, and
Speaker 2: it's only going to become more critical as as containers
Speaker 2: become the de facto standard for deploying applications. Luckily, antsable
Speaker 2: is well equipped to tackle the challenges of container security,
Speaker 2: and we'll delve into those details right now.
Speaker 1: All right, so we're diving into Docker security now. It's
Speaker 1: it's easy to get caught up at all the excitement
Speaker 1: of you know, deploying applications quickly with Docker.
Speaker 2: Oh. Absolutely, speed and agility are definitely major advantages.
Speaker 1: They are, but it's it's crucial to remember that security
Speaker 1: can can sometimes be overlooked in that rush.
Speaker 2: Yeah. It's like it's like focusing so much on building
Speaker 2: a high speed race card that you forget to install
Speaker 2: the seat belts.
Speaker 1: Perfect analogy. Yeah, So how does how does antable help
Speaker 1: us avoid that pitfall and bake security into our Docker workflows?
Speaker 2: Ansible offers a number of ways to integrate security checks
Speaker 2: seamlessly into your Docker processes. The book specifically talks about
Speaker 2: using antsable with a tool called Docker bench for Security.
Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, I remember that being messed.
Speaker 2: It's essentially a script that checks your Docker environment against
Speaker 2: a set of of security best practices established by the
Speaker 2: Center for Internet Security or CIS.
Speaker 1: Right, So it's like having a certified safety inspector meticulously
Speaker 1: examine our our race car to ensure it meets all
Speaker 1: the necessary.
Speaker 2: Regulations exactly, a thorough checkup.
Speaker 1: What specific areas does does doctor Bench for Security focus on.
Speaker 2: It covers a wide spectrum. Really, we're talking host configuration,
Speaker 2: Docker demon settings, the security of the container images themselves,
Speaker 2: and even the runtime options. For example, it checks if
Speaker 2: your doctor demon is running with the proper user permissions,
Speaker 2: verifies if your your container images are signed from trusted
Speaker 2: sources thankes, even flags whether you're uh you're running containers
Speaker 2: with unnecessary privileges.
Speaker 1: It's like a comprehensive checklist that covers uh every aspect
Speaker 1: of container safety, from from loose bolts and faulty wiring
Speaker 1: to to making sure the driver is wearing a helmet.
Speaker 2: That's a that's a great way to put it, and
Speaker 2: ansable can automate all of these checks, so you can
Speaker 2: you can run them regularly as part of your you know,
Speaker 2: your continuous integration and delivery pipeline.
Speaker 1: So you can catch those those security issues early on
Speaker 1: before they uh, before they snowball into into major problems.
Speaker 1: It's like having a continuous uh safety inspection throughout the race,
Speaker 1: not not just at the starting line. Now, what about
Speaker 1: vulnerabilities that might be you know, lurking within the container
Speaker 1: images themselves. How do we uh, how do we address those?
Speaker 2: That's where tools like Claire come in.
Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, Claire.
Speaker 2: It's a it's a powerful open source project that analyzes
Speaker 2: container images specifically for for known security vulnerabilities.
Speaker 1: So so Claire's like an X ray machine for our
Speaker 1: for our containers, allowing us to inside and identify any
Speaker 1: any hidden dangers before before they cause trouble.
Speaker 2: That's a great way to think about it. And ansable
Speaker 2: integrates seamlessly with Claire, allowing you to automate the process
Speaker 2: of scanning your container images for vulnerabilities before you even
Speaker 2: deploy them.
Speaker 1: So Ansible and Claire work together to create a security
Speaker 1: checkpoint at the at the container port, ensuring that no
Speaker 1: potentially harmful elements are allowed.
Speaker 2: In exactly a robust layer of protection.
Speaker 1: Now, if if Claire does find any vulnerabilities, can Ansable
Speaker 1: help with patching those those containers?
Speaker 2: Absolutely? Antsible can even automate that patching process, enabling you
Speaker 2: to quickly and efficiently remediate those security risks.
Speaker 1: So it's like having a dedicated container repair shop standing by,
Speaker 1: ready to fix any security holes before they could be exploited.
Speaker 1: Are there any any other tools besides claire can that
Speaker 1: can help with this vulnerability scanning?
Speaker 2: Claire is a great option, but it's not the only one.
Speaker 2: The book also mentions anchor Engine and Trivia, both of
Speaker 2: which offer similar vulnerability scanning capabilities for Docker containers.
Speaker 1: Right, so we have we have multiple tools to choose from,
Speaker 1: each with their own their own strengths and specialties. It's
Speaker 1: it's like having a whole team of of container security
Speaker 1: experts at are at our disposal. How does how does
Speaker 1: ansible help us manage all of these uh these different tools?
Speaker 2: Antsable acts as the orchestrator, integrating them seamlessly into your
Speaker 2: your existing workflows. Think of it as a as a
Speaker 2: central command center for your for your container security, overseeing
Speaker 2: all the security operations for your for your dock rised application.
Speaker 1: This is This all starting to sound very very sophisticated.
Speaker 1: But what if? What if we want to take things
Speaker 1: a step further. The book mentions writing your own answable modules.
Speaker 1: Could you actually create custom modules for specific Docker security tasks?
Speaker 2: You absolutely can if if you have unique security requirements
Speaker 2: or or want to kind of extend Ansible's capable abilities
Speaker 2: even further. You have the option to write your own
Speaker 2: your own modules using Python.
Speaker 1: So ansable gives us the power to build their own
Speaker 1: specialized container.
Speaker 2: Security tools exactly. You can tailor it to your specific needs.
Speaker 1: That opens up a world of possibilities. What kind of
Speaker 1: custom modules could could we create?
Speaker 2: The potential is really vast, limited only by your imagination
Speaker 2: and your specific needs. Imagine a module that automatically stands
Speaker 2: your Docker files for security misconfigurations before you even before
Speaker 2: you even build the images.
Speaker 1: So it's like having a security consultant review your container
Speaker 1: blueprints before you even start construction.
Speaker 2: That's one way to think about it.
Speaker 1: What else, what other kinds of things could you build?
Speaker 2: You could create a module that automatically enforces security policies
Speaker 2: on your running containers, making sure they adhere to your
Speaker 2: organization's security standards, or imagine a module that integrates with
Speaker 2: a threat intelligence feed to dynamically update your container firewall
Speaker 2: rules in real time, protecting your your applications from the
Speaker 2: latest emerging threats.
Speaker 1: Wow. So those those custom modules really give us the
Speaker 1: ultimate control over our Docker security, allowing us to tailor
Speaker 1: ansable to to our exact requirement.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a it's a powerful capability.
Speaker 1: It really is. This has been such an eye opening
Speaker 1: deep dive it has. We've gone from ansble basics to
Speaker 1: real world security automation examples explored uh ansable galaxy, learned
Speaker 1: how to secure the ansible controller itself, discussed continuous security,
Speaker 1: and now we've even we've even delved into the complexities
Speaker 1: of Docker security.
Speaker 2: It's been quite a journey, it has.
Speaker 1: And and you know, the key takeaway for me is
Speaker 1: an ansable is is an incredibly powerful and versatile tool
Speaker 1: that can be used to automate such a wide range
Speaker 1: of security tasks, from the simplest to the most complex.
Speaker 2: I completely agree. And the best part is it's constantly evolving.
Speaker 2: You know, new features, new modules, new capabilities are being
Speaker 2: added all the time, and.
Speaker 1: The ansable community is so active and supportive. Oh, absolutely
Speaker 1: constantly sharing new ideas and best practices and pre built solutions.
Speaker 1: It's it's like having a global team of security superheroes
Speaker 1: at your disposal.
Speaker 2: That's a great way to put it. With ansable as
Speaker 2: your trustee sidekick, you can confidently face those ever evolving
Speaker 2: security threats knowing that you have the tools and support
Speaker 2: you need to to stay ahead of the curve.
Speaker 3: And on that note, I think it's time for us
Speaker 3: to wrap up this deep dive into the world of
Speaker 3: security automation with antsable. We hope you've learned a ton
Speaker 3: and are feeling inspired to explore the endless possibilities of
Speaker 3: antsable for securing your systems, your applications.
Speaker 1: And ultimately you're the peace of mind.
Speaker 3: Thanks for joining us on this incredible journey. Until next time,
Speaker 3: stay secure.