<!-- Copyright (c) 2026 defconxt. All rights reserved. -->
<!-- Licensed under AGPL-3.0 — see LICENSE file for details. -->
---
name: automating-cloud-security-posture-management
description: >-
  Automate cloud security posture assessment by continuously scanning for
  misconfigurations across AWS, GCP, and Azure using policy-as-code,
  CIS benchmark validation, and automated remediation workflows.
domain: cybersecurity
subdomain: security-operations-automation
tags:
  - cspm
  - cloud-security
  - misconfiguration
  - cis-benchmarks
  - policy-as-code
  - remediation
version: "1.0"
author: defconxt
license: AGPL-3.0
metadata:
  mitre-attack: ["T1078.004"]
---

# Automating Cloud Security Posture Management

## Overview

Cloud misconfigurations are the leading cause of data breaches in cloud
environments. CSPM automates the continuous assessment of cloud resources
against security benchmarks (CIS, AWS Well-Architected), detects drift
from approved configurations, and triggers remediation workflows for
high-severity findings.

Mode: `[MODE: BLUE]` — Continuous cloud security monitoring.

## Prerequisites

| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Python 3.10+ with `boto3`, `requests` | Required |
| Cloud provider read-only audit credentials | Required |
| CIS benchmark definitions (JSON/YAML) | Required |
| Remediation automation permissions (scoped IAM roles) | Required |

## Key Concepts

### Policy-as-Code Checks

```python
from dataclasses import dataclass
from typing import Any


@dataclass
class PolicyCheck:
    """A single CSPM policy check definition."""

    check_id: str
    title: str
    severity: str
    service: str
    benchmark: str
    description: str


CIS_CHECKS: list[PolicyCheck] = [
    PolicyCheck(
        "CIS-1.4", "Ensure no root account access key exists",
        "critical", "iam", "CIS AWS 2.0",
        "Root account access keys provide unrestricted access.",
    ),
    PolicyCheck(
        "CIS-2.1.1", "Ensure S3 buckets are not publicly accessible",
        "critical", "s3", "CIS AWS 2.0",
        "Public S3 buckets can expose sensitive data.",
    ),
    PolicyCheck(
        "CIS-2.3.1", "Ensure RDS instances are not publicly accessible",
        "high", "rds", "CIS AWS 2.0",
        "Public RDS instances expose databases to the internet.",
    ),
    PolicyCheck(
        "CIS-3.1", "Ensure CloudTrail is enabled in all regions",
        "high", "cloudtrail", "CIS AWS 2.0",
        "CloudTrail provides audit logging for all API calls.",
    ),
]


def check_s3_public_access(bucket_config: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
    """Check if S3 bucket has public access."""
    public_acl = bucket_config.get("public_acl", False)
    public_policy = bucket_config.get("public_policy", False)
    block_config = bucket_config.get("public_access_block", {})
    block_all = block_config.get("BlockPublicAcls", False) and \
        block_config.get("BlockPublicPolicy", False)

    is_public = (public_acl or public_policy) and not block_all
    return {
        "check_id": "CIS-2.1.1",
        "resource": bucket_config.get("bucket_name", "unknown"),
        "status": "FAIL" if is_public else "PASS",
        "public_acl": public_acl,
        "public_policy": public_policy,
        "block_public_access": block_all,
    }
```

### Posture Scoring

```python
def calculate_posture_score(results: list[dict[str, Any]]) -> dict[str, Any]:
    """Calculate overall security posture score from check results."""
    total = len(results)
    passed = sum(1 for r in results if r.get("status") == "PASS")
    failed = sum(1 for r in results if r.get("status") == "FAIL")
    score = (passed / total * 100) if total > 0 else 0

    by_severity: dict[str, int] = {}
    for r in results:
        if r.get("status") == "FAIL":
            sev = r.get("severity", "info")
            by_severity[sev] = by_severity.get(sev, 0) + 1

    return {
        "total_checks": total,
        "passed": passed,
        "failed": failed,
        "score_pct": round(score, 1),
        "failed_by_severity": by_severity,
        "grade": _score_to_grade(score),
    }


def _score_to_grade(score: float) -> str:
    if score >= 90:
        return "A"
    if score >= 80:
        return "B"
    if score >= 70:
        return "C"
    if score >= 60:
        return "D"
    return "F"
```

## Workflow

### Step 1: Run Posture Assessment

```bash
node scripts/agent.js --action assess --provider aws
```

### Step 2: View Failed Checks

```bash
node scripts/agent.js --action failures --severity critical
```

### Step 3: Generate Posture Score

```bash
node scripts/agent.js --action score
```

## Detection

```yaml
title: Automating Cloud Security Posture Management Detection
id: f23c03e4-e99b-44d7-b95c-72d0a82d8d61
status: experimental
description: Detects suspicious activity related to automating cloud security posture management techniques in security operations automation context
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: linux
detection:
  selection:
    CommandLine: "*automating*cloud*"
  condition: selection
level: medium
tags:
  - attack.t1078.004
  - attack.discovery
falsepositives:
  - Orchestration platform executing approved automation workflows
```


**Detection Opportunities**

| Indicator | Source | Detection Logic |
|---|---|---|
| Automating Cloud Security Posture Management Detection | linux/process_creation | Sigma rule (medium) |
| ATT&CK Coverage | MITRE ATT&CK | T1078.004 |

## Verification

- [ ] All CIS benchmark checks execute against cloud resources
- [ ] Misconfigurations detected with severity classification
- [ ] Posture score calculated and graded
- [ ] Failed checks include remediation guidance

## References

- [CIS Amazon Web Services Foundations Benchmark](https://www.cisecurity.org/benchmark/amazon_web_services)
- [AWS Well-Architected Security Pillar](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/wellarchitected/)
- [NIST SP 800-53 — Security Controls for Cloud](https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-53/rev-5/final)
