<!-- Copyright (c) 2026 defconxt. All rights reserved. -->
<!-- Licensed under AGPL-3.0 — see LICENSE file for details. -->
---
name: implementing-detection-content-ci-cd
description: >-
  Implement CI/CD pipelines for detection content lifecycle management including automated testing, validation, deployment, and version control of detection rules.
domain: cybersecurity
subdomain: detection-engineering
tags:
  - detection-cicd
  - pipeline-automation
  - rule-deployment
  - version-control
  - automated-testing
  - gitops
version: "1.0"
author: defconxt
license: AGPL-3.0
metadata:
  mitre-attack: []
---

# Implementing Detection Content CI/CD

## Overview

Detection content CI/CD automates the lifecycle of detection rules from
authoring through deployment. Covers Git-based workflows, automated validation,
staging environments, deployment pipelines, and rollback mechanisms.

## Prerequisites

| Requirement | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Git | Version control for detection content |
| CI/CD platform | GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Jenkins |
| SIEM API | Programmatic rule deployment capability |

## Key Concepts

### Detection CI/CD Pipeline

```yaml
# GitHub Actions workflow for detection content CI/CD
name: Detection Content Pipeline
on:
  push:
    paths: ["rules/**"]
  pull_request:
    paths: ["rules/**"]

jobs:
  validate:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Install sigma-cli
        run: pip install sigma-cli pySigma-backend-splunk
      - name: Validate Sigma rules
        run: sigma check rules/**/*.yml
      - name: Convert and test
        run: |
          for rule in rules/**/*.yml; do
            sigma convert -t splunk -p splunk_cim "$rule"
          done

  deploy:
    needs: validate
    if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Deploy to SIEM
        run: python3 scripts/deploy_rules.py --target production
```

## Workflow

1. **Design pipeline** — Define stages for validation, testing, and deployment
2. **Configure version control** — Set up Git repository with branching strategy
3. **Implement validation** — Automate syntax checking and conversion testing
4. **Add quality gates** — Require peer review and automated test passage
5. **Build deployment** — Create automated SIEM deployment with rollback
6. **Monitor pipeline** — Track deployment success rates and rule quality
7. **Iterate process** — Refine based on team feedback and failure patterns

## Verification

| Check | Method |
|---|---|
| Workflow completed | All steps executed and documented |
| Output validated | Results match expected format and content |
| Quality assured | Peer review or automated validation passed |

## References

- [NIST Cybersecurity Framework](https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework)
- [MITRE ATT&CK](https://attack.mitre.org/)
