Infrastructure Security Policy (ENG-POL-003)

1. Objective

The objective of this policy is to establish comprehensive security requirements for the design, implementation, operation, and maintenance of [Company Name]’s cloud-based IT infrastructure. This policy ensures that all infrastructure components including cloud services, networks, servers, databases, and supporting systems are configured and managed with appropriate security controls to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information systems and electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI). This policy addresses cloud-native security, infrastructure-as-code, container security, and hybrid cloud environments while maintaining compliance with HIPAA, HITECH, and SOC 2 requirements.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all [Company Name] workforce members, contractors, and third parties involved in the design, deployment, configuration, or management of IT infrastructure. It encompasses all infrastructure components including cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), virtual machines, containers, serverless functions, databases, networks, storage systems, backup infrastructure, monitoring systems, and security tools. This policy covers all environments (production, staging, development, testing) and deployment models (public cloud, private cloud, hybrid cloud, multi-cloud). It applies to both infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) and platform-as-a-service (PaaS) implementations, as well as infrastructure-as-code (IaC) and configuration management practices.

3. Policy

[Company Name] shall implement defense-in-depth security controls across all infrastructure layers to ensure comprehensive protection against threats and compliance with regulatory requirements.

3.1 Cloud Infrastructure Security Framework

A comprehensive security framework shall be implemented across all cloud infrastructure components to ensure consistent security posture and compliance.

3.1.1 Cloud Security Architecture

Multi-Layered Security Design:

  • Network security controls including Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs), security groups, and network access control lists
  • Identity and access management (IAM) with role-based access control and principle of least privilege
  • Data protection through encryption at rest and in transit across all cloud services
  • Logging and monitoring integration across all infrastructure components
  • Incident response capabilities with automated response and recovery procedures

Cloud Service Security Requirements:

  • Use of cloud services with appropriate compliance certifications (SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO 27001)
  • Shared responsibility model understanding and implementation for each cloud service
  • Data residency controls ensuring data remains within approved geographic regions
  • Service level agreements (SLAs) including security and availability requirements
  • Vendor risk assessments and ongoing security monitoring for all cloud providers

3.1.2 Infrastructure Hardening Standards

System Hardening Requirements:

  • Security baselines for all operating systems and platforms (CIS Benchmarks, NIST guidelines) shall be documented and implemented.
  • Removal of unnecessary services, protocols, and software components
  • Security configuration management and drift detection
  • Vulnerability scanning shall be conducted at least quarterly for all production systems, and patch management shall be performed in accordance with defined SLAs.
  • Endpoint detection and response (EDR) deployment on all applicable systems

Network Hardening:

  • Network segmentation and micro-segmentation for different security zones
  • Zero-trust network architecture implementation where technically feasible
  • Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS) deployment
  • Network access control (NAC) for device authentication and authorization
  • Regular network security assessments and penetration testing

3.2 Identity and Access Management (IAM)

Comprehensive IAM controls shall be implemented to ensure appropriate access to infrastructure resources while maintaining security and compliance.

3.2.1 Cloud IAM Implementation

Access Control Framework:

  • Centralized identity management with single sign-on (SSO) integration
  • Multi-factor authentication (MFA) required for all administrative access
  • Role-based access control (RBAC) with predefined roles and permissions
  • Privileged access management (PAM) for high-risk administrative functions
  • Just-in-time (JIT) access for temporary elevated privileges

Service Account Management:

  • Unique service accounts for each application and service with minimal required permissions
  • Regular rotation of service account credentials and API keys
  • Monitoring and alerting for service account usage and anomalies
  • Automated provisioning and deprovisioning of service accounts
  • Documentation and approval process for service account creation and modification

3.2.2 Access Reviews and Monitoring

Regular Access Certification:

  • Quarterly access reviews for all administrative and privileged accounts
  • Annual comprehensive review of all infrastructure access permissions
  • Automated access recertification workflows with manager approval
  • Immediate access revocation upon role changes or employment termination
  • Exception handling process for emergency access requirements

Access Monitoring and Auditing:

  • Real-time monitoring of all administrative and privileged access activities
  • Automated alerting for suspicious access patterns or policy violations
  • Comprehensive audit logging for all infrastructure access and changes
  • Regular analysis of access logs for security anomalies and compliance validation
  • Integration with security information and event management (SIEM) systems

3.3 Network Security and Segmentation

Network security controls shall provide comprehensive protection against unauthorized access and lateral movement within the infrastructure.

3.3.1 Network Architecture Security

Network Segmentation Strategy:

  • Production, staging, development, and management network separation
  • Application-tier segmentation (web, application, database layers)
  • Security zone implementation with different trust levels and access controls
  • DMZ (demilitarized zone) for external-facing services and applications
  • Management network isolation for administrative access and monitoring

Traffic Control and Filtering:

  • Default-deny network access policies with explicit allow rules
  • Application-layer firewalls and web application firewalls (WAF) deployment
  • Network traffic inspection and filtering for known threats and malicious content
  • Rate limiting and DDoS protection for internet-facing services
  • Network access control lists (ACLs) and security groups for granular traffic control

3.3.2 Network Monitoring and Detection

Network Security Monitoring:

  • 24/7 network traffic monitoring and analysis
  • Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS) with signature and anomaly-based detection
  • Network behavior analysis for detecting advanced persistent threats (APTs)
  • DNS monitoring and filtering for malicious domain detection
  • Integration with threat intelligence feeds for proactive threat detection

Network Incident Response:

  • Automated response capabilities for detected network threats
  • Network isolation and quarantine procedures for compromised systems
  • Traffic capture and analysis capabilities for incident investigation
  • Network forensics tools and procedures for security incident analysis
  • Coordination with security operations center (SOC) for incident response

3.4 Data Protection and Encryption

Comprehensive data protection controls shall ensure the confidentiality and integrity of all data within the infrastructure.

3.4.1 Encryption Implementation

Data at Rest Encryption:

  • Full disk encryption for all virtual machines and storage systems
  • Database encryption using transparent data encryption (TDE) or column-level encryption
  • File system encryption for network-attached storage (NAS) and object storage
  • Encryption of backup data and archive storage
  • Hardware security module (HSM) or cloud HSM integration for key management

Data in Transit Encryption:

  • TLS 1.3 or equivalent encryption for all network communications
  • VPN encryption for all remote access and site-to-site connections
  • End-to-end encryption for sensitive data transmissions
  • Certificate management and validation for all encrypted communications
  • Perfect forward secrecy (PFS) implementation where technically feasible

3.4.2 Key Management and Protection

Centralized Key Management:

  • Cloud-native key management services (AWS KMS, Azure Key Vault, Google Cloud KMS)
  • Customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) for sensitive data and ePHI
  • Key rotation policies and automated rotation procedures
  • Key escrow and recovery procedures for business continuity
  • Hardware security module (HSM) usage for high-value keys

Key Security Controls:

  • Separation of key management from data management functions
  • Multi-person authorization for key generation and recovery operations
  • Audit logging for all key management activities
  • Geographic distribution of keys for disaster recovery
  • Secure key deletion and destruction procedures

3.5 Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and Configuration Management

Infrastructure deployments shall use code-based approaches with appropriate security controls and change management processes.

3.5.1 Secure IaC Practices

IaC Security Requirements:

  • All infrastructure code shall be stored in a version control system. All changes shall be reviewed and formally approved via the version control system (e.g., pull request approval) before being merged.
  • Security scanning of infrastructure templates and configurations
  • Automated compliance checking against security policies and standards
  • Immutable infrastructure principles to prevent configuration drift
  • Secrets management for infrastructure credentials and sensitive configuration

Configuration Management:

  • Centralized configuration management with automated deployment pipelines
  • Configuration drift detection and automated remediation
  • Security baseline enforcement across all infrastructure components
  • Change tracking and rollback capabilities for configuration modifications
  • Documentation and approval process for infrastructure changes

3.5.2 CI/CD Pipeline Security

Secure Deployment Pipelines:

  • Security scanning integration into CI/CD pipelines for infrastructure code
  • Automated security testing and validation before deployment
  • Staged deployment process with security validation at each stage
  • Rollback procedures for failed or insecure deployments
  • Deployment approval gates for production environment changes

Pipeline Protection:

  • Access controls and authentication for CI/CD systems and pipelines
  • Secure storage and management of deployment credentials and secrets
  • Audit logging for all pipeline activities and deployments
  • Code signing and integrity verification for deployment artifacts
  • Isolation of deployment environments and access controls

3.6 Container and Serverless Security

Specialized security controls shall be implemented for containerized applications and serverless computing environments.

3.6.1 Container Security

Container Image Security:

  • Base image security scanning and vulnerability assessment
  • Minimal base images with only necessary components and dependencies
  • Regular image updates and patch management processes
  • Image signing and verification for deployment integrity
  • Private container registries with access controls and scanning capabilities

Container Runtime Security:

  • Container orchestration platform security (Kubernetes, ECS, AKS)
  • Runtime security monitoring and anomaly detection
  • Resource limits and isolation between containers
  • Network policies and micro-segmentation for container communications
  • Secrets management for container applications and services

3.6.2 Serverless Security

Function Security Controls:

  • Code security scanning for serverless function code
  • Principle of least privilege for function execution roles and permissions
  • Environment variable security and secrets management
  • Function timeout and resource limits configuration
  • Monitoring and logging for function execution and security events

Serverless Architecture Security:

  • API Gateway security controls and rate limiting
  • Event source security and validation for function triggers
  • Data encryption for serverless function storage and communications
  • Dependency management and vulnerability scanning for function dependencies
  • Cold start security considerations and optimization

3.7 Backup and Disaster Recovery

Comprehensive backup and disaster recovery capabilities shall ensure business continuity and data protection.

3.7.1 Backup Security

Backup Strategy Implementation:

  • Regular automated backups for all critical systems and data
  • Geographic distribution of backups for disaster recovery
  • Encryption of all backup data at rest and in transit
  • Access controls and monitoring for backup systems and data
  • Backup integrity and restoration validation shall be performed at least quarterly for critical systems.

Backup Retention and Management:

  • Retention policies aligned with business and regulatory requirements
  • Secure disposal of expired backup media and data
  • Version management and point-in-time recovery capabilities
  • Backup monitoring and alerting for failed or incomplete backups
  • Documentation of backup and recovery procedures

3.7.2 Disaster Recovery Planning

Recovery Infrastructure:

  • Geographically separated disaster recovery infrastructure
  • Automated failover capabilities for critical systems and services
  • Recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO) definition and validation
  • Disaster recovery testing and validation exercises shall be conducted at least annually.
  • Documentation and maintenance of disaster recovery procedures

Business Continuity Integration:

  • Coordination with business continuity planning and requirements
  • Communication procedures for disaster recovery activation
  • Stakeholder notification and coordination during recovery operations
  • Post-incident review and improvement of recovery procedures
  • Training and awareness for disaster recovery procedures

3.8 Monitoring and Incident Response

Comprehensive monitoring and incident response capabilities shall provide early threat detection and rapid response to security incidents.

3.8.1 Security Monitoring

Infrastructure Monitoring:

  • 24/7 monitoring of all infrastructure components and services
  • Security information and event management (SIEM) integration
  • Automated threat detection and alerting capabilities
  • Performance monitoring and capacity management
  • Compliance monitoring and reporting for regulatory requirements

Log Management and Analysis:

  • Centralized log collection and analysis for all infrastructure components
  • Log retention policies aligned with regulatory and business requirements
  • Real-time log analysis and correlation for security event detection
  • Secure log storage and access controls for log data
  • Log integrity protection and tampering detection

3.8.2 Incident Response Integration

Infrastructure Incident Response:

  • Automated incident response capabilities for infrastructure security events
  • Integration with organizational incident response procedures
  • Evidence preservation and forensics capabilities for infrastructure incidents
  • Communication procedures for infrastructure-related security incidents
  • Recovery and restoration procedures for compromised infrastructure

4. Standards Compliance

This policy is designed to comply with and support the following industry standards and regulations.

Policy Section Standard/Framework Control Reference
All HIPAA Security Rule 45 CFR § 164.308(a)(1) - Security Management Process
3.2 HIPAA Security Rule 45 CFR § 164.308(a)(4) - Information Access Management
3.4 HIPAA Security Rule 45 CFR § 164.312(a)(2)(iv) - Encryption and Decryption
3.4 HIPAA Security Rule 45 CFR § 164.312(e)(1) - Transmission Security
3.8 HIPAA Security Rule 45 CFR § 164.312(b) - Audit Controls
All SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria CC6.1 - Logical Access Security
3.3 SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria CC6.6 - Network Security
3.4 SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria CC6.7 - Data Transmission
3.7 SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria A1.1 - System Availability
3.8 SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria CC7.1 - System Monitoring
All NIST Cybersecurity Framework PR.AC - Identity Management
3.3 NIST Cybersecurity Framework PR.DS - Data Security
All CIS Controls Critical Security Controls

5. Definitions

Container: Lightweight, portable software package that includes application code and all dependencies needed to run the application.

Defense in Depth: Security strategy employing multiple layers of defense to protect information and systems.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Practice of managing and provisioning infrastructure through machine-readable definition files.

Micro-segmentation: Security technique that creates secure zones in data centers and cloud environments to isolate workloads.

Serverless Computing: Cloud computing model where the cloud provider manages infrastructure and automatically allocates resources.

Software-Defined Perimeter (SDP): Network security approach that creates secure, encrypted connections between users and resources.

Virtual Private Cloud (VPC): Isolated virtual network environment within a public cloud infrastructure.

Zero Trust: Security model that requires verification for every user and device trying to access resources.

6. Responsibilities

Role Responsibility
Infrastructure Security Team Develop infrastructure security policies, implement security controls, monitor infrastructure security, and respond to infrastructure security incidents.
Cloud Engineers Design and implement secure cloud infrastructure, manage cloud security configurations, and ensure compliance with security policies.
DevOps Engineers Implement secure CI/CD pipelines, manage infrastructure as code, integrate security tools, and automate security controls.
Network Engineers Design and maintain secure network architecture, implement network security controls, and monitor network security events.
System Administrators Configure and maintain secure systems, implement security baselines, manage system access, and monitor system security.
Security Operations Center (SOC) Monitor infrastructure security events, analyze security alerts, coordinate incident response, and provide 24/7 security monitoring.
Compliance Team Ensure infrastructure compliance with regulations, conduct compliance assessments, and coordinate audit activities.
Database Administrators Implement database security controls, manage database encryption, monitor database access, and ensure database compliance.
All Engineering Staff Follow infrastructure security policies, implement security controls in their areas, report security issues, and participate in security training.