ICT-Governance-Framework-Application

Integrating ICT Governance with IaC and Version Control

This document outlines how to integrate the ICT Governance Framework with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and version control systems to ensure governance is embedded in the development and deployment processes.

1. Integration with Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Governance as Code Approach

The organization will adopt a “Governance as Code” approach that applies the same principles of IaC to governance artifacts:

1. Version-Controlled Governance Artifacts:
   • All governance documents, policies, standards, and procedures will be stored in version-controlled repositories
   • Changes to governance artifacts will follow the same pull request and review process as code changes
2. Automated Policy Enforcement:
   • Governance policies will be codified as automated checks in CI/CD pipelines
   • Policy enforcement will be integrated with IaC deployment processes
3. Infrastructure Compliance Validation:
   • Automated validation of infrastructure against governance policies
   • Regular compliance scans of deployed infrastructure

Mapping Governance Policies to IaC Implementations

Governance Policy	IaC Implementation	Automation Approach
Technology Standards	Approved resource types and configurations in Bicep/Terraform modules	Pre-approved modules, pipeline validation
Security Requirements	Security controls implemented in IaC templates	Azure Policy, compliance scanning
Architecture Standards	Reference architectures as IaC templates	Architecture validation in CI/CD
Change Management	IaC deployment workflows	Automated approval workflows
Configuration Standards	Standard configurations in IaC	Configuration validation

Implementation Steps

1. Policy-as-Code Repository:
   • Create a dedicated repository for policy-as-code artifacts
   • Organize policies by domain (security, architecture, operations)
   • Implement policy validation in CI/CD pipelines
2. Reference Architecture Repository:
   • Create a repository of approved reference architectures as IaC templates
   • Include documentation and usage guidelines
   • Implement automated validation against reference architectures
3. Module Library:
   • Develop a library of pre-approved, security-hardened IaC modules
   • Ensure modules implement governance requirements
   • Document module usage and compliance features
4. Automated Compliance Checks:
   • Implement Azure Policy definitions for governance requirements
   • Create custom compliance checks for organization-specific policies
   • Integrate compliance scanning in deployment pipelines

2. Version Control Integration

Repository Structure

/ict-governance/
  ├── /framework/             # ICT Governance Framework documents
  ├── /policies/              # Detailed governance policies
  ├── /standards/             # Technology standards and guidelines
  ├── /templates/             # Document templates and forms
  └── /procedures/            # Operational procedures

/infrastructure/
  ├── /modules/               # Reusable IaC modules
  │   ├── /networking/        # Network infrastructure modules
  │   ├── /compute/           # Compute resource modules
  │   ├── /security/          # Security infrastructure modules
  │   └── /data/              # Data resource modules
  ├── /environments/          # Environment-specific configurations
  │   ├── /dev/               # Development environment
  │   ├── /test/              # Test environment
  │   ├── /staging/           # Staging environment
  │   └── /prod/              # Production environment
  └── /pipelines/             # CI/CD pipeline definitions

/compliance/
  ├── /policies/              # Azure Policy definitions
  ├── /scripts/               # Compliance checking scripts
  ├── /reports/               # Compliance report templates
  └── /remediation/           # Automated remediation scripts

Branching Strategy

1. Main Branch:
   • Represents the current approved state of governance and infrastructure
   • Protected branch requiring pull request and approval
2. Feature Branches:
   • Created for new governance policies or infrastructure changes
   • Named according to the feature or change being implemented
3. Release Branches:
   • Created for coordinated governance and infrastructure releases
   • Tagged with version numbers for traceability
4. Hotfix Branches:
   • For urgent fixes to governance or infrastructure issues
   • Merged to main and release branches as needed

Pull Request and Review Process

1. Governance Changes:
   • Changes to governance artifacts require review by the relevant Domain Owner
   • Significant changes require ICT Governance Council approval
   • All changes must include updated documentation
2. Infrastructure Changes:
   • Changes to infrastructure code require architecture review
   • Security-relevant changes require security review
   • Changes must include compliance validation results
3. Automated Validation:
   • Pull requests trigger automated validation of governance compliance
   • Failed validations block merging of changes
   • Compliance reports attached to pull requests

3. Drift Detection and Remediation

Drift Detection Mechanisms

1. Regular Compliance Scans:
   • Scheduled scans of infrastructure against governance policies
   • Comparison of deployed resources against IaC definitions
   • Detection of manual changes outside the IaC process
2. Azure Policy Compliance:
   • Continuous evaluation of resources against Azure Policy definitions
   • Alerts for non-compliant resources
   • Compliance reporting through Azure Policy dashboard
3. Microsoft365DSC Scanning:
   • Regular scans of Microsoft 365 configuration against defined state
   • Detection of configuration drift in SaaS environments
   • Integration with overall compliance reporting

Remediation Process

1. Automated Remediation:
   • Auto-remediation for low-risk compliance issues
   • Automated creation of remediation pull requests
   • Integration with CI/CD for approved remediation
2. Manual Remediation:
   • Documented process for manual remediation of complex issues
   • Change requests for significant remediation actions
   • Approvals according to change management policy
3. Drift Prevention:
   • Preventive controls to block manual changes
   • Just-in-time access for administrative functions
   • Comprehensive logging and monitoring

4. Implementation Roadmap

Phase 1: Foundation (1-3 months)

• Establish repository structure for governance artifacts
• Migrate existing governance documents to version control
• Define initial policy-as-code implementations
• Set up basic compliance scanning

Phase 2: Integration (3-6 months)

• Integrate governance validation in CI/CD pipelines
• Develop pre-approved IaC modules implementing governance requirements
• Implement automated drift detection
• Create compliance dashboards and reporting

Phase 3: Automation (6-12 months)

• Implement automated remediation for common compliance issues
• Develop advanced compliance analytics
• Integrate with ITSM systems for governance-related workflows
• Implement comprehensive audit trails

5. Success Metrics

• Governance Compliance Rate: Percentage of resources compliant with governance policies
• Drift Detection Time: Time to detect configuration drift
• Remediation Time: Time to remediate non-compliant resources
• Automated Coverage: Percentage of governance policies with automated enforcement
• Manual Change Rate: Number of changes made outside the IaC process

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This integration approach ensures that governance is embedded in the development and operations processes, providing automated enforcement, validation, and compliance reporting while maintaining the flexibility needed for innovation and business agility.

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