Infrastructure as Code with OpenSSL

Infrastructure as Code with OpenSSL makes these problems smaller, faster to fix, and easier to audit. By combining IaC principles with the power of OpenSSL, you keep key and certificate management defined, versioned, and repeatable.

OpenSSL is the de facto tool for creating and managing SSL/TLS certificates, generating private keys, and performing cryptographic operations. When you use it inside Infrastructure as Code workflows, every step — from key generation to certificate signing — becomes part of your codebase. This means you can store PKI commands in Terraform, CloudFormation, or Ansible scripts, execute them in CI/CD pipelines, and track every change through Git.

Why Combine Infrastructure as Code and OpenSSL

• Consistency: Eliminate manual certificate generation. The same script runs identically across environments.
• Security: Reduce human error by automating private key creation and storage. Pair automation with secure secrets management tools.
• Auditability: Every cryptographic action is recorded in code and version history. This simplifies compliance checks.
• Speed: Provision SSL/TLS for new services in seconds without logging into individual servers.

Core Commands for IaC OpenSSL Workflows

Integrating OpenSSL into Infrastructure as Code often starts with a few core commands:

# Generate a private key
openssl genrsa -out private.key 2048

# Create a certificate signing request
openssl req -new -key private.key -out request.csr

# Self-sign a certificate
openssl x509 -req -days 365 -in request.csr -signkey private.key -out certificate.crt

These commands can be wrapped into provisioning scripts or configuration management templates. Add parameters and variables so certificates are created dynamically during deployment.

Automation Patterns

• Store certificate parameters in IaC variables or environment files.
• Run OpenSSL commands as part of a CI/CD job, triggered when infrastructure definitions change.
• Integrate with container orchestration platforms to provision and attach certificates at service startup.
• Use IaC modules to handle revocation and renewal automatically, based on date checks in code.

Security Considerations

Automating OpenSSL inside Infrastructure as Code workflows increases speed, but careful handling of private keys is critical. Use encrypted secret stores or cloud KMS systems. Restrict file permissions on generated keys. Validate certificate outputs before applying them to public endpoints.

The Outcome

When Infrastructure as Code and OpenSSL work together, cryptographic infrastructure becomes as repeatable as spinning up a virtual machine. You reduce risk, increase visibility, and handle certificate lifecycle entirely in code. No manual steps. No unknown states.

See how this works in practice. Deploy IaC-powered OpenSSL workflows live at hoop.dev and watch it run in minutes.