Welcome to the world of Terrascan, a powerful static code analyzer that helps you ensure your Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is secure and compliant. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the essential steps to install, scan, and integrate Terrascan into your development workflow. Let’s dive in!

Why Use Terrascan?

Imagine you’re a ship captain navigating through treacherous waters. You wouldn’t want to sail without a map or a radar, right? That’s exactly what Terrascan offers to developers by scanning your infrastructure code for potential misconfigurations and vulnerabilities before they become real issues.

Key Features of Terrascan

• 500+ Policies for security best practices
• Scans for Terraform (HCL2)
• Scanning of AWS CloudFormation Templates (CFT)
• Scans for Azure Resource Manager (ARM)
• Scanning of Kubernetes (JSON/YAML), Helm v3, and Kustomize
• Dockerfile scanning capabilities

Quick Start: Your Three-Step Guide to Using Terrascan

Step 1: Install Terrascan

Terrascan can be installed in multiple ways. The most common methods include:

• Native Executable: Use curl to download the latest version directly.
• Homebrew: If you’re using macOS, simply run brew install terrascan.
• Docker Image: Terrascan is also available as a Docker image, making it easy to run in isolated environments using docker run tenable/terrascan.

Step 2: Scan Your Code

Once installed, you can run the scan command:

terrascan scan

This command defaults to scanning Terraform files. Keep in mind that Terrascan will exit with an error code if it detects violations. Here’s what those exit codes mean:

• 5: Errors and violations detected
• 4: Errors detected but no violations
• 3: Violations detected but no errors
• 0: All clear (no violations or errors)
• 1: Invalid inputs

Step 3: Integrate into Your CI/CD Workflow

Security should be embedded in your development process. Terrascan can be easily integrated into your CI/CD pipelines to enforce best practices. Detailed steps can be found in the integration documentation.

Troubleshooting: What to Do If Things Go Wrong

If you run into any issues while using Terrascan, consider the following troubleshooting steps:

• Ensure you’re using the latest version. Check the releases page for updates.
• Double-check your configuration files for typos or misconfigurations.
• Refer to the getting started guide for best practices.
• If the problems persist, feel free to reach out or join the discussion on community channels.

For more insights, updates, or to collaborate on AI development projects, stay connected with fxis.ai.

Customizing Your Scans

Tailoring your scans can greatly improve their effectiveness. Terrascan allows you to exclude specific policies or resources using comment annotations in your code. Here’s how:

• For Terraform: Use a comment like ts:skip=RULENAME REASON within the resource block.
• For Kubernetes: Add an annotation to your YAML definition.

Conclusion

Using Terrascan will ensure that your infrastructure remains secure throughout its lifecycle. By integrating it into your devOps processes, you’re not just reacting to vulnerabilities but actively preventing them.

At fxis.ai, we believe that such advancements are crucial for the future of AI, as they enable more comprehensive and effective solutions. Our team is continually exploring new methodologies to push the envelope in artificial intelligence, ensuring that our clients benefit from the latest technological innovations.

Ready to Start?

Now that you know how to set up and use Terrascan, it’s time to safeguard your infrastructure as code. Happy scanning!