Compliance as Code: Automating Compliance in Cloud Systems

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of Compliance as Code (CaC) for automating compliance with ISO 27001 and PCI DSS standards in cloud environments. Traditional compliance methods, which are heavily reliant on manual processes, often fail to provide the continuous monitoring and real-time validation required in dynamic cloud systems. By leveraging tools such as AWS Config and Open Policy Agent (OPA), this study demonstrates that CaC can automate 85 out of 114 ISO 27001 controls and 10 out of 12 PCI DSS controls, resulting in significant time savings and accuracy improvements. The implementation reduced audit times by up to 70%, with initial compliance audits shortened from 24 hours to 8 hours and continuous monitoring audits from 10 hours to 3 hours. Error rates decreased by 83.3% for ISO 27001 and 90% for PCI DSS, emphasizing CaC's ability to reduce human error and improve compliance consistency. The findings underline CaC’s transformative potential for cloud governance, offering a scalable solution that minimizes compliance risks and enhances regulatory adherence in real-time.