# Configuration Hardening with Ansible

> Master automated host hardening with Ansible, translating CIS benchmarks into idempotent playbooks and enforcing compliance as code across your infrastructure.

Canonical: https://codelivly.com/rooms/configuration-hardening-with-ansible
Last updated: 2026-10-29

| | |
|---|---|
| Level | Intermediate |
| Category | Cybersecurity |
| Lessons | 5 |
| Estimated time | 30 min |
| XP | 100 |

This module teaches you how to move from manually securing individual servers to enforcing consistent, auditable configuration baselines at scale using Ansible. You will learn how to translate hardening standards, such as CIS Benchmarks and DISA STIGs, into declarative, idempotent playbooks that enforce SSH restrictions, file permissions, service removal, and kernel parameters. We will cover how to detect and correct configuration drift, validate hardening changes safely using Ansible Lint and Molecule, and integrate compliance verification into CI/CD pipelines. The module culminates in a hands-on guided lab where you will assess a vulnerable Linux host, author a hardening playbook, and prove compliance through a repeatable, idempotent run.

## Lessons

1. What Is Configuration Management and Why Does It Matter (30 min)
2. Playbooks, Roles and Inventory (30 min)
3. Applying CIS Hardening Roles (30 min)
4. Protecting Secrets with Ansible Vault (30 min)
5. Guided Lab: Hardening a Linux Host with Ansible (30 min)

## Related

- [Learning path: Infrastructure as Code Security](https://codelivly.com/learning-paths/infrastructure-as-code-security)
- [All rooms](https://codelivly.com/rooms)