Secure Cloud Resource Deployment with Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

This curriculum provides a comprehensive roadmap for mastering Infrastructure as Code (IaC) within the AWS ecosystem. The focus is on achieving consistent, secure, and automated deployments across multiple accounts and regions using AWS native and third-party tools.

Prerequisites

Before beginning this curriculum, students should possess the following foundational knowledge and access:

AWS Core Services: Proficiency in basic AWS resource types, including VPCs, EC2, S3, and IAM.
Configuration Languages: A solid understanding of JSON and YAML syntax, as these are the primary formats for CloudFormation templates.
Command Line Proficiency: Familiarity with the AWS CLI for resource management and tool execution.
Identity Management: Knowledge of IAM roles and policies, specifically how to grant the CloudFormation service permission to create resources on your behalf.
Account Management: A high-level understanding of AWS Organizations and the concept of management vs. member accounts.

Module Breakdown

Module	Title	Topic Focus	Difficulty
1	CloudFormation Fundamentals	Stacks, Templates, JSON/YAML, Resource Provisioning	Beginner
2	Multi-Account Scaling	CloudFormation StackSets, Target Accounts, Organizational Units	Intermediate
3	Security & Linting	`cfn-lint`, Syntax Validation, Best Practice Enforcement	Intermediate
4	Policy as Code	CloudFormation Guard, Proactive Compliance, Custom Rule Writing	Advanced
5	Governance Integration	AWS Control Tower, Landing Zones, AWS Config Integration	Advanced

Learning Objectives per Module

Module 1: CloudFormation Fundamentals

Define the anatomy of a CloudFormation template (Resources, Parameters, Outputs).
Deploy single-account resources using the AWS Management Console and CLI.
Manage the resource lifecycle by updating and deleting stacks safely.

Module 2: Multi-Account Scaling

Configure a StackSet from a central administrator account.
Deploy resources across multiple AWS Regions and Accounts simultaneously.
Implement automatic deployment to new accounts joining an Organizational Unit (OU).

Module 3: Security & Linting

Validate templates using cfn-lint to catch syntax errors and non-standard configurations before deployment.
Integrate linting into a CI/CD pipeline to ensure code quality.

Module 4: Policy as Code

Draft compliance rules using CloudFormation Guard DSL (Domain Specific Language).
Perform

Prerequisites

Before beginning this curriculum, students should possess the following foundational knowledge and access:

AWS Core Services: Proficiency in basic AWS resource types, including VPCs, EC2, S3, and IAM.

Configuration Languages: A solid understanding of JSON and YAML syntax, as these are the primary formats for CloudFormation templates.

Command Line Proficiency: Familiarity with the AWS CLI for resource management and tool execution.

Identity Management: Knowledge of IAM roles and policies, specifically how to grant the CloudFormation service permission to create resources on your behalf.

Account Management: A high-level understanding of AWS Organizations and the concept of management vs. member accounts.

Module Breakdown

Module	Title	Topic Focus	Difficulty
1	CloudFormation Fundamentals	Stacks, Templates, JSON/YAML, Resource Provisioning	Beginner
2	Multi-Account Scaling	CloudFormation StackSets, Target Accounts, Organizational Units	Intermediate
3	Security & Linting	`cfn-lint`, Syntax Validation, Best Practice Enforcement	Intermediate
4	Policy as Code	CloudFormation Guard, Proactive Compliance, Custom Rule Writing	Advanced
5	Governance Integration	AWS Control Tower, Landing Zones, AWS Config Integration	Advanced

Learning Objectives per Module

Module 1: CloudFormation Fundamentals

Define the anatomy of a CloudFormation template (Resources, Parameters, Outputs).

Deploy single-account resources using the AWS Management Console and CLI.

Manage the resource lifecycle by updating and deleting stacks safely.

Module 2: Multi-Account Scaling

Configure a StackSet from a central administrator account.

Deploy resources across multiple AWS Regions and Accounts simultaneously.

Implement automatic deployment to new accounts joining an Organizational Unit (OU).

Module 3: Security & Linting

Validate templates using cfn-lint to catch syntax errors and non-standard configurations before deployment.

Integrate linting into a CI/CD pipeline to ensure code quality.

Module 4: Policy as Code

Draft compliance rules using CloudFormation Guard DSL (Domain Specific Language).

Perform