policy-generation

Policy Generation Implementation

This directory contains a complete implementation of the Policy Generation pattern, transforming compliance requirements into executable Cedar/OPA policy files using AI assistance.

Overview

This implementation demonstrates how to:

• Transform written compliance requirements into executable policy code
• Generate Cedar and OPA (Open Policy Agent) policies using AI
• Test and validate generated policies
• Integrate policy generation into CI/CD pipelines

Files in this Implementation

• iam_permissions.cedar - Example Cedar IAM policy
• network_policy.rego - Example OPA network policy
• config_rules.yml - Configuration rules and compliance requirements
• generate-policies.sh - AI-powered policy generation script
• test-policies.sh - Policy testing and validation script
• compliance-requirements.md - Written requirements for transformation

Quick Start

Generate Policies from Requirements

# Transform written requirements into Cedar policies
./generate-policies.sh requirements/encryption.md cedar > policies/encryption.cedar

# Generate OPA policies for network access
./generate-policies.sh requirements/network.md opa > policies/network.rego

# Test generated policies
./test-policies.sh

Example Transformation

Input (compliance-requirements.md):

## SOC 2 Data Encryption Requirement
Data at rest must be AES-256 encrypted in transit and at rest per SOC 2.
All database connections must use TLS 1.2 or higher.

Generated Cedar Policy:

permit(
    principal,
    action == Action::"s3:PutObject",
    resource
) when {
    resource has encryption &&
    resource.encryption.algorithm == "AES-256" &&
    resource.encryption.enabled == true
};

Policy Languages Supported

Cedar Policies

• AWS native policy language
• Type-safe policy evaluation
• Human-readable syntax
• Integration with AWS services

OPA/Rego Policies

• Cloud-native policy framework
• Kubernetes integration
• Flexible rule evaluation
• JSON/YAML input support

Integration Examples

CI/CD Pipeline Integration

Cedar Pipeline:

# .github/workflows/cedar-policy-validation.yml
- name: Generate Cedar Policies
  run: |
    ai "Convert docs/compliance/*.md into Cedar policies" > policies/generated.cedar

- name: Validate Cedar Policies
  run: |
    cedar validate --schema schema.cedarschema policies/generated.cedar

OPA/Rego Pipeline:

# .github/workflows/opa-policy-validation.yml
- name: Generate OPA Policies
  run: |
    ai "Convert docs/compliance/*.md into OPA Rego policies" > policies/generated.rego

- name: Test OPA Policies
  run: |
    opa test policies/ data/test-cases/

Compliance Automation

# Weekly compliance policy update
cron_job() {
    ai "Review compliance-requirements.md for changes, update policies accordingly"
    git add policies/
    git commit -m "feat: update compliance policies based on requirement changes"
}

Testing and Validation

Policy Testing Framework

• Unit tests for individual policy rules
• Integration tests with sample data
• Compliance verification tests
• Performance testing for policy evaluation

Test Examples

# Test Cedar policies
cedar validate --schema schema.cedarschema policies/*.cedar

# Test OPA policies with sample data
opa test policies/ data/test-cases/

Compliance Requirements Format

Structured Requirements

Requirements should be written in a consistent format:

• Requirement ID: Unique identifier
• Description: Clear compliance requirement
• Authority: Regulatory source (SOC 2, PCI DSS, etc.)
• Implementation: Technical implementation details

Example Format

## REQ-001: Data Encryption
**Authority**: SOC 2 Type II
**Description**: All sensitive data must be encrypted at rest using AES-256
**Implementation**: Database encryption, file system encryption, key rotation

Advanced Features

AI-Powered Policy Generation

• Natural language to policy transformation
• Compliance framework mapping
• Automated policy updates
• Conflict detection and resolution

Policy Optimization

• Performance optimization for policy evaluation
• Rule consolidation and simplification
• Dead code elimination
• Policy impact analysis

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

• Syntax Errors: Validate policy syntax before deployment
• Conflicting Rules: Use policy analyzers to detect conflicts
• Performance Issues: Profile policy evaluation times
• Compliance Gaps: Regular audit against requirements

Debug Commands

# Validate Cedar policy syntax
cedar validate policies/generated.cedar

# Test OPA policy evaluation
opa eval -d policies/ "data.authz.allow"

# Check for policy conflicts
./analyze-conflicts.sh policies/

Contributing

When adding new policy generation capabilities:

1. Update the requirements format documentation
2. Add test cases for new policy types
3. Validate against relevant compliance frameworks
4. Update CI/CD integration examples

Security Considerations

⚠️ Important Security Notes

• Review all AI-generated policies before deployment
• Test policies with realistic data scenarios
• Maintain audit logs for policy changes
• Regular compliance validation and testing