Building Day 2 ops guardrails with Terraform and Packer

This post explains how Terraform and Packer help teams implement Day 2 operations guardrails to keep infrastructure secure, compliant, and cost-efficient after initial deployment.

• •Automatic cleanup enforces TTLs on dev/test/sandbox environments using fixed end dates, inactivity thresholds, or post-test teardown to eliminate orphaned resources
• •Continuous drift detection monitors deployed environments and sends alerts via Slack, API, or email when real-world state diverges from infrastructure definitions
• •Automated security and compliance checks validate certificate expiration, Terraform versions, health endpoints, and policy enforcement outcomes
• •HCP Packer enables revoking compromised images and integrates with CI/CD and vulnerability scanners to prevent insecure images from being used by Terraform