Policy as Code
Noun · Security & Infosec
Definitions
The practice of expressing security or compliance rules in machine-readable policies that can be tested and enforced automatically. It shows up in application security, identity, infrastructure, or incident response work depending on the environment. Teams use the concept to prevent abuse, detect adversary activity earlier, or define stronger control boundaries during engineering, testing, and operations.
In plain English: Policy as Code is the practical security idea behind a control, weakness, or safeguard. It matters because it changes how attackers succeed or defenders reduce risk.
Example: "During the review, the team focused on Policy as Code after telemetry and testing showed it was the fastest way to reduce exposure, tighten controls, and close a realistic attack path before the next production release."