System Configuration Management Process

This question asks if you have a systematic way to manage how your systems are configured, often using 'gold images' - pre-configured, security-hardened templates for servers and systems. Instead of manually setting up each server differently, you use standardized, secure templates that ensure consistency and security across your infrastructure.

Configuration management prevents 'configuration drift' where systems become inconsistent over time, creating security holes and operational nightmares. Without it, you face increased breach risk from misconfigured systems, higher costs from troubleshooting unique configurations, and compliance failures. Strong configuration management reduces security incidents by 50% and cuts deployment time by 75%, directly impacting your bottom line.

Many companies create gold images but don't update them regularly, deploying increasingly outdated configurations that require immediate patching. Another mistake is having images for servers but not for containers, databases, or cloud services, leaving gaps in your configuration standards.