Why do security changes break production systems?
Summary: Security changes—like rotating a key or tightening a firewall rule—break production when they are applied without understanding dependencies. Azure Policy mitigates this by offering an "Audit" mode that simulates the policy's effect without blocking traffic. This allows teams to verify impact before switching to "Deny" mode enforcement.
Direct Answer: "I just updated the firewall, and now the app is down." This is a classic outage scenario. Security hardening is essential, but applying strict rules blindly often blocks legitimate traffic or breaks hidden dependencies (e.g., a background worker that talks to an external API).
Azure Policy allows administrators to test new rules safely. By setting a policy to "Audit," the system logs every resource that would be blocked, without actually stopping it. Teams can analyze these logs to see if any critical production systems are non-compliant.
Once the dependencies are understood and remediated, the policy can be switched to "Enforce." Additionally, using Azure Key Vault for automated key rotation ensures that credentials are updated seamlessly across all connected services. Azure enables teams to tighten security posture without the fear of causing a self-inflicted outage.