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plan(WARDEN-WP-0015): rescope to two-axis Workload Security Posture

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Folds the workload-maturity axis into WP-0015. The model is now two
orthogonal axes — environment posture (dev/test/prod, how the secret
store is secured) and workload maturity (M0-M3, how trusted a workload
is to receive secrets/classified data) — unified by a secret-flow
lattice (deliver only if posture==prod AND workload.maturity >=
secret.required_maturity). "Critical secrets must not flow to workloads
below maturity M" is the no-write-down case.

Layering: generic WorkloadMaturityLevel + lattice → info-tech-canon
(reusing its DataClassification / DevSecOps gates / Security criticality
/ CARING); NetKingdom M0-M3 requirements → net-kingdom canon. ops-warden
authors + checks conformance, not enforcement. Still proposed.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
This commit is contained in:
Bernd Worsch
2026-06-27 18:00:50 +02:00
parent 091ab1fa65
commit f787e09a1b
1 changed files with 113 additions and 71 deletions
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workplans/WARDEN-WP-0015-secret-lifecycle-tiering.md
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@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
---
id: WARDEN-WP-0015
type: workplan
title: "Secret Lifecycle Tiering — policy + conformance stewardship"
title: "Workload Security Posture — env posture × maturity + conformance"
domain: infotech
repo: ops-warden
status: proposed
@@ -14,74 +14,107 @@ updated: "2026-06-27"
state_hub_workstream_id: "99f4a0e1-853c-456f-8aa7-8ff0f318ea65"
---
# WARDEN-WP-0015 — Secret Lifecycle Tiering (policy + conformance)
# WARDEN-WP-0015 — Workload Security Posture (two-axis) + conformance
**Scope:** Establish a NetKingdom standard for how secrets are managed across the
**dev → test → prod** lifecycle, and make ops-warden the **conformance steward** for it.
The standard defines three credential-posture tiers with identical *contracts* and
deliberately divergent *security posture*, plus the phase-change ceremonies between
them. ops-warden authors the ops-security slice of the standard, ships
machine-readable tier descriptors and a conformance checker, and provides a dev-tier
**contract-double** fixture library (the generalization of the "fake bao" pattern).
**Scope:** Establish a NetKingdom standard for IT-security posture across **two
orthogonal axes**, and make ops-warden the **conformance steward** for it:
- **Axis A — Environment posture** (`dev → test → prod`): how the *secret store* is
secured (mock / OpenBao `-dev` / sealed). Identical contracts, divergent posture.
- **Axis B — Workload maturity** (`M0 → M3`): how *trusted* a workload is to receive
secrets and handle classified data (PoC → alpha/early-access → beta/GA → critical).
The axes combine in a **secret-flow lattice**: a secret may be delivered to a workload
only if the workload's posture *and* maturity meet the secret's requirements. ops-warden
authors the ops-security slice, ships machine-readable descriptors + a conformance
checker (incl. the lattice check), and the dev-tier **contract-double** fixture library
(the "fake bao" pattern generalized).
**Decisions locked (2026-06-27):**
- Authoritative standard lives in **net-kingdom canon** (`docs/`), next to
`openbao-unseal-custody-models.md` and `responsibility-map.md`. ops-warden authors
the ops-security slice and carries a pointer + conformance tooling.
- ops-warden role = **author + conformance checks** (machine-readable descriptors,
drift/conformance checkers, dev-tier doubles). **Not** runtime enforcement.
- Two-axis model folded into this WP (was "Secret Lifecycle Tiering", env posture only).
- Authoritative **NetKingdom requirements** (M0–M3 table, secret-flow gates, env-posture
ceremonies) live in **net-kingdom canon**; the **generic `WorkloadMaturityLevel`
concept + lattice** is contributed to **info-tech-canon** (DevSecOps/Landscape),
reusing its governed `DataClassification`. ops-warden authors the ops-security slice +
conformance tooling.
- ops-warden role = **author + conformance checks**, **not** runtime enforcement.
**Reuse, don't reinvent (info-tech-canon already defines the primitives):**
`DataClassification` (`confidential`/`restricted`…) in the Data Model; promotion /
quality gates / policy gates / `DeploymentVerification` + progressive delivery in the
DevSecOps Model; asset/business **criticality** in the Security Model; access semantics
in the CARING Access Governance Standard. This WP **assembles** these into a named
maturity ladder + flow rule; it does not fork them.
**Hard boundary (responsibility-map, ~line 154):** ops-warden "must not become a
universal secret broker — runtime secrets remain OpenBao; authorization remains
flex-auth." This WP keeps ops-warden as policy author + conformance verifier only.
OpenBao holds the secrets; flex-auth makes allow/deny decisions.
flex-auth." ops-warden = policy author + conformance verifier only. OpenBao holds the
secrets; flex-auth makes allow/deny decisions; CARING governs access semantics.
**Cross-repo note:** T1 authors content destined for **net-kingdom** canon. ops-warden
drafts it; landing it in net-kingdom is a coordinated change through net-kingdom's own
process (inbox/PR), not a unilateral write from this repo.
**Cross-repo note:** T1/T5 author content destined for **net-kingdom** and
**info-tech-canon**. ops-warden drafts; landing it is coordinated through each repo's
own process (inbox/PR), not a unilateral write from here.
**Depends on / relates to:** WARDEN-WP-0014 (the `warden access` proxy is the tier-aware
fetch surface; its caller-identity/transit guardrails are tier-prod-compatible).
**Depends on / relates to:** WARDEN-WP-0014 (the `warden access` proxy is the
posture-aware fetch surface; its caller-identity/transit guardrails are prod-compatible).
**Status:** `proposed` — awaiting Bernd's review before implementation.
---
## The model (refined, to be encoded by this WP)
## The model (to be encoded by this WP)
**R1 — Contract parity, posture divergence.** The interface is identical at every
tier; only the backend's security posture changes. Automation written once runs at all
three tiers unchanged. (This is why contract doubles work.)
### Axis A — Environment posture (the secret store)
**R1 — Contract parity, posture divergence.** Identical interface at every tier; only
the backend's security posture changes. Automation written once runs at all tiers
unchanged (this is why contract doubles work).
**R2 — Promote topology, regenerate material.** Secret *values* are never promoted up
the ladder. Only the *structure* (paths, policy shape, names, the secret tree) is
promoted; values are generated fresh at each tier. Test conveniences (reuse,
single-unseal) are quarantined in test by construction.
**R3 — Dev touches no real data, ever.** An insecure personal mock store in dev is
sanctioned *iff* dev uses only synthetic/fixture data. Absolute invariant.
the ladder; only *structure* (paths, policy shape, names). Values are generated fresh
per tier. Test conveniences (reuse, single-unseal) are quarantined in test.
**R3 — Dev touches no real data, ever.** Insecure personal mock store is sanctioned
*iff* dev uses only synthetic data. Absolute.
**R4 — Phase-changes are ceremonies, not copies.** test→prod is a gated checklist
(regenerate secrets, switch unseal model, enable break-glass, human sign-off),
referencing the existing net-kingdom `security-bootstrap-*` and unseal-custody docs —
not duplicating them.
**Tier descriptor matrix (encoded in registry/policy):**
referencing net-kingdom `security-bootstrap-*` / unseal-custody docs.
| | dev | test | prod |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| backend | mock / contract double | OpenBao `-dev` (single-unseal) | OpenBao sealed (Shamir 3-of-5) |
| real values | forbidden (synthetic) | generated, reuse allowed | generated fresh, reuse forbidden |
| unseal | n/a | single key / auto | 3-of-5 + break-glass |
| human-in-loop | never | never | required (break-glass) |
| real user/business data | never | never | allowed |
| audit | optional | on | full, tamper-evident |
### Axis B — Workload maturity (the trust to receive secrets/data)
**Production is a posture, not a maturity.** A workload can be prod-posture yet low
maturity (alpha with friendly customers). Maturity gates *which secrets and data
classes* a prod workload may touch.
| Level | Phase | Max DataClassification | Promotion gate (reuses DevSecOps gates) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **M0** | Experimental / PoC | synthetic only | — |
| **M1** | Alpha / early-access | low-criticality, loss-acceptable; no confidential/restricted | friendly-customer scope, basic SLO, data-handling note |
| **M2** | Beta / GA | up to `confidential`; SLOs; audited | security review, SLO history, on-call, incident runbooks |
| **M3** | Critical / regulated | `restricted`; break-glass; compliance | pen-test, 3-of-5 custody, human-in-loop, compliance audit |
### The combined rule (secret-flow lattice)
```
deliver(secret → workload) permitted only if
workload.env_posture == prod # Axis A
AND workload.maturity >= secret.required_maturity # Axis B (no-write-down)
AND workload.maturity >= required_maturity(dataclass(secret))
```
"Critical secrets must not be transferred to workloads below maturity M" is exactly
this no-write-down constraint. Checkable by ops-warden; enforceable by flex-auth.
---
## Tasks
### T1 — Author the Secret Lifecycle Tiering standard (canon-bound)
### T1 — Author the two-axis Workload Security Posture standard (canon-bound)
```task
id: WARDEN-WP-0015-T01
@@ -90,14 +123,18 @@ priority: high
state_hub_task_id: "85aeb676-a593-4056-986a-db14d4c5209f"
```
- [ ] Draft `secret-lifecycle-tiering.md` (R1–R4 + tier matrix + phase-change gates),
cross-linking `openbao-unseal-custody-models.md`, `responsibility-map.md`,
`platform-root-custody.md`, and the `security-bootstrap-*` ceremony series.
- [ ] Stage the draft in ops-warden (`history/` or `wiki/`) and open a coordination
request to **net-kingdom** to land it as authoritative canon (cross-repo).
- [ ] Encode ops-warden's role explicitly: author + conformance, not enforcement/custody.
- [ ] Draft the standard: Axis A (R1–R4 + env-posture matrix + phase-change ceremonies)
and Axis B (M0–M3 ladder + promotion gates) unified by the secret-flow lattice.
- [ ] Layer it: generic `WorkloadMaturityLevel` + lattice → **info-tech-canon**
contribution (DevSecOps/Landscape, reusing `DataClassification`); NetKingdom M0–M3
security requirements + env-posture ceremonies → **net-kingdom canon**.
- [ ] Cross-link `openbao-unseal-custody-models.md`, `responsibility-map.md`,
`platform-root-custody.md`, `security-bootstrap-*`, and the info-tech-canon
Security / DevSecOps / Data / CARING models. Stage drafts in ops-warden; open
coordination requests to net-kingdom and info-tech-canon to land them.
- [ ] Encode ops-warden's role: author + conformance, not enforcement/custody.
### T2 — Machine-readable tier descriptors
### T2 — Machine-readable posture descriptors (both axes)
```task
id: WARDEN-WP-0015-T02
@@ -106,12 +143,13 @@ priority: high
state_hub_task_id: "011fb0af-154d-40f4-a03e-3172c325321a"
```
- [ ] `registry/policy/secret-lifecycle-tiers.yaml` — the tier matrix as data
(backend, value-policy, unseal model, human-in-loop, data-class, audit-level).
- [ ] `registry/policy/security-posture.yaml` — env-posture tiers (backend, value-policy,
unseal, data-class, audit) **and** maturity levels (M0–M3, max DataClassification,
promotion-gate criteria), plus per-secret `required_maturity` tagging convention.
- [ ] Loader + validation (mirror `routing/catalog.py` rigor; no secret material).
- [ ] Optional `warden policy show|list` lookup (mirrors `warden route`).
### T3 — Conformance checker
### T3 — Conformance checker (incl. secret-flow lattice)
```task
id: WARDEN-WP-0015-T03
@@ -120,11 +158,11 @@ priority: high
state_hub_task_id: "c1a0e987-19d0-478e-ac08-2dbe98e64e09"
```
- [ ] `scripts/check_secret_tier_conformance.py` — given a tier + an environment
descriptor, assert posture matches the standard (e.g. prod must be sealed +
Shamir; dev must have no real-value paths). Drift-style report, like
`check_principals_drift.py`. Read-only; operator runs it.
- [ ] Surface conformance status; never read or print a secret value.
- [ ] `scripts/check_secret_posture_conformance.py` — assert env-posture matches the
standard (prod sealed + Shamir; dev no real-value paths) **and** evaluate the
lattice: flag any secret whose `required_maturity` exceeds a target workload's
maturity. Drift-style report, like `check_principals_drift.py`. Read-only.
- [ ] Surface conformance + lattice violations; never read or print a secret value.
### T4 — Dev-tier contract-double fixture library
@@ -135,12 +173,12 @@ priority: medium
state_hub_task_id: "e556fd2e-4e39-4c7d-bd94-b4330e4bef45"
```
- [ ] Generalize "fake bao": ship hermetic dev-tier doubles for routed subsystems
(bao, key-cape login) honoring each contract (argv/stdout/exit) with synthetic
values only — enabling fully offline dev/test of access flows.
- [ ] Generalize "fake bao": hermetic dev-tier doubles for routed subsystems (bao,
key-cape login) honoring each contract (argv/stdout/exit) with synthetic values
only — fully offline dev/test of access flows.
- [ ] Document the pattern in the standard (R1) as the sanctioned dev backend.
### T5 — INTENT/SCOPE alignment
### T5 — INTENT/SCOPE alignment + canon contributions
```task
id: WARDEN-WP-0015-T05
@@ -149,30 +187,34 @@ priority: medium
state_hub_task_id: "298c9b09-4a5a-41bf-a3bd-6c572385236b"
```
- [ ] Update `INTENT.md`: ops-warden stewards **security-policy conformance** of the
infrastructure (authoring the ops-security tiering standard + conformance checks +
dev doubles), scoped explicitly to author+check — **not** enforcement or custody.
- [ ] SCOPE: add the tiering policy + conformance surface; note the net-kingdom canon
home; bump the maturity vector where warranted.
- [ ] `history/2026-06-27-secret-lifecycle-tiering-charter.md` — decision record.
- [ ] `INTENT.md`: ops-warden stewards **security-policy conformance** of the
infrastructure (authoring the two-axis posture standard + conformance checks + dev
doubles), scoped to author+check — **not** enforcement or custody.
- [ ] SCOPE: add the posture policy + conformance surface; note the net-kingdom /
info-tech-canon homes; bump the maturity vector where warranted.
- [ ] Track the info-tech-canon contribution (generic `WorkloadMaturityLevel`) and the
net-kingdom requirements landing to closure.
- [ ] `history/2026-06-27-workload-security-posture-charter.md` — decision record.
---
## Acceptance
- A coherent dev→test→prod standard exists in net-kingdom canon (R1–R4 + tier matrix +
phase-change ceremonies), authored by ops-warden, landed via net-kingdom coordination.
- ops-warden ships tier descriptors + a read-only conformance checker + dev-tier doubles.
- A coherent two-axis standard exists: generic concept in info-tech-canon, NetKingdom
M0–M3 + env-posture requirements in net-kingdom canon, authored by ops-warden.
- ops-warden ships posture descriptors + a read-only conformance checker (incl. the
secret-flow lattice) + dev-tier doubles.
- No secret material in any descriptor, checker, fixture, doc, or log.
- ops-warden's role is documented as author+conformance; OpenBao custody and flex-auth
authorization boundaries are explicitly preserved (responsibility-map honored).
- ops-warden's role is documented as author+conformance; OpenBao custody, flex-auth
authorization, and CARING access boundaries are explicitly preserved.
- INTENT/SCOPE reflect the conformance-steward role without overclaiming enforcement.
---
## See also
- `WARDEN-WP-0014` (operator access assist; the tier-aware fetch surface)
- `WARDEN-WP-0014` (operator access assist; the posture-aware fetch surface)
- `net-kingdom/docs/openbao-unseal-custody-models.md`, `responsibility-map.md`,
`platform-root-custody.md`, `security-bootstrap-*`
- `flex-auth` (runtime-enforceable tier rules, if any, as a follow-up)
- `info-tech-canon` Security / DevSecOps / Data Models + CARING Access Governance
- `flex-auth` (runtime enforcement of the lattice, as a follow-up)