The Challenge
Federal agencies face a persistent bottleneck: Infrastructure code is typically developed for functionality first, then retrofitted for security compliance during the Authority to Operate (ATO) process.
This reactive approach can create delays, rework, and inconsistencies across projects—often adding months to deployment timelines.
A Potential Solution
What if infrastructure code was NIST-compliant from the start?
ATLAS uses AI coding assistants to generate Terraform infrastructure code with security controls and compliance documentation baked-in from day one—shifting compliance left in the development process.
How It Works
ATLAS creates specialized guidance documents that AI assistants (Claude, GitHub Copilot, etc.) read before generating infrastructure code. These documents encode:
- NIST 800-53 control implementation patterns
- Secure baseline configurations for common resources
- Documentation requirements for ATO artifacts
- Organizational standards and approved architectures
When developers request infrastructure code, the AI generates Terraform that's both functional and ATO-ready—complete with control mappings, security configurations, and compliance annotations.
ATLAS is designed to complement, not replace, existing compliance tooling. Policy-as-code validation tools like Open Policy Agent (OPA) and HashiCorp Sentinel remain essential components of a comprehensive compliance strategy. ATLAS shifts security left by generating compliant code from the start, while validation tools provide the safety net to catch configuration drift and enforce organizational policies. Together, they create a defense-in-depth approach to infrastructure compliance.
Best of all, this approach enables the rapid development of artifacts outlining control implementation that can be used to accelerate the ATO process.
Expected Benefits
🚀 Faster ATOs
Reduction in ATO preparation time by generating compliant code from the start
🛡️ Better Security
Consistent security patterns across all projects with controls embedded by default
📝 Auto Documentation
Compliance artifacts generated automatically from infrastructure code, not maintained separately
👥 Team Collaboration
Reduced friction between development and security teams through shared patterns
📚 Knowledge Sharing
NIST compliance expertise encoded in easy to use files and accessible to all developers
🔄 Living Compliance
Documentation stays current as infrastructure evolves through code develeopment
See It In Action
Try the interactive demo that walks you through generating NIST-compliant cloud infrastructure for a containerized application using local Kubernetes and simulated AWS services.
What you'll do:
- Use an AI assistant of your choice to generate secure S3 buckets, PostgreSQL databases, and Kubernetes deployments
- See NIST 800-53 controls embedded in infrastructure code
- Automatically generate compliance documentation from the code
- Deploy everything locally on your laptop in ~1 hour
Get Started
Explore the proposal, try the demo, or dive into the code
Implementation Approaches
ATLAS offers flexible implementation options to fit different organizational needs:
Option 1: AGENTS.md Files
Repository-specific markdown files that AI assistants automatically read. Perfect for project-specific requirements and easy to version control alongside infrastructure code.
Option 2: Claude Skill Architecture
Formal skills with comprehensive NIST-Terraform guidance that work across all interactions. Ideal for organizations seeking centralized, authoritative patterns.
Option 3: Hybrid Multi-Layered System
Combines organization-level base skills with project-level customizations, balancing standardization with flexibility for diverse projects.