diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-image.yml b/.github/workflows/build-image.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a4daac6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-image.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+    
+    - name: Azure Login 
+      uses: azure/login@v2
+      with :
+        creds: ${{ secrets.AZURE_CREDENTIALS }}
+
+    - name: Verify Azure Login
+      run: az account show
+
+    - name: Set up Packer
+      uses: hashicorp/setup-packer@v3
+    
+    - name: Packer Initialize 
+      run: packer init packer/ubuntu
+
+   
+    - name: Packer Build
+      run: packer build -var-file=packer/ubuntu/values.pkrvars.hcl packer/ubuntu
+
+    # - name: Upload Golden Image to Storage Account
+    #   run: |
+    #     # Get the image URI from Packer output
+    #     IMAGE_URI=$(packer build -machine-readable packer/ubuntu | grep 'artifact,0,id' | cut -d',' -f6)
+        
+    #     # Upload to Azure Storage Account
+    #     az storage blob upload \
+    #       --account-name ${{ secrets.STORAGE_ACCOUNT_NAME }} \
+    #       --container-name ${{ secrets.STORAGE_CONTAINER_NAME }} \
+    #       --name "golden-image-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).vhd" \
+    #       --file "$IMAGE_URI" \
+    #       --auth-mode login
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/validate.yml b/.github/workflows/validate.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..51ad17e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/validate.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+on: [pull_request]
+
+jobs:
+  validate: 
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+    - uses: hashicorp/setup-packer@v3
+    - run: packer validate packer/ubuntu
+    - run: ansible-lint ansible
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/configure.yml b/ansible/playbooks/configure.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..16ccae7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/configure.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+- name: Configure Azure Golden Image
+  hosts: all
+  become: yes
+  vars:
+    ansible_python_interpreter: /usr/bin/python3
+  roles:
+    - base 
+    - hardening
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/roles/base/defaults/main.yml b/ansible/playbooks/roles/base/defaults/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..923a571
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/roles/base/defaults/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+timezone: UTC
+
+base_packages:
+  - git
+  - curl
+  - wget
+  - apt-transport-https
+  - unzip
+  - net-tools
+  - ca-certificates
+  - gnupg
+  - software-properties-common
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/roles/base/handlers/main.yml b/ansible/playbooks/roles/base/handlers/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/roles/base/tasks/main.yml b/ansible/playbooks/roles/base/tasks/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..78643ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/roles/base/tasks/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+---
+
+- name: Set Timezone to UTC
+  command: timedatectl set-timezone {{ timezone | default('UTC') }}
+  args:
+    creates: "/etc/timezone"
+    
+- name: Update apt cache
+  apt:
+    update_cache: yes
+    cache_valid_time: 3600
+
+- name: Upgrade all packages 
+  apt:
+    upgrade: dist
+
+- name: Install base packages 
+  apt:
+    name: "{{ base_packages }}"
+    state: present 
+
+- name: Enable automatice security updates
+  apt:
+    name: unattended-upgrades
+    state: present
+
+- name: Configure unattended-upgrades
+  copy:
+    dest: /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/20auto-upgrades
+    content: |
+      APT::Periodic::Update-Package-Lists "1";
+      APT::Periodic::Unattended-Upgrade "1";
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/roles/hardening/defaults/main.yml b/ansible/playbooks/roles/hardening/defaults/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..20141a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/roles/hardening/defaults/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+ufw_enabled: true
+ufw_allow_ssh: true
+ufw_ssh_port: 22
+ufw_default_incoming: deny
+ufw_default_outgoing: allow
+ufw_allowed_ports: []
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/roles/hardening/handlers/main.yml b/ansible/playbooks/roles/hardening/handlers/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9c4c94c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/roles/hardening/handlers/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+- name: Restart SSH
+  service:
+    name: ssh
+    state: restarted
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/roles/hardening/tasks/enable.yml b/ansible/playbooks/roles/hardening/tasks/enable.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b915a60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/roles/hardening/tasks/enable.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+- name: Enable UFW safely
+  command: ufw --force enable
+  async: 30
+  poll: 0
+  when: ufw_enabled | default(true)
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/roles/hardening/tasks/install.yml b/ansible/playbooks/roles/hardening/tasks/install.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dd06297
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/roles/hardening/tasks/install.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+- name: Install UFW
+  apt:
+    name: ufw
+    state: present
+    update_cache: yes
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/roles/hardening/tasks/main.yml b/ansible/playbooks/roles/hardening/tasks/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a15e68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/roles/hardening/tasks/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+- import_tasks: install.yml
+- import_tasks: rules.yml
+- import_tasks: enable.yml
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/roles/hardening/tasks/rules.yml b/ansible/playbooks/roles/hardening/tasks/rules.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..32ff399
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/roles/hardening/tasks/rules.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+---
+# Allow SSH first to prevent lockout
+- name: Allow SSH
+  ufw:
+    rule: allow
+    port: "{{ ssh_port | default(22) }}"
+    proto: tcp
+
+# Optional extra ports (if defined in defaults/main.yml)
+- name: Allow additional ports
+  ufw:
+    rule: allow
+    port: "{{ item.port }}"
+    proto: "{{ item.proto | default('tcp') }}"
+  loop: "{{ ufw_allowed_ports | default([]) }}"
+  when: ufw_allowed_ports | length > 0
+
+# Set default incoming and outgoing policies
+- name: Set default incoming policy
+  ufw:
+    direction: incoming
+    policy: "{{ ufw_default_incoming | default('deny') }}"
+
+- name: Set default outgoing policy
+  ufw:
+    direction: outgoing
+    policy: "{{ ufw_default_outgoing | default('allow') }}"
diff --git a/packer/ubuntu/ubuntu.pkr.hcl b/packer/ubuntu/ubuntu.pkr.hcl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..22b8d08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packer/ubuntu/ubuntu.pkr.hcl
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+packer {
+  required_plugins {
+    azure = {
+      source  = "github.com/hashicorp/azure"
+      version = "~> 2.0"
+    }
+  }
+
+  required_plugins {
+    ansible = {
+      source  = "github.com/hashicorp/ansible"
+      version = "~> 1.0"
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+source "azure-arm" "ubuntu" {
+  use_azure_cli_auth = true
+
+  managed_image_resource_group_name = var.resource_group
+  managed_image_name       = "${var.image_name}-golden-${formatdate("DDMMMYY", timestamp())}"
+
+  os_type = var.os_type
+  image_publisher = "Canonical"
+  image_offer = "0001-com-ubuntu-server-jammy"
+  image_sku = var.image_sku
+
+  location = var.location
+  vm_size = "Standard_B1s"
+}
+
+build {
+  sources = ["sources.azure-arm.ubuntu"]
+
+  provisioner "ansible" {
+    playbook_file = "ansible/playbooks/configure.yml"
+    roles_path= "ansible/roles"
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packer/ubuntu/values.pkrvars.hcl b/packer/ubuntu/values.pkrvars.hcl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..92190ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packer/ubuntu/values.pkrvars.hcl
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+resource_group = "TResourceGroup"
+location= "West Europe"
+image_name="ubuntu-22_04-lts"
+os_type="Linux"
+image_sku="22_04-lts-gen2"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packer/ubuntu/variables.pkr.hcl b/packer/ubuntu/variables.pkr.hcl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..05b8f38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packer/ubuntu/variables.pkr.hcl
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+variable "image_name" {
+    default = "ubuntu-22_04-lts"
+}
+
+variable "location" {
+     default =  "West Europe"
+}
+
+variable "resource_group" {
+    default = "TResourceGroup"
+}
+
+variable "os_type" {
+    default = "Linux"
+}
+
+variable "image_sku" {
+    default = "22.04-lts"
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packer/ubuntu/version.json b/packer/ubuntu/version.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e920e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packer/ubuntu/version.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+    "os": "ubuntu-22.04",
+    "version": "1.0.0",
+    "build_date": "" ,
+    "git_commit": "" 
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/generate-metadata.sh b/scripts/generate-metadata.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e31530c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/generate-metadata.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+export VERSION=$(jq -r '.version' ../packer/ubuntu/version.json)
+export BUILD_DATE=$(date -u +"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")
+export GIT_COMMIT=$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)