Systems administration can be a difficult task, when given a large number of systems to maintain and keep secure. A security-minded administrator would need to have an eidetic memory or a list to keep track of all the log in credentials for those machines, but wait a list is a bad idea. Ensuring that they have the correct packages on them, and that a breach has not occurred and trusted configs have not been changed can be a job in and of itself. Amazingly enough, with some effort, and a little bit of some ‘seasoning’ some of these headaches can be remedied and a solution arrived at. Every chef knows that with just the right amount of ‘Salt’ a meal can be made right. This talk will discuss the use of Salt-Stack as a tool for systems administrators to improve their security posture and maintain those critical systems with fewer headaches going forward. Setup and operation of Salt-Stack will be discussed as well as some of the latest advances in Salt-Stack that do not require a Salt Minion on the receiving end. Just as Sodium helps the body retain fluids, let’s discuss how Salt-Stack might help retain IP.