A system for ensuring an application conforms with security and regulatory controls prior to deployment comprising: at least one processor; at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one memory having stored therein instructions which when executed by any set of the one or more processors, perform a process for ensuring the application conforms with the security and regulatory controls prior to deployment, the process for ensuring the application conforms with the security and regulatory controls prior to deployment including: defining one or more virtual asset security policies to be applied to the creation and instantiation of virtual assets to be used in a cloud computing environment; generating virtual asset security compliance data representing instructions for ensuring compliance with the one or more virtual asset security policies; defining one or more application deployment security policies associated with the deployment and operational coupling and interconnectivity of virtual assets used to implement the application in the cloud computing environment; generating application deployment security compliance data representing instructions for ensuring compliance with the one or more application deployment security policies; using the virtual asset security compliance data to ensure each virtual asset used to implement the application is generated and instantiated in compliance with the one or more virtual asset security policies; and using the application deployment security compliance data to ensure that each virtual asset used to implement the application is deployed in compliance with the one or more application deployment security policies. at least one processor; at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one memory having stored therein instructions which when executed by any set of the one or more processors, perform a process for ensuring the application conforms with the security and regulatory controls prior to deployment, the process for ensuring the application conforms with the security and regulatory controls prior to deployment including: defining one or more virtual asset security policies to be applied to the creation and instantiation of virtual assets to be used in a cloud computing environment; generating virtual asset security compliance data representing instructions for ensuring compliance with the one or more virtual asset security policies; defining one or more application deployment security policies associated with the deployment and operational coupling and interconnectivity of virtual assets used to implement the application in the cloud computing environment; generating application deployment security compliance data representing instructions for ensuring compliance with the one or more application deployment security policies; using the virtual asset security compliance data to ensure each virtual asset used to implement the application is generated and instantiated in compliance with the one or more virtual asset security policies; and using the application deployment security compliance data to ensure that each virtual asset used to implement the application is deployed in compliance with the one or more application deployment security policies. defining one or more virtual asset security policies to be applied to the creation and instantiation of virtual assets to be used in a cloud computing environment; generating virtual asset security compliance data representing instructions for ensuring compliance with the one or more virtual asset security policies; defining one or more application deployment security policies associated with the deployment and operational coupling and interconnectivity of virtual assets used to implement the application in the cloud computing environment; generating application deployment security compliance data representing instructions for ensuring compliance with the one or more application deployment security policies; using the virtual asset security compliance data to ensure each virtual asset used to implement the application is generated and instantiated in compliance with the one or more virtual asset security policies; and using the application deployment security compliance data to ensure that each virtual asset used to implement the application is deployed in compliance with the one or more application deployment security policies.