diff --git a/.github/workflows/terraform-apply.yaml b/.github/workflows/terraform-apply.yaml
index b059069..589871e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/terraform-apply.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/terraform-apply.yaml
@@ -32,3 +32,4 @@ jobs:
       uses: dflook/terraform-apply@v1
       with:
         path: terraform
+        backend_config_file: prod.backend.tfvars
diff --git a/.github/workflows/terraform-plan.yaml b/.github/workflows/terraform-plan.yaml
index 0210fe6..d07aa0c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/terraform-plan.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/terraform-plan.yaml
@@ -32,3 +32,4 @@ jobs:
       uses: dflook/terraform-plan@v1
       with:
         path: terraform
+        backend_config_file: prod.backend.tfvars
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 0d16693..e09d516 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 # Ignore variables files
 *.auto.tfvars
 
+# Ignore local development variable file
+backend.tfvars
+
 # Ignore override files
 *.tfoverride
 
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index c00f328..cccc632 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ cd terraform
 - Next initilize the terraform configuration
 
 ```bash
-terraform init
+terraform init --backend-config=backend.tfvars
 ```
 
 - Then generate and run an execution plan
diff --git a/terraform/backend.tf b/terraform/backend.tf
index 84c8d63..b1bfb95 100644
--- a/terraform/backend.tf
+++ b/terraform/backend.tf
@@ -1,9 +1,4 @@
 terraform {
   backend "s3" {
-    bucket         = "hfla-ops-terraform-state"
-    key            = "devops-security/terraform.tfstate"
-    region         = "us-west-2"
-    dynamodb_table = "hfla_ops_terraform_table"
-    encrypt        = true
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/terraform/prod.backend.tfvars b/terraform/prod.backend.tfvars
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..995edf6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/terraform/prod.backend.tfvars
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+bucket         = "hfla-ops-terraform-state"
+key            = "devops-security/terraform.tfstate"
+region         = "us-west-2"
+dynamodb_table = "hfla_ops_terraform_table"
+encrypt        = true
\ No newline at end of file