AWS Security Best Practices

The AWS Simple Storage Service (S3) is a cloud service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) to store your data securely. You can access this service through your IAM role or root user account. In this article, we’ll see different security measures to protect your data from fraudulent access using AWS Security Best Practices. Please note that, due to the extensive nature of security practices, we’ll cover a selection of key measures in this article.

Implementing Access Control

Principle of Least Privilege

• The principle of least privilege states a concept of security that advises granting users a minimum level of permissions and access to resources.
• By adhering to this principle, one can limit the risk of potentially compromised accounts and unauthorized access.
• This entails carefully defining and assigning permissions and access to users, roles, and groups depending on the task they are required to perform without providing any additional authorization over any resource.

Utilizing AWS IAM for user access management

• Identity Access Management (IAM) is a service provided by AWS that helps in centralised control and access management to users through IAM users, groups and roles.
• Admin can create custom IAM policies or select from the existing IAM policies which can be attached to particular users, groups or roles thus implementing the principle of least privilege.
• Using IAM user instead of the root user to perform all actions on the AWS is advisable unless any service is accessible only to the root user.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

AWS MFA

• Multi-Factor Authentication is an extra layer of access on top of the username and the password for an IAM user.
• With MFA enabled, users are require to authenticate their identity by providing an extra input, typically a time based one time passcode which can be generated via virtual devices, hardware or a software token.
• Admin can enable MFA for individual IAM users or to perform specific operations or actions.
• IAM service supports MFA for both console and API access providing enhanced security.

Logging and Monitoring

AWS Logging and Monitoring

AWS CloudTrail

• AWS CloudTrail logs every API call made on your AWS account.
• Analysing these logs will help in detecting potential malicious activities and unauthorised attempts on your account.
• CloudTrail logs can be configured to deliver the logs to AWS S3 for secure retention.
• Implement log file integrity to secure the logs.

AWS Config

• AWS Config can be used to record configurations and it’s change over time.
• Compliance rules can be defined to evaluate resource configuration against complaint standards.
• Automatic alerts can be configured to notify if there are any changes.
• AWS Config is set per region but can be aggregated across regions and accounts.
• The configuration data can be stored into S3 which is analysed by Athena.
• AWS Lambda can be configured for automated remediation of non-complaint resources.

Amazon CloudWatch

• AWS CloudWatch provides real-time monitoring for AWS resources.
• CloudWatch provides you with below key features:
  • Logs monitoring: Monitor store, search from AWS logs.
  • Metrics monitoring: Collect and track metrics from different AWS services.
  • Dashboard: Create custom dashboard to visualise data by filtering metrics.
• Setting up alarms and notifications for security incidents
  • Configure alarms based on predefined threshold based on specific metric to identify any potential security breach.
  • On reaching the threshold, AWS SNS, SES can be triggered to send notification to the team allowing them to respond promptly on the issue.

Data Encryption

Encrypting Data in Transit

SSL/TLS Encryption in Transit

• TLS and SSL are widely used in AWS to encrypt data during transmission, ensuring secure communication between clients and AWS services.
• This encryption process guarantees that data is encrypted before leaving the client’s environment and decrypted upon arrival at the intended AWS service.
• Encrypting data in transit with TLS/SSL helps AWS customers minimize the risk of interception and tampering by unauthorized parties, thereby protecting the confidentiality and integrity of their data.

Encrypting Data at Rest

Encrypting Data at Rest

• Data is encrypted on the server to keep it secure.
• Before sending, data is encrypted using a special key managed by the user.
• Users must manage these keys properly so the server can decrypt the data when needed.

Client side encryption

Client side encryption

• Users have the option to encrypt data before uploading it to any AWS service through client-side encryption.
• In this process, users retain control over the encryption keys responsible for encrypting and decrypting data before it is transmitted to or from AWS services.

Network Security

Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)

• Use separate VPCs for different environments (like development, testing, and production) to keep resources isolated and minimise potential security issues.
• Connect VPCs securely using VPC peering or AWS Direct Connect for communication between them or with on-premises networks.
• Split your VPC into subnets based on security needs and the type of resources they contain.
• Keep sensitive resources like databases or internal applications in private subnets to block internet access.
• For resources that need internet connectivity, like web servers, use public subnets, but apply access controls to limit who can reach them.

Network Access Control Lists (ACLs) and Security Groups

• Use Network ACLs to control traffic in and out of subnets based on IP addresses, ports, and protocols.
• Only allow necessary traffic and block everything else by default.
• Regularly review and adjust ACL rules to match security needs.
• Use Security Groups to manage traffic for individual instances based on their roles.
• Give each instance only the permissions it needs to do its job.
• Keep security group rules updated as security needs change to reduce risks.

Patch Management

Importance of Regular Patching

• Make sure to regularly patch your systems to reduce vulnerabilities and security risks.
• Use automated patch management with AWS services to ensure updates happen on time.

AWS Inspector

AWS inspector

• Utilise AWS Inspector to examine unintended network accessibility and assess operating systems for known vulnerabilities.
• Evaluate container images for vulnerabilities upon their upload.
• Use AWS Inspector to identify software vulnerabilities in function code and package dependencies, and assess access functions during deployment.
• Integrate AWS Inspector with AWS Security Hub and send findings to EventBridge.
• Leverage AWS Inspector’s findings to prioritize and address security issues for enhanced protection.

Backup and Disaster Recovery

AWS Backup

Data Backup Strategies

• AWS Backup is a fully managed central service which can be used to manage and automate backups across AWS services. There is no need to create custom scripts or manual processes.
• Set up lifecycle policies known as Backup plan based on below aspects.
  • Backup frequency: 12 hours, daily, weekly, monthly, cron expressions.
  • Backup window
  • Transition to cold storage: Never, Days, Weeks, Months, Years
  • Retention period: Always, Days, Weeks, Months, Years
• AWS Backup supports services including EC2/EBS, S3, RDS, DynamoDB, Aurora, DocumentDB/Neptune, EFS and Amazon Storage Gateway.

Disaster Recovery Planning

• Set up replication and failover systems to keep your services running if something goes wrong.
• Use AWS services to automate recovery processes, minimising downtime and keeping your data safe.
• Disaster Recovery approaches:
  • Backup and Restore: This is like making a copy of your data and putting it somewhere safe. If something bad happens, you can bring your system back to life using that copy.Imagine it’s like taking a photo of your important documents. If the originals get lost or damaged, you still have the photo to use.
  • Pilot Light: This is a bit like having a small flame always burning. It’s not doing much, but it’s ready to quickly light up the whole system if needed. Think of it as having the essential parts of your system ready to go. When a disaster strikes, you just need to add fuel to the fire to get everything running smoothly again.
  • Warm Standby: In this setup, you have a partially active backup system ready to take over if the main system fails. It’s not as quick as Pilot Light, but it’s faster than starting from scratch. It’s like having a backup car that’s almost ready to go. You just need to warm up the engine a bit before you can drive it.
  • Multi-site active: This is like having two or more fully working systems running at the same time in different locations. If one system goes down, the other one can immediately take over without any interruption. It’s similar to having duplicate keys for your house. If you lose one set, you can still get into your house using the spare key.

User Education and Training

Enhancing user awareness of security risks.

• Teach everyone using AWS about security risks like scams and weak passwords.
• Encourage them to report any suspicious activities.
• By knowing the risks, they can better protect themselves and the organization.

Training programs and resources offered by AWS.

• Use AWS training to learn about security features.
• AWS provides online courses and workshops.
• Get certified to improve security skills.
• With AWS resources, users can understand security better and keep AWS environments safe.

Conclusion

• Implementing Access Control: Use IAM to manage user permissions and restrict access to resources.
• Logging and Monitoring: Set up logging with AWS CloudTrail for proactive threat detection.
• Data Encryption: Encrypt data with TLS/SSL and client side encryption methods.
• Regular Patching: Ensure systems are regularly updated to mitigate vulnerabilities.
• Network Security: Use VPCs, security groups, and ACLs to control access and protect data.
• Data Encryption: Encrypt data in transit and at rest using TLS/SSL and AWS KMS.
• Backup and Disaster Recovery: Utilise Amazon S3 for backups and establish disaster recovery mechanisms.
• Security Awareness: Educate users about security risks and leverage AWS training resources.

AWS Security – FAQ’s

What is biggest threat to security on cloud?

Human errors: Using weak passwords and falling into scams is a common issue that puts cloud security at risk.

What is a backup plan?

A backup plan is a policy expression that defines when and how you want to back up your AWS resources

Can I use AWS DRS to recover from a ransomware event?

Yes you can prepare for ransomware event by using point-in-time recovery.

What can I do with AWS Secrets Manager?

You can store and retrieve your environment variables and credentials securely under AWS Secrets Manager