Top 10 AWS Mistakes
Common Mistakes Made By AWS Customers
A Cloud Guru has a great resource that helps you understand mistakes that you might be making in AWS. We’ll provide an outline of it, but read more about the Top 10 Mistakes Companies Make Managing AWS Resources here.
- Too Many Powerful Users
- Not Prioritizing Training and Certification
- Running Anything as Root
- Not Using AWS CloudTrail
- Leaving Connections Wide Open
- Not Taking Advantage of CloudWatch Alarms
- Overestimating AWS Responsibility and Support
- Not Using Auto Scaling
- Ignoring Trusted Advisor
- Not Using Spot Instances
Are you making these mistakes? Let’s create a strategy to start fixing them today!
Transcription
Recently, I saw a post from A Cloud Guru. They are a well-known training organization that helps people prepare for AWS certifications, among lots of other things, and this post was about the top ten mistakes AWS users make in managing their environment. Number one was too many users with permissions they don’t need. This is a perennial issue whenever we create a new user and give them access that really isn’t justified or necessary. We open ourselves up to security events that aren’t necessary if we just limited the permission to begin with. Number two was not prioritizing training. So many of our clients have implemented new cloud infrastructure and they’ve taken on new capabilities, but they haven’t invested the time and resources into preparing their staff for understanding how to use all these new capabilities. Training is certainly very important. Running anything as “root” – you should never use the “root” account except in emergency break glass situations. Not using AWS CloudTrail was number four. Leaving connections wide open was number five. We find this a lot. There will be security groups set up where access is allowed from 0.0.0.0 and anyone can get access to this service across this port from anywhere in the world, rather than thinking about how to restrict that traffic to people that should be whitelisted to have access. Not taking advantage of CloudWatch alarms; this is always a very difficult thing to set up. You have to think through what types of alarms you want to get, the reason behind that, and configure your system accordingly. So it takes a lot of time and effort, but it’s definitely a mistake when we don’t take the time to set up those CloudWatch alarms. Overestimating AWS responsibility and support. This is a typical response that we get from a lot of clients. We ask about different security capabilities and configurations and the response that we get is, “Oh, AWS handles that.” When the answer is, if you look at the Shared Responsibility Model and the configuration standards that they publish, it is not their responsibility. It’s yours. Taking responsibility of that and understanding who is responsible is very important. Not using Auto Scaling was on their list, ignoring Trusted Advisor, and not using Spot Instances (which is a cost containment method to use there). A great list from A Cloud Guru and I would ask you to think about this list and ask yourself, “Are we doing any of these top mistakes that they’ve identified?” We’d love to answer any questions that you may have about any of these on the list. Contact us here at KirkpatrickPrice today.
Related Videos
A Typical Journey with Risk
AWS Controls for Implementing a DMZ
AWS Firewall Manager Centralized Logging
AWS Functions to Restrict Database Access
AWS Incident Response Playbook
AWS Incident Response Playbook for Credential compromise
AWS Incident Response Playbook for Ransomware
AWS Incident Response Playbook for S3 Buckets
AWS Password Best Practices
AWS Password Expiration Policies
AWS Password Reuse Policy
AWS Tools for Your SDLC
AWS Web Application Firewall Defaults
Access Control Using IAM Instance Roles
Achieving High Availability in AWS
Antivirus Solutions on EC2 Instances
Assign Access Based on Business Need to Know
Assigning Information Security Management Responsibility
Attaching IAM Policies to Groups or Roles
Attributes of Log Data
Audit Trail Review with Kibana, Athena, and GuardDuty
Audit Your Security Groups for Insecure Ports and Protocols
Avoid Use of the Root Account
BMIs Culture of Security
Basic Tools for AWS Security
Basics of Role Assumption
Best Practices for Change Management in AWS
Best Practices for Container Security
Best Practices for Password Parameters
Building a Cyber-Resilient Culture
Business Environment
Change-Detection Solutions in AWS
Clients Benefit from BMI's Security Controls
Cloud Attacks on the Rise
CloudTrail and CloudWatch Integration
Concerned About the ISO 27001 Revisions? Don't Be!
Configuring Network Border Controls
Connect Your AWS Account Using CloudFormation
Create an Assessment Together
Creating Unity Through Risk Assessment
Creating a Compliant Incident Response Plan
Creating a Data Flow Diagram
Creating a Network Diagram
Cyber Threat Intelligence
Define Acceptable Use of Technology Part 1
Define a Password Reset Procedure to Authenticate Requests
Define the Boundaries of Your Systems
Defining Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
Defining Resources in IAM Policies
Defining Resources in S3 Bucket Policies
Defining Roles and Responsibilities in AWS
Deploying Security Patches on EC2 Instances
Developing a Process for User Authentication
Disabling Insecure Ports and Protocols
Disabling Unused Credentials
Do All Keys Have Resources Attached?
Documenting a Systems Inventory in AWS
Does AWS Provide Vendor Defaults?
Does Zero Risk Exist
Don't Discount Likelihood
EC2 Instances in Availability Zones
Enable Maintenance and Backups for RDS
Enabling AWS Config in All Regions
Enabling CloudTrail Log File Validation
Enabling CloudTrail in All Regions
Enabling MFA for All IAM Users
Encrypting Traffic In and Out of AWS
Encryption Decisions for Your Technology Stack
Encryption Opportunities
Encryption for EBS Volumes
Encryption for S3 Buckets
Enforce Separation with Access Controls
Enforcing Strong Encryption in AWS
Enforcing Strong TLS Ciphers
Ensure ALBs Have WAF ACLs Attached
Ensure RDS Instances are Only Accessible by Internal IPs
Ensuring Role Assumption is Logged
Events that Drive Key Rotation
FAQs for Amazon S3 Security
Filters and Alarms in CloudWatch
GuardDuty Alerts for Control Failures
HIPAA Risk Analysis
HIPAA Safe Harbor
House Accounts in CloudTrail
How To Build Workforce Awareness Around Incident Response
How To Govern the Use of Mobile Devices
How to Attach IAM Policies to Groups or Roles
How to Check MFA in a Credential Report
How to Check Use of the Root Account
How to Configure Encryption for EBS Volumes on Existing EC2 Instances
How to Configure Encryption for EBS Volumes on New EC2 Instances
How to Configure Encryption for RDS
How to Configure Encryption for S3 Buckets
How to Edit Inbound Traffic Rules for Default Security Groups
How to Find Administrative Privileges in IAM Policies
How to House Multiple Accounts Within an AWS Organization
How to Modify Password Complexity in a Password Policy
How to Modify Permissions to EBS Snapshots
How to Prevent Password Reuse in a Password Policy
How to Restrict Public Access to S3 Buckets
How to Use S3 Bucket Policies
How to Use S3 Versioning and Lifecycle Rules
IAM Policies for Account Authentication
IAM Policies that Address Administrative Privileges
Identify Unrestricted Access to Ports for Security Groups
Identify Your Assets
Identify if EC2 Instances Are Directly Connected to the Internet
Identifying Assets, Threats, and Vulnerabilities
Identifying Unused Credentials in a Credential Report
Identifying and Ranking Vulnerabilities in AWS
Improve Your Security Policy With FBI CJIS
Industry Best Practices for Configuration Standards
Introduction to AWS Network Firewall
Introduction to AWS Security Hub
Introduction to AWS WAF and Shield
Introduction to Amazon CloudWatch
Introduction to Amazon Detective
Introduction to Amazon EKS
Introduction to Amazon Inspector
Introduction to Amazon S3 Access Points
Introduction to IAM Access Analyzer
Just start!
Key Rotation and Management
Kirkpatrick Price Risk Qualifications
Learn from an Azure Expert
Load Balancers Must Require TLS 1.2
Logging Tools in AWS
Logging Web ACL Data in Amazon Kinesis
MFA for API Calls
Maintain Logs for Audit Accountability
Meeting Firewall and Router Configuration Standards
Meeting Your Baseline with Patch Manager
Monitor Network Traffic with VPC Flow Logs
NIST CSF Identify Function
Network Segmentation for AWS
Partner with a Risk Assessment Expert
Penetration Testing for AWS Segmentation Controls
Penetration Testing in AWS
Perform Your Azure Scan
Performing Code Review Prior to Release
Performing a BIA for AWS
Physical Security Policy in a Remote World
Physical Security Responsibilities for AWS
Physical Security Responsibilities for AWS Users
Physical Threats for AWS
Prepare for a Formal Audit
Prevent Shared, Group, or Generic Accounts in AWS
Preventing Public Accessibility on DB Instances
Preventing Publicly Available CloudTrail Logs
Preventing Publicly Available S3 Buckets
Protecting API Gateways with WAF Rules
Protecting CloudTrail Logs
Protecting Web Applications in AWS
Publish and Maintain an Information Security Policy
Quarterly Reviews of Your Security Program
RSI Enterprises Takes Security Seriously
Ranking Risk
Re-Keying for Decryption
Restrict Access to CloudTrail Logs in S3 Buckets
Restrict Security Group Access to All Ports
Restricting Access to EBS Snapshots
Retaining Your Audit Trail in AWS
Reviewing Firewall and Router Configurations
Risk Assessment Policy
Risk Assessment Requirements
Risk Management Strategy
Rotating Access Keys
Route 53 Support for DNSSEC
Routing Outbound Traffic Through NAT Gateways
Running Vulnerability Scans After a Significant Change
SOC 2 Academy - A Board's Independence from Management
SOC 2 Academy - Attracting, Developing, and Retaining Confident Employees
SOC 2 Academy - Communicating with External Parties
SOC 2 Academy - Communicating with Internal Parties
SOC 2 Academy - Defining the Responsibilities of Employees
SOC 2 Academy - Holding Your Employees Accountable
SOC 2 Academy - How Does an Auditor Test for Integrity?
SOC 2 Academy - How to Manage Risks
SOC 2 Academy - Integration with the COSO Framework
SOC 2 Academy - Making Informed Decisions
SOC 2 Academy - Points of Focus
SOC 2 Academy - The Importance of Organizational Communication
SOC 2 Academy - Trust Services Criteria
SOC 2 Academy - What Types of Risks Does Your Organization Face?
SOC 2 Academy- What's New with SOC 2
SOC 2 Academy: Access Controls for Remote Employees
SOC 2 Academy: Assessing Changes Within Your Organization
SOC 2 Academy: Assessing the Significance of Risk
SOC 2 Academy: Change Control Processes
SOC 2 Academy: Change Management Best Practices
SOC 2 Academy: Classifying Confidential Information
SOC 2 Academy: Complete, Accurate, and Timely Outputs
SOC 2 Academy: Data Backup Processes
SOC 2 Academy: Dealing with External Threats
SOC 2 Academy: Designing Processes for Your Technology
SOC 2 Academy: Designing and Implementing Environmental Protections
SOC 2 Academy: Documentation of Inputs
SOC 2 Academy: Evaluations of Internal Control
SOC 2 Academy: Expectations of Policies and Procedures
SOC 2 Academy: How Contractual Obligations Impact Confidential Information
SOC 2 Academy: How Fraud Can Impact Risk
SOC 2 Academy: How is Data Put Into Your System?
SOC 2 Academy: Identifying Logging Errors
SOC 2 Academy: Identifying Vendors as Carve-Out or Inclusive
SOC 2 Academy: Implementing Internal Controls
SOC 2 Academy: Incident Response Best Practices
SOC 2 Academy: Incident Response Teams
SOC 2 Academy: Internal Control Deficiencies
SOC 2 Academy: Managing Vendor Risk
SOC 2 Academy: Movement of Data
SOC 2 Academy: Performing Daily Log Reviews
SOC 2 Academy: Physical Security Controls
SOC 2 Academy: Preparing for Current and Future Availability Needs
SOC 2 Academy: Preventing and Detecting Unauthorized Software
SOC 2 Academy: Protection Through Logical Access
SOC 2 Academy: Quality and Accuracy of Your Data
SOC 2 Academy: Recovering from a Security Incident
SOC 2 Academy: Risks from Business Partners
SOC 2 Academy: Taking Inventory of Physical Devices
SOC 2 Academy: Testing Your Business Continuity Plan
SOC 2 Academy: Testing Your Incident Response Plan
SOC 2 Academy: Using a Risk Assessment
SOC 2 Academy: Who Should Make Updates to Your Risk Assessment?
SOC 2 Academy: Who is Monitoring Internal Controls?
Secure Code Development in AWS
Securing Your Log Files
Security Awareness Training for CHD Policies
Separation of Duties in Penetration Testing
Shared Responsibility Matrix in PCI
Should I Share Our Risk Assessment
Stern & Eisenberg Are Focused on Integrity
Support MFA through IAM Policies
Systems Manager Maintenance
Testing Your Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plans
Testing for Unauthorized Wireless Access Points
The AWS Shared Responsibility Model
The Components of a System Security Plan
The Difference Between NACLs and Security Groups
The Importance of Keeping Security Training Records
The Importance of a Perimeter Security Monitoring Policy
The Value of Quarterly Internal Vulnerability Scans
Third Parties are Threats Too
Types of Assets to Consider
Understanding the "Deny All" Function
Use Alerts to Enforce Your Access Control Policy
Using AWS KMS
Using Amazon Time Sync Service
Using IAM Instance Roles for AWS Resource Access
Using IAM Policies
Using OWASP's Kubernetes Cheat Sheet
Using Prowler to Evaluate AWS Security
Using S3 Versioning
Using Systems Manager from a Service-Linked Role
Using TLS 1.2 to Encrypt Data in Transit
Using VPC Endpoints to Access Systems Manager
Using a Bastion Host or Session Manager to Limit Access to Port 22
Using an ASV for External Vulnerability Scans
Verify Internal Log Processes
What Does An Auditor Want In Our Risk Assessment
What Is An Information Exchange Agreement?
What It Means to Have a KirkpatrickPrice Audit
What are Threats
What is Scoping
When to Use S3 Access Control Lists
Why Choose Online Audit Manager?
Why Risk Assessment?
Work with a GCP Expert
You're Already Assessing Risk
