Protecting Your Cloud Infrastructure: AWS Native Security Strategies.
Tags: aws, infosec, cloudnative, cloudsecurity
Published: 2023-04-11 17:43:06

Cloud infrastructure has become the backbone of modern computing. With the rise of cloud computing, it has become easier and more affordable to set up and run IT infrastructures that were once only possible with large capital investments. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one of the leading cloud providers, offering a wide range of services that can be used to build, deploy, and manage applications on the cloud.

One of the biggest challenges in cloud computing is security. Cloud infrastructure security is a shared responsibility between cloud service providers and customers. AWS provides several security features to protect cloud resources, and customers are responsible for securing their applications and data. In this article, we will focus on AWS native security strategies that customers can use to protect their cloud infrastructure.

**AWS Security Best Practices**

Before we dive into AWS native security strategies, it is important to understand AWS security best practices. AWS has a set of best practices that users can follow to secure their cloud infrastructure. These best practices cover various areas, including network security, access management, data encryption, and monitoring. By implementing these best practices, customers can improve the security of their cloud infrastructure and reduce the risk of security incidents.

One of the key aspects of AWS security best practices is the Shared Responsibility Model. According to this model, AWS is responsible for the security of the underlying infrastructure, including physical security, network security, and host security. Users are responsible for securing their applications, data, and operating systems that run on AWS infrastructure. Therefore, it is important to implement security best practices to ensure that customer's applications and data are secure on the cloud.

**AWS Native Security Strategies**

AWS provides several native security strategies that customers can use to protect their cloud infrastructure. These native security strategies leverage the built-in security features of AWS services to provide a secure and reliable environment for customer applications and data.

**Identity and Access Management (IAM)**

IAM is a key AWS service that allows customers to manage access to AWS resources. IAM provides a secure and easy way to create and manage IAM roles and policies that control access to AWS services and resources. IAM roles are AWS identities with permission policies that determine what actions they can perform on AWS resources. IAM policies are JSON documents that define permissions for a user, group, or role. Here's an example of creating an IAM policy using the AWS CLI:

```
aws iam create-policy --policy-name "ExamplePolicy" --policy-document file://policy.json

```
**AWS CloudTrail**

CloudTrail is a service that provides a record of all API calls made in an AWS environment. CloudTrail logs all API calls to AWS services, including who made the call, when it was made, and what resources were accessed. CloudTrail provides an audit trail that can be used to track changes to AWS resources, troubleshoot issues, and detect suspicious activity. Here's an example of enabling CloudTrail logging using the AWS CLI:

```
aws cloudtrail create-trail --name ExampleTrail --s3-bucket-name example-bucket --include-global-service-events

```
**AWS Config**

This is a service that allows customers to assess, audit, and evaluate the configurations of AWS resources. AWS Config provides a detailed view of the configuration changes made to AWS resources, including when the changes were made, who made the changes, and what the changes were. AWS Config also allows customers to create rules that define desired configurations and check the compliance of resources against these rules. Here's an example of creating an AWS Config rule using the AWS CLI:

```
aws configservice put-config-rule --config-rule file://rule.json

```
**Amazon GuardDuty:**

Amazon GuardDuty is a threat detection service that continuously monitors AWS accounts for malicious activities and unauthorized behavior. GuardDuty uses machine learning and anomaly detection to analyze AWS logs and identify potential security threats. Guard Duty provides a unified view of security events across AWS accounts, making it easier for customers to detect and respond to security incidents. Here's an example of enabling GuardDuty using the AWS CLI:

```
aws guardduty create-detector --enable

```
**Conclusion:**

In this article, I have discussed AWS native security strategies that users can use to protect their cloud infrastructure. These native security strategies leverage the built-in security features of AWS services to provide a secure and reliable environment for customer applications and data. IAM, CloudTrail, AWS Config, and GuardDuty are just a few examples of AWS native security strategies that customers can use to improve the security of their cloud infrastructure.

It is important to implement these native security strategies as part of the overall security best practices for cloud infrastructure. By implementing these strategies, customers can reduce the risk of security incidents and ensure that their applications and data are secure on the cloud. It is also important to regularly review and update security strategies as new threats emerge and AWS updates its security features.

AWS provides extensive documentation on its security features and best practices, which customers can use to learn more about securing their cloud infrastructure. AWS also offers various tools and services, including AWS Trusted Advisor, AWS Security Hub, and AWS Certificate Manager, which can be used to enhance the security of AWS environments. By following AWS security best practices and leveraging AWS native security strategies, customers can ensure that their cloud infrastructure is secure and reliable.

**References**

1. [(https://d1.awsstatic.com/whitepapers/Security/AWS_Security_Best_Practices.pdf)]

2. [(https://aws.amazon.com/iam/)]

3. [(https://aws.amazon.com/cloudtrail/)]

4. [(https://aws.amazon.com/config/)]

5. [(https://aws.amazon.com/guardduty/)]

6. Natarajan, P. (2021). AWS Security Best Practices Handbook. Packt Publishing.

7. Hashmi, M. (2019). AWS Security Cookbook: Practical solutions to security issues. Packt Publishing.

8. Allen, R., & Larson, S. (2020). AWS Certified Security - Specialty Study Guide: Covers the SCS-C01 Exam. Wiley Publishing.