This Guidance helps customers assess their foundational security setup in their AWS account. Use the provided AWS CloudFormation template to automate the assessment of your AWS accounts for security vulnerabilities and deliver an assessment report that includes steps on how to resolve the issues.
Architecture Diagram
Step 1
The AWS user installs the AWS CloudFormation template created for this Guidance. The template deploys an AWS Lambda function along with the necessary AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) role for the Lambda function.
Step 2
The Lambda function deploys an AWS Well-Architected custom lens.
Step 3
The Lambda function assesses resources in the account and checks if:
- AWS Secrets Manager is used to store and manage lifecycle of secrets
- AWS Systems Manager Patch Manager is used for patch management
- Amazon CloudFront is used to deliver static content
- Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (Amazon VPC) is configured correctly to setup a secure, isolated network
- AWS CloudTrail is setup for audit purposes
- AWS Cost Explorer billing alarms are configured
- AWS Cost Anomaly Detection is setup
- Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) is configured correctly to prevent public access
Step 4
The AWS Well-Architected custom lens questions are answered by the Lambda function to complete the automated assessment.
Step 5
The AWS user navigates to the console in the AWS Well-Architected Tool to view and download the assessment report.
Step 1
The AWS user installs the AWS CloudFormation template created for this Guidance. The template deploys an AWS Lambda function along with the necessary AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) role for the Lambda function.
Step 2
The Lambda function deploys an AWS Well-Architected custom lens.
Step 3
The Lambda function assesses resources in the account and checks if:
- AWS Secrets Manager is used to store and manage lifecycle of secrets
- AWS Systems Manager Patch Manager is used for patch management
- Amazon CloudFront is used to deliver static content
- Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (Amazon VPC) is configured correctly to setup a secure, isolated network
- AWS CloudTrail is setup for audit purposes
- AWS Cost Explorer billing alarms are configured
- AWS Cost Anomaly Detection is setup
- Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) is configured correctly to prevent public access
Step 4
The AWS Well-Architected custom lens questions are answered by the Lambda function to complete the automated assessment.
Step 5
The AWS user navigates to the console in the AWS Well-Architected Tool to view and download the assessment report.
Well-Architected Pillars
The AWS Well-Architected Framework helps you understand the pros and cons of the decisions you make when building systems in the cloud. The six pillars of the Framework allow you to learn architectural best practices for designing and operating reliable, secure, efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable systems. Using the AWS Well-Architected Tool, available at no charge in the AWS Management Console, you can review your workloads against these best practices by answering a set of questions for each pillar.
The architecture diagram above is an example of a Solution created with Well-Architected best practices in mind. To be fully Well-Architected, you should follow as many Well-Architected best practices as possible.
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SecurityRead the Security whitepaper
For secure authentication and authorization, Lambda is granted access to AWS services on the least privilege basis with read-only permissions. Single Lambda functions are deployed in this guidance and are inaccessible from the internet. The customer can view and download an assessment report within the AWS Well-Architected portal, which can only be accessed by logging into the customer's account. No additional data is stored anywhere else in the customer’s account.
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ReliabilityRead the Reliability whitepaper
Lambda utilizes logs and metrics which are sent to Amazon CloudWatch where the data is analyzed for risks. Using a single CloudFormation template allows customers to easily install and uninstall resources.
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Performance EfficiencyRead the Performance Efficiency whitepaper
Lambda is purpose built for this Guidance, allowing the customer to change the custom lens and modify the Lambda function to meet their security needs.
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Cost OptimizationRead the Cost Optimization whitepaper
Using only the minimum resources required, this Guidance scales to meet demand by using serverless services to deliver the security assessment. Costs are incurred only for the resources consumed.
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SustainabilityRead the Sustainability whitepaper
This Guidance uses fully managed serverless services that scale with demand, and allow customers to continually match their loads using only the minimum resources required.
Implementation Resources
The sample code is a starting point. It is industry validated, prescriptive but not definitive, and a peek under the hood to help you begin.
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Disclaimer
The sample code; software libraries; command line tools; proofs of concept; templates; or other related technology (including any of the foregoing that are provided by our personnel) is provided to you as AWS Content under the AWS Customer Agreement, or the relevant written agreement between you and AWS (whichever applies). You should not use this AWS Content in your production accounts, or on production or other critical data. You are responsible for testing, securing, and optimizing the AWS Content, such as sample code, as appropriate for production grade use based on your specific quality control practices and standards. Deploying AWS Content may incur AWS charges for creating or using AWS chargeable resources, such as running Amazon EC2 instances or using Amazon S3 storage.