AWS Cloud Security Services
Amazon Web Services powers millions of workloads, but AWS security requires specialized expertise. Misconfigurations, overly permissive IAM policies, and exposed resources are the leading causes of cloud breaches. We help organizations secure their AWS environments with expert-led assessment, continuous monitoring, and remediation guidance.
In This Guide
AWS Security Challenges
AWS offers powerful security capabilities, but complexity creates risk:
Identity and Access Management (IAM) Complexity
AWS IAM is extremely flexible, which means it's easy to create overly permissive policies. Common issues include:
- Service accounts with admin privileges
- Unused IAM users and roles accumulating over time
- Cross-account access configured without least privilege
- IAM policies that grant more access than intended
Service-Specific Misconfigurations
Each AWS service has its own security considerations:
- S3 - Public buckets, missing encryption, overly broad bucket policies
- EC2 - Security groups allowing unrestricted access, unpatched instances
- RDS - Publicly accessible databases, missing encryption at rest
- Lambda - Overprivileged execution roles, exposed environment variables
- EKS/ECS - Container misconfigurations, insecure workload deployments
Multi-Account Sprawl
As organizations scale on AWS, they accumulate accounts across teams and projects. Without proper governance, security posture becomes inconsistent and visibility is lost.
Shared Responsibility Confusion
AWS secures the cloud infrastructure, but you're responsible for security in the cloud. Many organizations underestimate what that means for their workloads and data.
Our AWS Security Services
Managed CSPM for AWS
We run enterprise cloud security platforms like Orca Security and Wiz on your behalf, providing:
- Continuous scanning of your AWS accounts for misconfigurations
- Expert triage and prioritization of findings (not just raw alerts)
- Actionable remediation guidance for your team
- Compliance mapping to SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and other frameworks
AWS Security Assessment
A comprehensive evaluation of your AWS security posture:
- IAM policy analysis and recommendations
- Network architecture review (VPCs, security groups, NACLs)
- Data protection assessment (encryption, access controls)
- Logging and monitoring configuration review
- Compliance gap analysis for your target frameworks
Ongoing AWS Security Support
Fractional security leadership focused on your AWS environment:
- Security architecture guidance for new AWS deployments
- Incident response support for AWS-specific issues
- Security questionnaire assistance for AWS-related questions
- AWS security best practices training for your team
AWS Security Best Practices
IAM Best Practices
- Enforce least privilege for all users and service accounts
- Use IAM roles instead of long-lived credentials where possible
- Implement MFA for all human users, especially privileged accounts
- Regularly audit and remove unused IAM entities
- Use AWS Organizations SCPs for guardrails across accounts
Data Protection
- Enable encryption at rest for all data stores (S3, RDS, EBS)
- Use AWS KMS for key management with proper rotation policies
- Enable encryption in transit (TLS/SSL) for all services
- Implement S3 bucket policies that deny public access by default
- Use VPC endpoints for private access to AWS services
Network Security
- Design VPCs with proper segmentation and private subnets
- Use security groups as the primary network control
- Implement AWS WAF for public-facing applications
- Enable VPC Flow Logs for network visibility
- Use AWS PrivateLink for secure service access
Monitoring and Detection
- Enable CloudTrail in all regions with log validation
- Configure GuardDuty for threat detection
- Use AWS Config for configuration compliance monitoring
- Centralize logs in a dedicated security account
- Set up alerts for critical security events
Compliance on AWS
SOC 2 on AWS
AWS provides SOC 2 reports for their infrastructure, but you need to demonstrate controls for your workloads:
- IAM policies and access management procedures
- Encryption configuration and key management
- Logging and monitoring implementation
- Change management processes
- Incident response procedures
HIPAA on AWS
For healthcare workloads:
- Use AWS services covered under the AWS BAA
- Implement proper PHI encryption and access controls
- Configure CloudTrail and CloudWatch for audit logging
- Ensure proper network segmentation for healthcare data
- Document your shared responsibility for HIPAA controls
PCI DSS on AWS
For payment card data:
- Use PCI-compliant AWS services and configurations
- Implement network segmentation for cardholder data
- Enable proper logging and monitoring for PCI scope
- Maintain documented evidence of controls
- Regular vulnerability scanning and remediation
FedRAMP and Government Workloads
For government contractors:
- Use AWS GovCloud for FedRAMP High workloads
- Implement required security controls per NIST 800-53
- Maintain documentation and evidence for authorization
- Continuous monitoring and POA&M management
Getting Started with AWS Security
Start with Assessment
Most organizations begin with an AWS security assessment. We connect to your AWS accounts, evaluate your current posture, and provide prioritized recommendations. This gives you a clear picture of risks and a roadmap for improvement.
Continuous Monitoring
After initial assessment, ongoing monitoring ensures new resources are deployed securely and existing configurations don't drift. Our managed CSPM service handles this continuously.
Expert Support
Whether you need help implementing recommendations, preparing for compliance audits, or responding to security incidents, we provide the AWS security expertise you need without hiring a full-time specialist.
Need Help Securing Your AWS Environment?
Our managed CSPM service provides continuous AWS security monitoring with expert triage and prioritized remediation guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What AWS security services should we be using?
At minimum, enable CloudTrail for audit logging, GuardDuty for threat detection, AWS Config for configuration compliance, and Security Hub for centralized findings. For most organizations, we also recommend AWS WAF for web applications, KMS for key management, and IAM Access Analyzer for permission analysis. The specific mix depends on your workloads and compliance requirements.
How do you assess AWS security without access to our account?
We use read-only cross-account IAM roles to assess your AWS environment. This provides visibility into configurations without the ability to make changes. The role follows AWS best practices for third-party access and can be removed at any time. Our CSPM platforms use similar read-only access for continuous monitoring.
What's the difference between AWS Security Hub and third-party CSPM?
AWS Security Hub aggregates findings from AWS security services and provides some configuration checks. Third-party CSPM platforms like Orca and Wiz offer deeper analysis, better prioritization, cross-cloud visibility (if you use Azure or GCP), and more comprehensive compliance mapping. For AWS-only environments, Security Hub is a good start, but most enterprises benefit from additional tooling.
How long does an AWS security assessment take?
Initial assessment typically takes 2-3 weeks depending on the size and complexity of your AWS environment. This includes account discovery, automated scanning, manual review of critical configurations, and report generation with prioritized recommendations. Larger environments with multiple accounts may require additional time.
Do you help with AWS security architecture for new projects?
Yes, we provide security architecture guidance for new AWS deployments. This includes VPC design, IAM strategy, data protection approach, logging and monitoring setup, and compliance considerations. Getting security right from the start is more efficient than remediating issues later.
Ready to Secure Your AWS Environment?
Let's discuss your AWS security challenges and how we can help.
Get Started