It’s simple to believe cloud security is handled by AWS, but that’s a dangerous misunderstanding. Although AWS protects its own infrastructure, customers are still responsible for protection in a cloud environment.
Think of AWS surveillance as protecting a tower: AWS provides solid walls and a sturdy roof, but the customer is responsible for installing the alarm systems, installing the locks, and making sure the valuables aren’t exposed.
In this blog, we’ll explain what AWS doesn’t safe, how can support, and what real-world flaws exist.
Understanding the Shared Responsibility Model of AWS
A Shared Role Model governs AWS’s operations. Simply put:
- The “walls and roof” are AWS’s responsibility for protecting the underlying infrastructure ( e .g., hardware, networking, data centers ).
- The “locks and alarms” feature of AWS is for the user to secure their files, applications, and configurations.
Understanding this variation is crucial to upholding a safe AWS environment.
5 AWS Risks in the Real World Are Important.
Let’s examine some real-world flaws that fall under the purview of the customer and what can be done to fix them.
Server-Side Request Forgery ( SSRF )
Applications hosted on AWS are also prone to SSRF attacks, which deceive a client into making demands on their behalf. Illicit data entry and more exploitation can be a result of these attacks.
To protect yourself from SSRF:
- constantly check and fix application flaws.
- AWS provides an additional layer of security against SSRF strikes. This guard is provided by AWS, but configuration is the company’s responsibility.
Access Control Issues
AWS Identify and Access Management ( IAM ) is only as effective as its implementation, allowing customers to control who can access what resources. Consumers are responsible for making sure that people and techniques only have access to the resources they actually need.
Mistakes that are popular include:
- Extremely tolerant roles and entry
- Deficiency of safety measures
- Unintentionally people S3 containers
Data Data Sources
Customers of AWS are in charge of ensuring that the data they store in the fog is secure as well as how its applications access it.
For instance, if your application connects to an AWS Relational Database Service ( RDS ), the customer must make sure that it doesn’t give in to attackers ‘ access to sensitive data. It would only take one simple vulnerability, such as an Insecure Direct Object Reference ( IDOR ), for an attacker using a user account to gain access to data belonging to all other users.
Patch Management
AWS does no update servers, which nearly goes without saying. Customers who deploy EC2 instances are entirely responsible for upholding the operating system ( OS ) and software requirements.
Take Redis deployed on Ubuntu 24.04 as an example: the customer is in charge of patching flaws in both the operating system ( Ubuntu) and the software ( Redis ). AWS only deals with router issues and underlying components flaws.
Lambda and other Amazon services lessen the need for updating, but you’re also liable for using supported runtimes and up-to-date things.
Attack surfaces and routers
Customers are given power over their assault surface by AWS, but it is not accountable for what they choose to highlight.
The customer is responsible for ensuring their team has a secure way to access a GitLab server if it is deployed on AWS by layering it behind a VPN, using a firewall, or placing it inside a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC ). Usually, a zero-day vulnerability could compromise your data, and AWS won’t be held responsible.
The Important Learning
One point is made abundantly clear by these example: sky security doesn’t start from scratch. While AWS safeguards the underlying system, the customer is ultimately responsible for all built on top of it. Being overly cautious about that fact you put a company at significant chance, but having the right tools will ensure that your organization stays safe is always within reach.
With Intruders, Level Up Your Cloud Safety
By combining agentless sky security monitoring, risk monitoring, and assault surface management into a strong, simple-to-use platform, Intruder helps you stay ahead of all these vulnerabilities and more.
Why it’s a revolutionary:
- Consider risks that other options might overlook: Intruder combines info from AWS accounts with additional vulnerability scanning to find risks that other solutions might not.
- No false warnings: CSPM devices can overestimate intensity. Intruder places real challenges first so you can concentrate on what really matters.
- Crystal clear changes: Step-by-step cleanup instructions are provided with clear explanations of problems.
- Constant monitoring and alerts when fresh risks emerge: Stay away.
- Repetitive charges: With Intruder, there are no surprises in the price of the cloud security tool, unlike other options that can cost money.
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