Amazon Web Services (AWS) continues to dominate the cloud computing market. In fact, according to a 2024 report from Statista, AWS has 31% of the market share and continues to be the preferred choice for businesses ahead of Microsoft Azure. 

While the adoption of AWS cloud services shows strong momentum, the concern regarding its security and other cloud computing platforms is showing no signs of improvement. 

As per the Cloud Security Report from Cybersecurity Insiders, as much as 96% of all businesses express a high level of concern about the security of cloud platforms and AWS is no exception. 

You can take several steps, like partnering with a trusted AWS partner like enreap, known for offering tailored cloud architecture with robust security measures.

Remember, your end goal should be to secure your AWS environment from the beginning itself and not just an afterthought.

Here are a few steps you can take to secure your AWS cloud infrastructure today –

Get an in-depth understanding of the AWS Shared Responsibility Model

Did you know that 99% of cloud security failures are the customer’s fault? This occurs because customers simply aren’t aware of AWS’s Shared Responsibility model. They assume AWS is responsible for every security aspect, which isn’t true.

The shared model highlights that AWS is responsible for ensuring cloud infrastructure security while its customers are responsible for security within its cloud resources. 

While the AWS ecosystem continues to update its capabilities, customers must also understand that the cybersecurity of their AWS cloud services is a shared responsibility to maintain a secure AWS environment. 

Update and Patch AWS Resources on a Regular Basis

Another important aspect often overlooked is regularly updating and patching AWS resources. Threat actors are always looking to exploit any vulnerabilities within the cloud infrastructure, making it crucial to stay up-to-date with the latest patches and security updates. 

Additionally, performing updates and patches frequently enables your security team to address known vulnerabilities. This significantly reduces the risk of exploitation and ensures the cloud infrastructure is protected against emerging threats. 

Prioritise Getting IAM Right

An often overlooked part of applying policies is using Identify and Access Management (IAM) groups to achieve them. Since configuring IAM policies is a complex task and perceived to be impossible, many choose to address these issues with quick fixes to manage roles and permissions. 

In fact, 82% of organisations have IAM user credentials that they haven’t used for more than 90 days. This makes their AWS cloud services vulnerable to cyber-attacks such as data breaches. 

Additionally, only a few solutions exist so far that let the team analyse permissions granted to those who actually used to categorise the roles to achieve the least privilege. 

Therefore, IT teams must inform their management and security professionals about the time and resources needed for administrators to manage IAM roles within the cloud infrastructure. 

Create an Incident Response Strategy 

Taking all the measures isn’t always enough. You need to accept the reality that your cloud infrastructure will be infiltrated by threat actors at some point or the other. 

While taking absolute measures to make the infrastructure resilient against cyber-attacks is crucial, creating a well-planned incident response strategy is equally important in the event of a successful breach. 

Most of the time, you may not even realise that your cloud infrastructure has already been breached until weeks or a few months later. Having an incident response plan strategy will enable you to lessen the damage in the event of a cloud security breach. 

Moreover, it will enable you to obtain critical information on when and why the breach occurred, your security vulnerabilities, and how you can address them before they make the situation worse.

Takeaway 

By incorporating the above best practices, you can secure and strengthen your AWS cloud security and mitigate the risks associated with data and security breaches. 

If you need assistance and a tailored security plan to enhance the security posture of your AWS cloud services, then book a consultation with enreap today.