When launching a startup, security may not always be top of mind for founders who are focused on rapidly bringing their product or service to market. The priority often lies in developing a prototype to attract customers and investors before funds dwindle. As a result, crucial security controls can be overlooked, potentially leading to significant issues down the line.
To assist with this critical aspect, we are excited to introduce the AWS Startup Security Baseline (AWS SSB), a comprehensive guide outlining essential security measures that all startups should adopt during their early development stages. This guide emphasizes two core areas: securing your AWS account and protecting your workload, offering detailed instructions for each recommended control along with links to relevant documentation. These guidelines are aligned with the best practices outlined in the Security pillar of the Well-Architected Framework, providing a robust foundation for enhancing your security posture as your company expands.
Securing Your Account
The account security section highlights best practices for Identity and Access Management (IAM), strategies to prevent misconfigurations, and the importance of monitoring for threats and risks. This includes fundamental measures such as enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for the root account, establishing IAM password policies, and setting up CloudTrail delivery to S3. Additionally, it recommends implementing AWS Budget alerts, activating Amazon GuardDuty, and keeping an eye on AWS Trusted Advisor.
Securing Your Workload
In the workload security section, the focus shifts to managing application secrets and access scopes, minimizing entry points to private resources, and applying encryption to safeguard data both in transit and at rest. Suggested controls include utilizing resource-based policies, encrypting Amazon RDS and Amazon EBS volumes, using Amazon VPC endpoints to secure traffic flows, and leveraging AWS Systems Manager for remote access to instances.
AWS SSB in Action
Startups are already reporting the positive effects of implementing the AWS SSB controls.
“After following the AWS Startup Security Baseline, we activated Amazon GuardDuty, which alerted us to unauthorized IP addresses attempting to access our servers via SSH. We eliminated port 22 from our security groups and transitioned to using AWS Systems Manager for accessing our EC2 instances. This adjustment has effectively stopped those external attempts,” shares Jamie Roberts, CTO of TechSavvy Solutions.
The controls outlined in the AWS SSB are designed for quick and straightforward implementation, requiring no specialized security knowledge. Startups at later stages can also benefit by comparing their existing security measures against the baseline to identify any deficiencies.
Next Steps
For founders initiating their journey, we encourage you to review the guide and ensure your AWS account is secure. Evaluate the security of your current workload and determine which controls need to be implemented. Use AWS Trusted Advisor to assess your security posture and address any high-risk items using the AWS SSB recommendations.
For those with security inquiries or seeking guidance on their security requirements, more information is available on our AWS Cloud Security page. Be sure to check out this other blog post for additional insights. As you build swiftly, prioritize security to safeguard your progress.
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