Security Service
AWS
AWS security focuses on account structure, IAM roles, network exposure, and logging. The goal is to spot risks early and prevent them with durable guardrails.
Account and landing zone setup
Organization structure, OU model, SCPs.
IAM & access
Roles, keys, MFA, least privilege, rotation.
Prioritized findings
Risk backlog with owners and deadlines.
AWS security does not replace secure architecture. Without clear ownership, logging, and change controls, findings stay open and guardrails fail.
Quick overview
- Continuous protection of accounts and workloads.
- Focus on IAM, network, logging, and data paths.
- Guardrails instead of point-in-time checks.
- clear account and role structure
- prioritized risks by exploit activity
- named owners and SLA tracking
- audit evidence for customers
Fits if you …
- operate multiple AWS accounts.
- see IAM roles and permissions grow unchecked.
- want enforceable guardrails and policies.
- need evidence for logging and access controls.
Not a fit if …
- you cannot access the org structure or logs.
- ownership and responsibility are unclear.
- you only want a one-off check without operations.
AWS security vs. CSPM vs. cloud pentest
guardrails, operations, risk tracking in account context.
tool signals and policy checks, not remediation.
point-in-time validation of critical attack paths.
AWS security runs guardrails and operations, CSPM provides signals, and pentests validate targeted risk paths.
Typical use cases
- Multiple OUs, accounts, and teams without guardrails.
- IAM sprawl from roles, keys, and service accounts.
- Missing standards for logging and monitoring.
- Exposed S3 buckets, security groups, or IAM policies.
- Public endpoints without network segmentation.
Process & methodology
Accounts, OUs, roles, logging, data criticality.
IAM, network, storage, exposure, baselines.
SCPs, policies, backlog, SLA management.
Scope & preparation
- Define AWS org structure, accounts, and OUs.
- Align IAM roles, keys, MFA standards, and rotation.
- Agree on logging (CloudTrail, Config, GuardDuty).
- Capture critical workloads and data paths.
Execution
- Review IAM policies and roles for least privilege.
- Validate networks, security groups, and exposure.
- Check storage policies and encryption.
- Prioritize findings into a remediation backlog.
Without ownership and change controls, findings stay open. Guardrails must be integrated into IaC and deployment flows.
Deliverables
- Prioritized findings with owners and deadlines.
- Guardrail catalog (SCPs, baselines, standards).
- Hardening roadmap and quick wins.
- Evidence for logging, coverage, and exceptions.
Provider selection criteria
- Experience with AWS Organizations, SCPs, and landing zones.
- IAM expertise with defensible risk prioritization.
- Clear criteria for exposure and data paths.
- Access to IaC, policies, and logs.
- Integration with ticketing and change processes.
- Measurable KPIs and reporting cadence.
Next steps
- Inventory accounts/OUs and owners.
- Define IAM standards, logging, and baselines.
- Prioritize and fix top risks.
- Embed guardrails in IaC and deployments.