Understanding automated remediation – Security Compliance with AWS Config, AWS Security Hub, and Automated Remediation

Understanding automated remediation

At the heart of automated remediation is the principle of proactive security management. Instead of reacting to compliance issues after they occur, automated remediation aims to address these issues as they arise by automatically correcting non-compliant resources within an AWS environment. It involves identifying non-compliant resources, triggering appropriate remediation actions, and applying these actions to bring resources back into compliance. Automated remediation not only saves time and resources but also significantly reduces the window of exposure to security vulnerabilities.

Designing automated remediation strategies

Effective automated remediation requires a well-thought-out strategy that aligns with the organization’s compliance goals and security policies. This strategy is crucial in addressing compliance issues as they emerge, ensuring a prompt and appropriate response. Putting it into practice starts with the identification of trigger events, essential for the quick and effective handling of compliance challenges, and then progresses to the definition of suitable remediation actions that align with these issues. Now, let’s explore these two critical stages in more detail.

Identifying trigger events

Trigger events are specific conditions or changes in the AWS environment that initiate an automated remediation process. Defining the right triggers is crucial for the effective implementation of automated remediation. To do so effectively, organizations must have a deep understanding of their AWS environment and the compliance rules they need to enforce. Examples of common trigger events could include the following:

• Security group modifications: A common trigger event is unauthorized changes in security group settings, such as opening up a port to the public internet. For instance, if a security group is altered to allow unrestricted SSH access, this could trigger an automated process to revert the security group to its secure state.
• Configuration drift in critical resources: Any deviation from standard configurations in critical resources, such as changes in IAM role permissions or alterations in the network configuration of a production VPC, can be set as a trigger. For example, if an IAM role unexpectedly gains full access to S3, it can trigger an immediate review or a reversal action.
• Non-compliance with tagging policies: Organizations often enforce specific tagging strategies for cost allocation, security, or management purposes. Changes or omissions in the tagging of resources such as EC2 instances or S3 buckets that violate these policies can be set as triggers for remediation actions.