This solution is ideal for delegating administrative permissions to specific groups within the business or organisation. This includes managing individual user accounts and implementing password policies.

Why Your Organisation Should Use AWS Managed Microsoft AD

AWS Microsoft Active Directory (Microsoft AD) is a set of powerful services allowing businesses to manage all devices and users on their network.

This solution is ideal for delegating administrative permissions to specific groups within the business or organisation. This includes managing individual user accounts and implementing password policies.

Why Your Organisation Should Use AWS Managed Microsoft AD

AWS Managed Microsoft AD is the ideal solution for integrating their existing Microsoft Active Directory with the AWS cloud. It gives employees and team members access to all resources and applications with only a single set of credentials.

Using AWS Managed Microsoft AD lets businesses and organisations simplify user management and boost data security. It also integrates with other common AWS services, such as Amazon RDS or Amazon EC2.

AWS Managed Microsoft AD is also fully scalable. You can deploy Microsoft AD over multiple AWS regions and accounts, letting your organisation access AD-aware applications and other AWS services from anywhere in the world.

Use Cases of AWS Managed Microsoft AD
AWS Managed Microsoft AD lets businesses and organisations share an AD directory for multiple use cases. Examples include:

  • Signing in to AWS applications and services using your Microsoft AD credentials, such as AWS Client VPN, AWS Management Console, Amazon Connect, Amazon FSx, Amazon WorkMail, and many more.
  • Managing your Amazon EC2 instances for Windows or Linux
  • Running traditional Microsoft AD-aware workloads in the AWS Cloud, such as Remote Desktop Licensing Manager or Microsoft SharePoint
  • Providing Single Sign-On (SSO) to your cloud applications and access Microsoft Office 365 with AD credentials
  • If you already have an on-premises Active Directory infrastructure, you can use AWS Managed Microsoft AD to extend it to the AWS cloud. This solution lets your team members sign on to AWS Management Console or Amazon WorkSpaces using their existing AD credentials.
  • Sharing your Active Directory across multiple AWS accounts to manage AWS services like Amazon EC2 seamlessly, eliminating the need to operate different directories for each account and virtual private cloud (VPC).

Work with WOLK, a Trustworthy AWS Partner

The WOLK Team is a certified AWS Well-Architected Program partner. We can help your business implement workplace integration and improve operational efficiency through Amazon Web Services. Contact us today to schedule a review.

As a leading cloud services supplier and creator of the Climate Pledge, Amazon is fully invested in building sustainability awareness. The company works with all AWS customers, partners, and suppliers to promote sustainable cloud computing solutions and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

How AWS Engages With Customers for Sustainability
One of the six pillars of the Amazon Well-Architected Framework is sustainability. Customers using Amazon Web Services (AWS) have access to numerous Amazon services and tools to monitor and enhance the sustainability of their workflows.

Commonly used AWS tools for sustainability include the AWS Customer Carbon Footprint Tool, AWS Graviton and EC2 Spot instances, and the availability of carbon-neutral or near-carbon-neutral AWS regions.

While research shows that simply moving to AWS can help a customer reduce its carbon footprint, Amazon also provides many valuable resources and best practices to improve sustainability.

AWS documentation contains tips, pointers, and recommendations to achieve the following sustainability goals:

Choosing the most energy-efficient AWS regions to meet business and sustainability needs
Efficient usage of scalable infrastructure to ensure your organisation only uses the resources it needs, minimising wastage
Software and architecture optimisations to minimise unnecessary hardware load
Changing or developing a sustainability process and culture within your organisation

Amazon Partnerships to Promote Sustainability
Amazon works with multiple organisations to help AWS users find third-party sustainability data through the AWS Data Exchange.

Businesses of all sizes and types can use the Data Exchange to factor climate risks into their organisational portfolio, reduce their carbon footprint, or simply become compliant with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) requirements.

Other Amazon partnerships for sustainability, such as Global Optimism, the Nature Conservancy, and the We Mean Business Coalition, are focused on helping the company reach its stated Climate Pledge goals. These partnerships help Amazon get to net-zero carbon emissions, benefitting AWS users with more sustainable cloud computing.

Responsible and Sustainable Supply Chain Management with AWS
One of Amazon’s major supply chain commitments is an engagement toward environmental protection. Amazon pledges to source products and services from suppliers with a sustainability pledge, ensuring the supply chain is more respectful of the environment.

AWS users benefit from the company’s responsible supply chain management in multiple ways. The energy used to power AWS data centres increasingly comes from renewable sources, helping your organisation reduce its carbon footprint.

Many of the hardware elements in Amazon data centres receive continuous improvements to enhance their performance and energy efficiency, such as the AWS Graviton processors.

Achieve Your Objectives with WOLK
The WOLK team can help your business grow while meeting sustainability objectives. We can help you engage and become compliant with the AWS Sustainability pillar to create responsible, energy-efficient workloads. Contact WOLK today to learn more.

Implementing Security Automation and Continuous Monitoring for a Secure Modern Workplace on AWS

In the modern workplace on AWS, security is a crucial part of your daily operations. Implementing automation and continuous monitoring is vital. This ensures proactive detection and response to potential threats.

Learn how organisations can harness the power of AWS to improve their security posture, protect sensitive data, and maintain a resilient environment.

Understanding Security Automation
Implementing security automation measures improves efficiency and consistency and reduces human error in security tasks. This approach strengthens your company’s security posture, enables swift incident responses, and ensures a secure environment on AWS. Key components of security automation include:

● Identity and Access Management (IAM): Provides fine-grained control over user access to resources.
● Security Groups and Network Access Control: Helps enforce network security measures and control inbound/outbound traffic.
● Automated Threat Detection and Incident Response: Uses automated tools to detect and respond to potential security threats.
● Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): Offers centralised monitoring and analysis of security events for proactive security management.

Implementing Security Automation on AWS
Implementing these security automation measures can improve your AWS security. Use the following steps to support a secure modern workplace:

● Set Up a Secure AWS Environment
When setting up a secure AWS environment, follow IAM best practices to manage user identities and permissions. This includes using principles of least privilege, creating individual user accounts, and enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA).

You should also configure security groups and network access controls to add an extra layer of protection. Security groups help control inbound and outbound traffic to instances, while network access controls allow for granular control over network traffic flow within Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC).

● Leverage AWS Security Services
Use AWS CloudTrail for audit logging and monitoring and AWS Config for tracking and managing resource configurations. Also, try AWS GuardDuty for intelligent threat detection and AWS Security Hub for centralised security visibility and compliance.

Automate Security Tasks with AWS Lambda
Build AWS Lambda functions to automate specific security actions and responses, enabling you to streamline security operations and reduce manual effort.

Lambda functions can be designed to automatically scan and analyse logs for security events, such as detecting suspicious patterns or unauthorised access attempts. These functions can trigger immediate actions like sending notifications, blocking IP addresses, or initiating incident response workflows.

Lambda functions can also be used to perform regular security checks and configuration audits, ensuring compliance with security policies and industry standards. This includes validating SSL certificate expiration dates, verifying access controls, or scanning for known vulnerabilities in application dependencies.

● Implement Continuous Monitoring
Enable real-time monitoring of AWS services and resources using AWS CloudWatch, allowing for automated monitoring and alerting to promptly identify and respond to security incidents.

WOLK’s Network Operations Center (NOC)
At WOLK, we go beyond standard security practices by incorporating our NOC (Network Operations Center) expertise. Our NOC operates around the clock, vigilantly overseeing your AWS environment. We meticulously monitor and manage security parameters, ensuring your system aligns with Well-Architected standards. This proactive stance enables us to address potential issues swiftly and maintain a secure and compliant AWS infrastructure.

Achieve Ironclad Security: Protect Your Modern Workplace on AWS
Achieve ironclad security for your modern workplace on AWS when partnering with WOLK, a trusted long-term AWS partner. Safeguard your valuable assets and ensure a secure future for your organisation. Contact WOLK today for expert guidance and comprehensive security solutions.

Using AWS Compliance Services to Streamline Compliance Processes and Reporting | AWS Artifact and AWS Config

Compliance requirements can be challenging for businesses, but AWS Compliance Services offer a streamlined solution. With tools like AWS Artifact and AWS Config, businesses can improve their compliance processes and reporting, ensuring adherence to industry standards and regulations. Learn how AWS Compliance Services can simplify the complex landscape of industry compliance requirements.

AWS Artifact: Simplifying Compliance Documentation and Reporting
AWS Artifact facilitates compliance documentation and reporting by providing a centralised repository of artifacts. The comprehensive artifacts collection covers various frameworks and standards, enabling businesses to address obligations effectively.

Accessing and utilising AWS Artifact is straightforward through the AWS Management Console. Businesses can easily search and download the required artifacts, eliminating the need for manual collection and organisation. AWS Artifact also streamlines compliance reporting by generating audit reports and evidence of compliance, simplifying the reporting process.

With AWS Artifact, businesses can save time and resources while ensuring accurate and up-to-date compliance information for auditors and regulatory bodies, making it an invaluable tool for increasing reporting efficiency.

AWS Config: Enabling Continuous Compliance Monitoring
AWS Config enables continuous compliance monitoring by automating rule-based evaluations of resource configurations. It provides real-time insights into compliance status, helping organisations maintain a secure and compliant AWS environment.

With AWS Config, you can easily set up rules aligned with your compliance requirements and receive notifications for non-compliant configurations. The service offers pre-configured rules for common compliance frameworks and allows customisation for specific needs.

Real-time compliance reporting provides visibility into areas that require attention, such as security group rules, IAM policies, and encryption settings. This enables your business to take prompt action and ensure adherence to regulatory standards and best practices.

Integrating AWS Compliance Services for Streamlined Processes
Integrating AWS Artifact and AWS Config streamlines compliance processes by providing comprehensive compliance management. Combining these services offers a centralised repository of compliance artifacts, simplifying documentation and reporting.

By integrating AWS Artifact with AWS Config, organisations establish end-to-end compliance management, defining custom rules and ensuring adherence to specific requirements. This integration automates assessments, detects non-compliant configurations, and generates comprehensive compliance reports. It increases efficiency, saves time, and reduces manual effort.

Examples of streamlined processes include automatically assessing configurations, receiving alerts for non-compliance, and generating compliance reports for audits. Using automation and alerts ensures proactive compliance management, enabling organisations to stay compliant with regulations and industry standards.

Harness the Power of AWS Compliance Services
Maximise the potential of AWS Compliance Services to streamline your compliance processes with WOLK, a trusted AWS Partner, who can help you optimise your compliance management and ensure regulatory adherence. Contact WOLK today to harness the power of AWS Compliance Services for your organisation.

Sustainable Procurement Practices for Hardware and Equipment Used on AWS

If you are using the power of AWS for your organisation, it’s time to consider the sustainability of your hardware and equipment procurement. Sustainable procurement practices are vital for environmental, social, and legal reasons.

Explore the significance of sustainable procurement practices for hardware and equipment used on AWS and how they can contribute to greener and more responsible business operations.

Overview of AWS and its Hardware and Equipment
AWS, a leading cloud computing platform, uses various hardware and instruments, including servers, storage devices, and networking equipment. However, the environmental impact of procuring and using these technologies is a concern.

The production and disposal of these devices contribute to carbon emissions, resource depletion, and electronic waste. According to the UN Global E-waste Monitor, 53.6 million metric tonnes of e-waste was generated globally in 2019. Data centres contribute a significant percentage of that waste. However, AWS has begun implementing sustainable hardware usage and disposal practices, including the reverse logistics program.

The reverse logistics program exemplifies Amazon Web Services’ commitment to sustainability by repurposing retired hardware from data centres; they minimise waste and maximise resource utilisation. Functional, sanitised, and retired server racks and components are demanufactured, repaired and tested for reuse in the AWS data centres.

Benefits of Sustainable Procurement Practices for AWS
Sustainable procurement practices for hardware and equipment on AWS offer benefits for your company beyond environmental responsibility, including:

● Reduction in Carbon Footprint
By selecting energy-efficient devices and prioritising renewable energy sources, AWS can minimise its greenhouse gas emissions.

● Cost Savings Through Energy Efficiency
Hardware and equipment with energy-efficient features reduce energy consumption and cost savings for AWS and its customers.

● Enhanced Brand Reputation and Customer Loyalty
Embracing sustainable practices enhances AWS’s brand reputation, attracting customers who value ethical and eco-friendly business practices and fostering increased loyalty and trust.

Key Sustainable Procurement Practices for Hardware and Equipment on AWS
To ensure sustainable procurement of hardware and equipment on AWS, several key practices can be adopted, like:

● Choosing Energy-Efficient Equipment
Opt for devices with high energy efficiency ratings to minimise power consumption and optimise resource utilisation.

● Prioritising Products with Environmentally Friendly Certifications
Select AWS products with certifications like ENERGY STAR or EPEAT, ensuring energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact.

● Considering the Entire Lifecycle of the Product
Evaluate the environmental impact of hardware from manufacturing to disposal. Choose devices with lower environmental footprints for a greener approach.

● Encouraging Suppliers to Adopt Sustainable Practices
Collaborate with suppliers to promote environmentally responsible manufacturing, waste reduction, and energy optimisation.

AWS Initiatives for Sustainable Procurement
AWS prioritises sustainable procurement, aiming for 100% renewable energy usage and collaborating with suppliers for environmentally responsible practices.

Initiatives like the AWS Supplier Code of Conduct and supplier sustainability assessments drive environmental stewardship. AWS promotes a greener future and sustainable procurement industry-wide through collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Tips for Individuals and Organizations Using AWS
Incorporating sustainable procurement practices while using AWS is essential for promoting a positive environmental impact. By prioritising eco-friendly hardware, selecting products with sustainable certifications, and assessing the lifecycle impact of purchases, organisations can harness the full potential of AWS while actively working towards a more sustainable future.

Paving the Way to a Greener Future with Sustainable AWS Procurement
Choose a sustainable path with AWS and make a positive difference today. Contact our team of Amazon Web Services experts at WOLK Technology for guidance and support on your sustainable procurement journey.

Compliance with industry regulations and standards is vital for data protection and maintaining trust in the modern business landscape. AWS is a valuable ally for companies of all sizes, offering a strong infrastructure and comprehensive compliance framework.

Discover how AWS empowers organisations to confidently meet industry-specific requirements, ensuring seamless compliance and strengthening their overall security posture.

Understanding Industry Regulations and Standards
Different industries are bound by specific regulations and standards designed to protect data and ensure privacy.

Examples include the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for healthcare and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) for handling cardholder data.

Compliance with these regulations is mandatory; failing to meet them can cause severe penalties and reputational damage.

AWS Compliance Framework
AWS provides a comprehensive compliance framework that assists businesses in meeting regulatory requirements.

Under the shared responsibility model, AWS secures the underlying infrastructure, while customers must implement controls to secure their data and applications. This collaborative approach allows organisations to benefit from AWS’s robust security infrastructure while maintaining control over compliance efforts.

Ensuring Security and Privacy on AWS
AWS offers many security features and services to protect data in the cloud. Implementing best practices such as strong encryption, access controls, and network security measures strengthens the security posture.

AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) allows you to manage user access and permissions for AWS resources. You can create and manage user accounts, assign permissions, and enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of security.

AWS also provides various encryption options to protect data at rest and in transit. AWS Key Management Service (KMS) enables you to create and manage encryption keys, while services like Amazon S3, Amazon EBS, and Amazon RDS support server-side encryption. AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) enables easy provisioning and management of SSL/TLS certificates.

Auditing and Monitoring on AWS
Continuous auditing and monitoring play a vital role in maintaining compliance. AWS offers services such as AWS CloudTrail and AWS Config, which provide detailed logs and visibility into account activity, resource configurations, and changes.

These services aid in identifying potential compliance issues, enabling prompt responses to security incidents, and facilitating compliance audits.

Compliance Automation and Documentation
AWS offers automation tools and services to streamline compliance processes. AWS Config Rules and AWS Security Hub automate compliance checks and provide real-time alerts.

Additionally, AWS Artifact and AWS Systems Manager assist in documentation and compliance workflow management, simplifying the process of demonstrating adherence to regulations.

Safeguard Your Company on AWS
Secure your company’s future on AWS confidently with WOLK, your trusted AWS partner. Contact us today to fortify your AWS environment and ensure compliance while you focus on your core business objectives.

Implementing Security Controls and Monitoring Mechanisms to Ensure Compliance on AWS

With 94% of businesses relying on cloud services, implementing strong security controls on AWS has become essential for safeguarding sensitive data and ensuring regulatory compliance. Effective monitoring mechanisms are critical for promptly detecting and responding to security incidents.

Discover the importance of security controls on AWS and the necessity of monitoring for compliance.

What are Security Controls on AWS?
To understand security controls on AWS, it’s essential to know about the AWS Shared Responsibility Model. While AWS ensures the security of the cloud infrastructure, customers are responsible for securing their data and applications on AWS. There are several types of security controls available to customers, including:

● Identity and Access Management (IAM)
IAM allows users to manage user accounts, access policies, and enable multi-factor authentication for improved security.

● Network Security
With the network security control, you can configure VPCs, use security groups and network ACLs, and monitor with AWS CloudWatch to establish a secure network infrastructure.

● Data Encryption
Protect data at rest and in transit with AWS encryption options, like Amazon S3 Server-Side Encryption (SSE), Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS), and AWS Key Management Service (KMS).

● Logging and Monitoring
Utilise AWS CloudTrail for auditing and AWS GuardDuty for threat detection to proactively monitor and respond to security incidents.

● Incident Response and Recovery
Establish incident response and recovery procedures to ensure business continuity and minimise the impact of disruptions.

How You Can Implement Security Controls on AWS?
To effectively implement security controls on AWS, follow these steps:

Create and manage user accounts, set up access policies and roles, and implement multi-factor authentication for improved security.
Configure your VPC to isolate resources, utilise security groups and network ACLs to control inbound and outbound traffic, and monitor network traffic using AWS CloudWatch for early threat detection.
Understand the different encryption methods, encrypt data to protect sensitive information, and manage encryption keys effectively to maintain strong security measures.

Monitoring Mechanisms for Compliance
AWS offers monitoring mechanisms for compliance, including AWS CloudTrail for tracking API calls and auditing, AWS Config for assessing resource configurations and compliance, and AWS GuardDuty for continuous threat detection.

CloudTrail logs identify suspicious activities, while Config ensures adherence to industry standards. GuardDuty increases security by providing proactive monitoring and response to potential incidents. These tools enable organisations to maintain a secure environment and ensure compliance on AWS.

Ensuring Compliance on AWS
To ensure compliance on AWS, organisations must conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing and implement a strong patch management strategy. They should also perform security audits and compliance checks and establish strong incident response and recovery procedures.

These measures help identify and address security weaknesses, apply necessary updates, assess adherence to regulations, and respond effectively to incidents, ensuring a secure and compliant environment on AWS.

Fortify Your AWS Infrastructure With WOLK
Fortify your AWS infrastructure and optimise its architecture with the expertise of WOLK, an AWS Well-Architected Program Partner. Contact WOLK today to take your AWS environment to the next level of security and efficiency.

Innovations in Data Centre Design and Energy-Efficient Cooling Systems to Reduce Energy Consumption on AWS

Data centres have become the backbone of modern business operations, supporting various industries and enabling seamless connectivity. However, their growing energy consumption has raised concerns about environmental sustainability.

Explore how AWS is pioneering innovative data centre design and energy-efficient cooling systems to address infrastructure challenges, reduce energy consumption, and drive your business towards a more sustainable future.

Traditional Data Centre Challenges and Innovations in Data Centre Design
Traditional data centre design results in high energy consumption and a devastating environmental impact. This is primarily caused by inefficient cooling systems and non-renewable energy usage. According to experts, data centres are projected to consume 20% of the world’s power supply by 2025.

Advancements in data centre design have revolutionised the way we approach efficiency and sustainability, leading to innovations such as:

● Modular Data Centre Architecture
Many data centres now employ modular designs, offering flexibility, scalability, and reduced energy consumption. This allows for easier expansion and resource optimisation. Currently, AWS only offers its Modular Data Centre services for the U.S. Department of Defense. However, the design may soon be commonplace across numerous locations and applications.

The AWS Modular Data Centre is potentially a convenient solution for customers seeking high-availability infrastructure. Equipped with internal networking, cooling, and power distribution equipment, it supports AWS Outposts or Snowball Edge devices for compute and storage needs. Scalability is achieved through additional modular units. Low latency applications can be run from any location using AWS services and APIs.

● Liquid Cooling Systems
Advanced cooling technologies, such as immersion cooling and direct evaporative cooling, have been successfully implemented on AWS. These systems minimise energy usage and improve efficiency.

AWS Cooling Systems incorporate innovative technologies and cooling mediums to minimize environmental impact. By optimising cooling infrastructure and using advanced techniques like free cooling, AWS reduces energy consumption by up to 20% and limits greenhouse gas emissions associated with data centre cooling, ensuring a greener cloud infrastructure.

● Renewable Energy Integration
Data centres are reducing their carbon footprint by harnessing solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. AWS is leading the way by promoting the use of renewable energy sources.

AWS has invested in 10.9 gigawatts of clean wind and solar power to provide energy for their data centres across the globe. This includes over 200 on-site solar facilities and 164 wind and solar farms.

● Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Cooling Optimization
Artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms optimise cooling systems through real-time monitoring and analysis. These technologies enable proactive adjustments to cooling resources based on temperature and performance data, maximising energy efficiency.

Predictive maintenance algorithms can also help identify potential issues, enabling timely interventions and preventing energy wastage.

Data Centres and AWS Leading the Charge Towards Energy Efficiency
As data centres continue to evolve, energy efficiency becomes increasingly important. WOLK Technology, a certified AWS Well-Architected Program partner, offers tailored IT solutions to help businesses optimise their operations and adopt energy-efficient practices.

Contact us today to learn more about our services and drive your company towards a greener and more sustainable future.

Protecting Sensitive Data with AWS Encryption Services and Key Management Best Practices

Protecting your most sensitive data is a priority for all companies, whether you manage a large or smaller business. No target is too small to be vulnerable to cyber threats, and small-to-mid-sized businesses (SMBs) are at the highest risk of cyber-attacks and data breaches.

Learn how Amazon encryption services like AWS Key Management Services (AWS KMS) can protect your business data and what are the best practices to follow for maximum efficiency. The best part is, you don’t need to sweat the detail. When you’re a client, these services are all managed under WOLK’s Managed Services Agreement.

How AWS Key Management Service (KMS) Protects Sensitive Data
AWS Key Management Service (AWS KMS) is a convenient managed service allowing business owners and IT system managers to create and manage cryptographic keys. These keys are used in data encryption, protecting your most sensitive data from unauthorised access.

AWS KMS is easy to use, reducing the process of setting up and managing cryptographic keys to just a few clicks. It is also fully integrated with other critical Amazon services, such as Elastic Block Store (EBS), Amazon S3, and RedShift.

AWS KMS allows you to centralise your cryptographic key management in one easy-to-use point, letting you create, rotate, manage, and delete keys and key permissions.

Data Security at the Source with Amazon S3 Server-Side Encryption
The Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) is an object storage service capable of intelligently retrieving data from any location to any device. Amazon S3 is an essential part of many organisations’ workflows, useful for virtually any application: from websites and data archives to mobile applications and enterprise-grade storage.

Besides its storage capabilities, Amazon S3 has many benefits for workplace security and sensitive data protection.

All businesses using Amazon S3 can benefit from its server-side encryption, protecting your data before it reaches AWS data centres and decrypting it when retrieved. Amazon S3 is designed to integrate with AWS KMS, letting you use the cryptographic keys and encryption standards you configured beforehand.

Additionally, since January 2023, all new objects uploaded to Amazon S3 servers are now automatically encrypted, even if you did not specify a key with AWS KMS.

Best Practices to Follow with AWS KMS
Follow these security best practices to maximise business security and make the most out of AWS KMS.

● Always follow the principle of least privilege. Each employee or team member should only have the permissions they need and no more.
● Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on API calls to add another layer of security. MFA ensures that even if an attacker can access an employee’s valid credentials, they cannot tamper with business data without access to that employee’s secure device.
● Allow services such as AWS CloudTrail to audit key usage and monitor all key-related activity.

Enhance Business Data Security with WOLK
As a partner of the AWS Well-Architected Program, WOLK’s team can help your business implement a security plan compliant with the AWS Security pillar. Contact us today to arrange a review.

Best Practices for Building Secure and Compliant Environments on AWS

New cyber threats emerge daily, but building secure environments is the best way to ensure maximum data security and protection against breaches. When working on the cloud with providers such as AWS, complying with the latest data security standards and applying data security best practices is critical to protecting sensitive data.

How Cloud Security Works on AWS
Amazon Web Services (AWS) uses a security and compliance model called AWS Shared Responsibility. Under this model, AWS and customers are jointly responsible for data security and compliance with the latest data protection standards.

AWS is generally responsible for the security of the cloud. Amazon is responsible for data security and regulatory compliance of the AWS global infrastructure, hardware, software, and networking used to run AWS services.

The customer is responsible for security in the cloud. Customers must ensure the safety and compliance of all data, processes, applications, platforms, and operating systems they run using AWS services.

AWS Security Best Practices
While knowing the AWS Shared Responsibility Model is essential, building a secure environment requires following cloud security best practices. Apply the following recommendations to your AWS instances to maximise data safety:

● AWS Key Management Service (AWS KMS) to encrypt sensitive data.
● Understand the principle of least privilege and use AWS Identity and Access. Management (IAM) to ensure your team members only have access to the data they need.
● Detect potential threats early with activity monitoring services such as AWS CloudTrail and Amazon CloudWatch.
● Build an incident response and recovery plan to address data breaches, back up your most sensitive data, and recover from other security incidents.
● Create a culture of security awareness within your organisation to encourage good cloud safety habits.

AWS Compliance Best Practices
Regardless of your organisation’s industry, integrating compliance requirements into the design and architecture of your AWS is one of the best ways to meet data security standards. Some compliance best practices to consider include:

● Identify your industry’s regulatory requirements and whether they apply in your region and particular use case. For instance, U.S.-based AWS customers in the medical sector may need to comply with HIPAA or the HITECH Act.
● Use AWS services such as Amazon Macie to identify and protect your data based on its sensitivity. They can ensure your sensitive data receives the protection required by all applicable regulatory standards.
● Visit the AWS compliance resource repository to learn the specific processes and tasks needed to become compliant with your industry’s regulations.

Meet Your Security and Compliance Objectives with WOLK
WOLK Technology is a trusted team of Amazon Web Service experts. We can review your organisation’s cloud security and regulatory needs and help you meet data safety and compliance objectives.

Call us today for more information.