Encrypt and Copy Existing AWS Backup Recovery Points to a New Account for Enhanced Security

Backup Best Practices in Data Protection When designing a secure backup solution on AWS, it is important to ensure that: Recovery points are stored in a separate account: This prevents an attacker from deleting both the production data and backups in the event of credential compromise. Backups are encrypted: Even if data is lost or compromised, encryption ensures that it cannot be read or misused. In this post, I will guide you through a process to implement a solution that satisfies both of these best practices. Continue reading

Remediating Unencrypted EBS Volumes: Encryption in Action

Recap: Preparing for Full Encryption In the last two posts, I discussed the importance of encrypting data at rest and how to identify unencrypted EBS volumes attached to EC2 instances by using a Python script. After generating a report, I outlined the initial steps for remediation, which included gathering information about unencrypted volumes. Now, it’s time to take action in an automated fashion. In this post, I’ll guide you through the process of actually encrypting unencrypted EBS volumes using the encrypt-ec2-ebs-vols. Continue reading

Data Encryption at Rest: Preparing for EBS Volumes Remediation

Taking the First Steps Toward Secure Data at Rest In the previous post , I discussed the importance of encrypting data at rest and introduced the powerful combination of AWS tools and the Prowler open-source framework. After running Prowler’s security assessment, you may have identified some unencrypted resources, particularly EBS volumes attached to EC2 instances. Remediating unencrypted EBS volumes is critical for ensuring that sensitive data is protected, but it requires a careful, planned approach. Continue reading

Data Encryption at Rest

The Critical Role of Data Encryption at Rest Data encryption at rest is an essential security measure for protecting sensitive information. In today’s digital landscape, organizations face strict compliance requirements, whether for regulatory standards like GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI DSS, or for internal data protection policies. Encrypting data at rest ensures that even if storage devices are compromised, unauthorized users cannot read the data. This not only protects privacy but also ensures that businesses meet their compliance obligations and mitigate security risks. Continue reading

The Evolution of AI: From Monolithic to Task Specific Models

The field of artificial intelligence (AI) has been rapidly evolving, with new advancements and breakthroughs happening at an unprecedented pace. One of the most significant trends we’ve recently observed is the shift from monolithic, all-encompassing AI models to more specialized, task-specific models. This shift mirrors the historical trend in software development, where we moved from monolithic applications to microservices-based architectures. From Monolithic to Microservices In the past, software applications were often built as monolithic structures, where a single application would handle all the functionality and features. Continue reading

Cultivating the Garden of Data With AWS DataZone

I have said it many times before, “Data is the new seed of innovation.” Data stands as the foundational seed from which innovation sprouts, but how we manage and nurture this data determines whether we cultivate a thriving garden of insights or merely a compost heap of unsorted information. Enter Amazon DataZone. What is Amazon DataZone? Amazon DataZone is a data management service designed to streamline the process of cataloging, discovering, governing, sharing, and analyzing data. Continue reading

Prompt Engineering with AI: The Art of Asking for What You Want

In the world of sales, one principle has stood the test of time: the importance of asking for what you want. Whether it’s nudging a prospect towards a deal or clarifying a client’s needs, the clarity of one’s ask can make or break the outcome. Interestingly, the same logic applies in the realm of AI, particularly in the emerging discipline of Prompt Engineering. What is Prompt Engineering? At its core, prompt engineering is the science and art of designing effective prompts to guide AI models, specifically language models, to produce desired outputs. Continue reading