Tim's Tech Thoughts

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

2024-08-30 AWS Timothy Patterson
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

2024-08-27 AWS Timothy Patterson
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

2024-08-26 AWS Timothy Patterson
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

2024-08-21 AWS Timothy Patterson
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

Data is the new seed of innovation

Seeds represent potential and growth, and similarly, data holds the promise of valuable insights and solutions when properly nurtured and analyzed. By planting the seeds of data in the fertile ground of analytical tools and human ingenuity, organizations and individuals can cultivate a garden of innovations that contribute to progress and success. Seeds give birth to new ideas, discoveries, and advancements.

Timothy Patterson
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein are my own personal thoughts and do not represent the views of any present or past employer in any way.