#CONCEPT OF LEAST PRIVILEGE PASSWORD#

IAM policies give your organization the power over which actions can be performed by or on any given resource in your AWS environment. IAM policies are one of the most complicated things out there because you have to have an operational and security perspective. Use Policy Conditions for Extra Securityĭon’t underestimate the value and complexity of IAM policies, though – especially in AWS.Use Roles for Applications that Run on Amazon EC2 Instances.

#CONCEPT OF LEAST PRIVILEGE PASSWORD#

Configure a Strong Password Policy for Users.Use Access Levels to Review IAM Permissions.Use Customer Managed Policies Instead of Inline Policies.Get Started Using Permissions with AWS Managed Policies.Use Groups to Assign Permissions to IAM Users.Lock Away AWS Account Root User Access Keys.IAM policies should also be tested by someone with knowledge of your AWS environment and IAM policies for assurance that they are functioning as intended.ĪWS recommends creating IAM policies surrounding these subject areas: It is even AWS’ recommendation that when you create IAM policies, you begin with least privileges and then grant elevated privileges when necessary. Least privileges and minimum necessary is also key to the HIPAA Privacy Rule, which requires covered entities to enhance their safeguards to limit unnecessary or inappropriate access to and disclosure of PHI.īest practice for least privileges is to ensure that your policies allow the fewest actions and access to resources as possible.We see the subject of least privileges again in PCI Requirement 7.1.2, where it requires organizations to limit access to privileged user IDs to personnel who truly require it for the function of their job.

SOC 2 common criteria 6.3 says, “The entity authorizes, modifies, or removes access to data, software, functions, and other protected information assets based on roles, responsibilities, or the system design and changes, giving consideration to the concepts of least privilege and segregation of duties, to meet the entity’s objectives.”.

Consider the following requirements from industry frameworks: Best practice for least privileges comes down to the assignment of roles and responsibilities, limiting access based on what’s required, and creating a separation of duties. Least privilege is also referred to as role-based access or need-to-know access and falls under AWS Identity and Access Management policies.Ĭonfiguring a system based on least privileges and need-to-know principles aren’t new concepts, but many organizations fail in this area. In AWS, the concept of least privilege means that you give users the least amount of access and responsibility necessary to complete their duties. It’s important to evaluate privileges assigned to all roles in your organization. Were those credentials protected appropriately? Apparently not, because the environment was susceptible to the SSRF attack that had detrimental consequences for Capital One. This command allowed the attacker to acquire security credentials for a specific WAF-role with elevated privileges that had access to folders in Capital One’s AWS environment. When the attacker executed the first command, the hack began. Privilege management, misuse, and Identity & Access Management (IAM) misconfigurations led to the first misstep in the Capital One Breach. What Happened at Capital One with IAM Misconfigurations?Īccording to Verizon’s 2019 DBIR, misuse of privileges is the cause of nearly 70% of breaches and 29% of all breaches involve the use of stolen credentials. We’ve talked about how security misconfigurations played a role in Capital One’s breach, but now let’s discuss how privilege management contributed to this successful hack. This breach could happen to any organization that’s not educated on AWS vulnerabilities and best practices. That depends on your commitment to cloud security. Best Practices for Privilege Management in AWSĬould what happened at Capital One happen at your organization?

Concept of least privilege