By James Smith, Associate Director of Cloud Engineering Services, University of Notre Dame and Amanda Tan, Program Manager, CLASS, Internet2
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Universities and research organizations handle vast amounts of sensitive data, from student records to groundbreaking research, making them prime targets for cyber threats. Security remains a top concern as higher education institutions increasingly adopt cloud computing.
Institutions can ensure data protection, compliance, and operational efficiency by effectively leveraging AWS security practices.
How can you secure your AWS environment, particularly on a campus? James Smith, the associate director of Cloud Engineering Services at the University of Notre Dame and instructor of the Internet2 CLASS course AWS Security on the Cloud, recommends six key AWS security best practices to help higher education institutions safeguard their cloud environments.
James Smith, associate director of Cloud Engineering Services at the University of Notre Dame
Key Takeaways
- Strengthen identity and access management in your environment
- Enable AWS activity logging and monitoring
- Secure your data storage and Amazon S3 buckets
- Set up protections against DDoS and network attacks
- Protect sensitive research data
- Maintain compliance and conduct security reviews
1. Strengthen Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Why It Matters:
Restricting access and ensuring proper authentication mechanisms prevent unauthorized use and data breaches.
Best Practices:
- Implement Least Privilege Access: Assign users only the permissions they need.
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Reduce the risk of compromised credentials.
- Use IAM Roles Instead of Root Credentials: Never use root accounts for daily operations.
- Regularly Audit IAM Policies: Remove unused access roles and permissions to minimize attack surfaces.
Pro Tip: Use AWS IAM Access Analyzer to evaluate permissions and continuously detect overly permissive policies.
2. Enable Logging and Monitoring
Why It Matters:
Visiting AWS activity helps institutions detect and respond to threats in real time.
Best Practices:
- Enable AWS CloudTrail: The CloudTrail web service logs all API activity for auditing and compliance.
- Use AWS Config: Continuously monitor AWS resource configurations and security settings.
- Deploy Amazon GuardDuty: This will help detect unusual activity, such as unauthorized access attempts.
- Set Up AWS Security Hub: Get a centralized view of security alerts and compliance status.
Pro Tip: Automate security alerting with Amazon SNS and AWS Lambda to ensure rapid response.
3. Secure Data Storage and S3 Buckets
Why It Matters:
Misconfigured storage services, especially Amazon S3, have led to significant data breaches.
Best Practices:
- Block Public Access to S3 Buckets: Prevent unintended data exposure.
- Enable Server-Side Encryption (SSE): Protect stored data.
- Use AWS Macie: Detect sensitive data and automate protection measures.
- Set Up Lifecycle Policies: Regularly archive or delete unused data to reduce exposure.
Pro Tip: Use Amazon S3 Access Analyzer to identify overly permissive bucket policies.
4. Protect Against DDoS and Network Attacks
Why It Matters:
Higher education institutions are frequent targets of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
Best Practices:
- Enable AWS Shield: This protects applications from DDoS attacks.
- Use AWS Web Application Firewall (WAF): Filter malicious traffic with AWS WAF.
- Deploy Amazon CloudFront: Distribute content securely and mitigate performance-related attacks.
- Monitor Network Traffic: Utilize AWS VPC Flow Logs and AWS Firewall Manager.
Pro Tip: Set up automatic threat response workflows with AWS Lambda and AWS Shield Advanced.
5. Encrypt and Protect Sensitive Research Data
Why It Matters:
Protecting intellectual property, student data, and confidential research findings is critical for regulatory compliance and protecting against data breaches and cyber threats.
Best Practices:
- Use AWS Key Management Service (KMS): Encrypt data at rest and in transit.
- Enable End-to-End Encryption: Apply encryption across databases, S3, and network traffic.
- Use AWS Secrets Manager: Securely manage API keys, passwords, and database credentials.
- Regularly Rotate Encryption Keys: Reduce risks associated with compromised credentials.
Pro Tip: Implement automated key rotation policies in AWS KMS for enhanced security.
6. Maintain Compliance and Conduct Regular Security Reviews
Why It Matters:
Higher education institutions must comply with industry regulations such as FERPA, GDPR, and HIPAA when handling sensitive data.
Best Practices:
- Use AWS Config Rules: Automate compliance checks.
- Enable AWS Security Hub: Consolidate security findings from various AWS services.
- Perform Routine Security Assessments: Leverage the AWS Well-Architected Tool to identify security gaps.
- Train Staff on Cloud Security Best Practices: Human error remains a leading cause of breaches.
Pro Tip: Implement AWS Organizations and Service Control Policies (SCPs) for better governance across multiple AWS accounts.
Conclusion
By following these AWS security best practices, higher education institutions can ensure their cloud environments remain secure, compliant, and resilient against cyber threats. As cloud adoption continues to grow, universities must take a proactive approach to cybersecurity.
Want to learn more? Check out the Internet2 CLASS AWS Security on the Cloud course, an AWS training workshop designed for higher education professionals looking to enhance their cloud security expertise.