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AWS does not publish a canonical list of 12 insecure defaults, and some services already enable important protections: Amazon S3 applies server-side encryption with S3-managed keys by default, and CloudTrail encrypts trail log files with SSE-KMS by default. The checks below are settings teams may leave unchanged or misconfigure—not proof that AWS ships every service insecurely. Each gives a concrete action, but none is a one-line fix for an entire AWS account.
1. Block public access to S3 unless it is intentional
One-line fix: Enable all four S3 Block Public Access controls at the account or bucket scope appropriate to your workload.
Review bucket policies for broad principals such as "*", permissive actions, and public ACLs. Account-level blocking provides broader protection; bucket-level controls let you address a particular bucket. If a bucket intentionally serves public content, confirm that the chosen controls and delivery design are compatible before enabling them.
2. Require HTTPS for S3 bucket requests
One-line fix: Add a bucket-policy deny for requests where the aws:SecureTransport condition is false.
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This prevents that bucket from serving requests over insecure transport. Check applications, integrations, and other legitimate access paths before applying the policy; clients that still use HTTP will stop working. Treat this as a bucket policy, not an account-wide switch.
3. Set S3 encryption to match your key-control requirements
One-line fix: Keep S3’s default server-side encryption unless a specific requirement calls for a different encryption configuration or key-control model.
S3 encrypts new objects at rest by default with SSE-S3, so “turn on encryption” is not a valid general fix for an assumed lack of encryption. SSE-KMS can provide a different governance and key-control arrangement, but it also makes access depend on the relevant KMS permissions. Choose it for a defined requirement, and verify that authorized applications and users can use the key.
4. Enable EBS encryption by default in each required Region
One-line fix: Turn on EBS encryption by default in every AWS Region where you create volumes.
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This account-and-Region setting applies to new EBS volumes and snapshot copies created after it is enabled. It does not retroactively encrypt existing volumes. Check existing storage separately, and ensure launch workflows and identity permissions do not allow unencrypted volumes where encryption is required.
5. Keep EBS snapshots private unless sharing is deliberate
One-line fix: Remove public sharing from EBS snapshots and grant access only to specific AWS accounts when sharing is necessary.
A public snapshot can expose the volume’s data to other AWS accounts. Before sharing, confirm the snapshot’s contents are suitable for disclosure and that the recipient accounts are the intended ones. Review existing snapshot permissions rather than assuming new snapshots are the only ones that need attention.
6. Keep RDS snapshots private unless sharing is deliberate
One-line fix: Keep manual RDS snapshots private and share them only with named AWS accounts when there is a justified need.
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Making a snapshot public grants all AWS accounts access to its snapshot data. Check existing sharing settings as well as the process that creates snapshots; a safe creation workflow does not correct a snapshot that is already shared too broadly.
7. Create an ongoing CloudTrail trail for the coverage you need
One-line fix: Create and validate an account or organization trail instead of relying only on recent event visibility.
Viewing recent CloudTrail events is not the same as configuring an ongoing trail that records activity to a destination. Decide whether your coverage needs a trail for one account or an organization, and check that it covers the required Regions. A trail is an audit configuration to validate, not a blanket guarantee that every useful event category is being recorded.
8. Restrict access to the CloudTrail log bucket
One-line fix: Limit the trail’s S3 bucket to CloudTrail delivery and authorized audit roles.
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A dedicated bucket and least-privilege access reduce the chance that unrelated users or services can read, change, or interfere with audit logs. Set the bucket policy to fit the trail and approved readers; a partial policy fragment is not a safe universal replacement for checking the full delivery and access configuration.
9. Set CloudTrail log retention deliberately
One-line fix: Add an S3 lifecycle rule for the log bucket after setting an approved retention period.
Without a lifecycle policy, CloudTrail log objects in S3 have no automatic expiration. Choose retention with legal, audit, and incident-response requirements in mind before configuring deletion or archival. Do not apply a short expiration simply to reduce storage without confirming those obligations.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.10. Require MFA through the identity system your account uses
One-line fix: Enforce MFA for account access through your centrally managed identity and access controls.
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A single IAM-user setting cannot cover every identity path. Confirm which people and workloads can access the account, how they authenticate, and how MFA is enforced for the human users who need it. Apply the control to the actual identity setup rather than treating one user or console setting as account-wide protection.
11. Use supported TLS settings for clients connecting to AWS
One-line fix: Configure clients and SDKs to use TLS 1.2 or later, and use TLS 1.3 where supported.
AWS says it requires TLS 1.2 and recommends TLS 1.3 for communication with AWS resources. This is a client-and-connection concern: update relevant SDKs, command-line tools, runtimes, and endpoint policies where applicable, then check that the clients in use can connect with the selected protocol. It is not one universal account toggle.
12. Check CloudTrail event categories, not just whether logging is on
One-line fix: Configure CloudTrail event selectors to record the management and data events your audit requirements call for.
Management-event coverage does not automatically provide object-level S3 data-event coverage. If you need to know about activity on S3 objects, configure the required data events for the relevant resources and validate that the trail records them. Data-event volume and cost can vary with workload, so scope the selectors to the coverage you actually need.
Quick Recap
How to apply these checks safely
- Choose the scope. Identify whether each control belongs at the organization, account, Region, bucket, snapshot, identity, or client level.
- Check current state. Review existing resources and policies; several controls affect new resources or future access without repairing prior exposure.
- Test the effect. Check expected application, recovery, sharing, and audit workflows before enforcing a policy that can block access.
- Verify the evidence. Confirm the setting is enabled at the intended scope and that the resulting logs or permissions show the coverage you expect.
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