Cloud Security Project

This repository hosts my final project for the Cloud Security course, which focuses on building and securing cloud infrastructure with Amazon Web Services (AWS). The project includes comprehensive security controls for infrastructure resilience and data protection. It highlights strategies for Identity and Access Management (IAM), network security, DDoS protection, backup solutions, and configuration management, aligned with best practices for secure cloud deployment.

Table of Contents

• Project Overview
• Project Objectives
• Project Contents
• Prerequisites
• Implementation
• Results and Analysis
• Conclusion

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Project Overview

This Cloud Security project is designed to demonstrate a structured approach to secure cloud architecture using AWS services. The PDF file included in this repository documents each component of the setup, from initial IAM configurations to advanced security mechanisms for network traffic control and data integrity.

The project’s goal is to establish a secure and scalable infrastructure for applications that require stringent security measures due to sensitive data handling.

Project Objectives

The main objectives of this project are as follows:

• Secure the Cloud Infrastructure: Implement AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) policies to enforce role-based access controls.
• Resilience and Availability: Configure Auto Scaling and Load Balancing to ensure application availability under varying loads.
• DDoS Protection: Use AWS Web Application Firewall (WAF) and AWS Shield to mitigate DDoS attacks.
• Backup and Data Recovery: Utilize AWS Backup for data integrity and AWS Patch Manager for system updates.
• Network and System Monitoring: Enable CloudTrail, CloudWatch, and GuardDuty to monitor and log network traffic and detect potential security threats.

Project Contents

• Project.pdf: Main document with detailed explanations of the project’s architecture, security configurations, and analysis.
• IAM Policies: Configurations for restricting user access based on roles, providing the least privilege for cloud operations.
• Network Security Setup: Firewall rules, VPC configuration, and subnets layout to isolate sensitive data and control ingress/egress traffic.
• Monitoring and Logging Configurations: Setup for AWS CloudTrail, CloudWatch, and GuardDuty to monitor security events and log critical information.
• DDoS Mitigation: Implementation of AWS WAF and Shield to protect against Distributed Denial of Service attacks.

Prerequisites

Before setting up this infrastructure, you should have:

• Basic understanding of AWS services, particularly IAM, EC2, RDS, CloudFront, and CloudWatch.
• Access to an AWS account with administrative privileges.
• Familiarity with cloud security concepts and best practices.

Implementation

1. Identity and Access Management (IAM)

   • Defined custom IAM policies for different user roles, enforcing principle of least privilege.
   • Configured Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for enhanced security.

2. Network Security

   • Established a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) with public and private subnets to separate the application layer and data layer.
   • Configured Security Groups and Network Access Control Lists (NACLs) for granular traffic filtering.

3. Auto Scaling and Load Balancing

   • Configured Auto Scaling groups to automatically adjust EC2 instances based on load.
   • Used an Application Load Balancer (ALB) to distribute traffic and improve fault tolerance.

4. DDoS Protection

   • Deployed AWS WAF and Shield Advanced for real-time DDoS protection.
   • Defined WAF rules to block malicious IPs and filter traffic patterns indicative of potential threats.

5. Backup and Patch Management

   • Set up AWS Backup for periodic data backups and easy data recovery.
   • Implemented AWS Patch Manager to regularly update and secure instances.

6. Monitoring and Logging

   • Enabled AWS CloudTrail to record API calls and track user activity.
   • Configured CloudWatch for real-time monitoring and alerts.
   • Deployed GuardDuty to detect unusual activity and alert for security incidents.

Results and Analysis

The project successfully demonstrates a secure and resilient AWS environment. Key outcomes include:

• Effective Access Control: Fine-grained IAM policies prevent unauthorized access and ensure role-based privileges.
• DDoS Mitigation: The WAF and Shield configuration effectively minimized simulated DDoS attacks, maintaining service availability.
• Data Security and Compliance: Backup solutions and regular patching support data integrity and regulatory compliance.
• Enhanced Monitoring: CloudTrail, CloudWatch, and GuardDuty provided detailed insights and alerts for proactive threat detection.

Conclusion

This project provides a comprehensive approach to secure cloud architecture by integrating various AWS security services. The methodologies and implementations documented here serve as a blueprint for organizations seeking a structured security posture within AWS. The solution is scalable, making it applicable to various industry sectors with compliance requirements.

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Thank you for exploring this project! If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to reach out or open an issue in the repository.