AWS : Authentication Mechanisms

Course details

Authentication, authorization, and accounting is key within any infrastructure. From different AWS environments such as test dev and production, to different departments using your AWS infrastructure, such as sales and marketing, etc.

If you overlook security from an identity and authorization perspective, you could leave yourself open to security loopholes which in turn can lead to abuse from not only internal users, but external as well. Security remains the highest sticking point within cloud computing. It's the one key topic that consistently gains attention and requires constant and considerable effort to get right and implement efficiently.

In order to do this correctly, a clear understanding and definition of security terms are essential. Such as the clear differences between authentication, authorization, and access control. If you want to be an effective security expert, you need to know the differences between these terms to allow you to select and architect the right solution to meet your needs.

There are so many different methods of authentication and granting permissions. It can get a little overwhelming when selecting the most effective mechanism. However when doing so, implement the solution that meets the security level of the data and resources that you are protecting. If the data or resource is highly sensitive then you would to implement multiple levels of authentication, such as MFA in addition to multiple levels of authorization at different levels. The more restrictions that are in place the harder it is to breach.

Billing also plays a part in helping to secure your infrastructure, Analysis of your billing information allows you to track and notice trends occurring in your infrastructure. Any anomaly outside of these predicted trends could be a security breach that needs investigation.

Implementing numerous authentication methods at the correct levels along with multiple authorization mechanisms where identities can be tracked and monitored throughout their authenticated session, in addition to graphical billing analysis, allows you to create an effective, secure, and proactive security analysis solution.