Public Instances with IAM Role

Overview

The "Public Instances with IAM Role" stat card provides detailed insights into EC2 instances that are both publicly accessible and assigned IAM roles. IAM roles grant instances the necessary permissions to access other AWS resources securely. This stat card helps IT and Security teams monitor public-facing EC2 instances with IAM roles to ensure that access is appropriately controlled and that sensitive resources are not inadvertently exposed.

Why It Matters

For IT Engineers:

1. Access Control Monitoring:

   • IT teams need to track which public instances are assigned IAM roles to ensure that only authorized instances have the necessary permissions to access AWS resources. This helps avoid overly permissive access that could lead to security risks.

2. Network Configuration:

   • By identifying public instances with IAM roles, IT engineers can ensure that only necessary instances are exposed to the internet while being appropriately secured with restrictive IAM permissions, minimizing the attack surface.

3. Performance and Cost Optimization:

   • Public instances with IAM roles often require higher monitoring for performance and security. IT teams can use this stat card to optimize resources and ensure that these instances are not consuming unnecessary resources or incurring unnecessary costs.

For Security Engineers:

1. Risk Mitigation:

   • Public instances with IAM roles pose a higher security risk as they are exposed to the internet and have permissions to access other AWS resources. This stat card helps security engineers monitor such instances and ensure that the IAM roles assigned to them follow the principle of least privilege.

2. Compliance and Policy Enforcement:

   • Many compliance standards require strict control over public-facing instances and their access to sensitive AWS resources. The stat card helps security engineers ensure that IAM roles assigned to public instances comply with organizational security policies and regulatory requirements.

3. Incident Detection:

   • Public instances with IAM roles can be targeted by attackers to escalate privileges or access sensitive data. The stat card helps security teams detect any unexpected or unusual IAM role assignments to public instances, allowing them to investigate potential security incidents and mitigate risks.

By reviewing the "Public Instances with IAM Role" stat card, IT and Security teams can ensure that EC2 instances exposed to the internet are appropriately secured and that IAM roles are properly assigned to reduce the risk of unauthorized access.