Stopped EC2 Instances

Overview

The "Stopped EC2 Instances" widget provides a view of all EC2 instances that are currently stopped within your environment. This insight is crucial for IT and Security teams to manage instances that are not actively in use but may still be consuming resources or holding sensitive configurations.

Why It Matters

For IT Engineers:

1. Resource Management:

   • Stopped instances may still incur costs for associated storage (EBS volumes, snapshots), and IT teams need visibility to ensure they are being properly managed and decommissioned if no longer required.

2. Instance Recovery:

   • IT teams can quickly identify stopped instances that need to be restarted or scaled back to support changing workload demands, ensuring operational continuity when needed.

3. Cost Optimization:

   • By identifying and managing stopped instances, IT engineers can minimize unnecessary costs, ensuring that only necessary instances are consuming resources.

For Security Engineers:

1. Security Risk Management:

   • Stopped instances may still contain vulnerable or outdated software configurations that could pose a risk if unintentionally started without proper updates.

2. Data Protection:

   • Security engineers need to ensure that stopped instances have encrypted storage or secure data handling practices to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data when the instances are restarted.

3. Compliance Assurance:

   • Ensuring that stopped instances are properly managed and disposed of helps maintain compliance with organizational security policies and regulatory standards.

By monitoring and managing stopped EC2 instances, IT and Security teams can ensure efficient resource usage, minimize security risks, and maintain overall system integrity.