Securing System Questions and Answers for AWS Interview

Introduction

Securing systems in AWS is akin to building a robust digital fortress against cyber threats.

While AWS provides a secure foundation, users play a pivotal role in implementing effective security measures. This involves establishing strong access controls, encrypting sensitive data, and remaining vigilant to emerging risks.

A security breach not only jeopardizes confidential information but also triggers operational repercussions. Prioritizing security in AWS is essential for establishing a resilient foundation, preventing unauthorized access, and mitigating potential breaches. Read on to deepen your understanding with these 11 must-know AWS interview questions and answers.

Q1: Why Is It So Important To Keep Your AWS Account Secure?

A: Securing your AWS account is vital to shield it from unauthorized access and potential dangers like data theft, destruction, or identity misuse. The root user, shown in Figure 6.1, has significant administrative powers, making it crucial to protect against unauthorized access. 

Moreover, your AWS account is a container for all your resources, ranging from EC2 instances to CloudFormation stacks and IAM users. Safeguarding your account is like locking your digital valuables, ensuring a secure and smooth operation of your cloud resources.

Q2: Why Is It Important To Keep Your AWS Account Secure?

A: Ensuring the security of your AWS account is vital. If unauthorized individuals gain access, it can result in severe consequences such as data theft, destruction of information, or misuse of your identity. As seen in Figure 6.1, the root user possesses significant administrative powers, emphasizing the need to protect against unauthorized access. 

Additionally, your AWS account is a central hub for all resources, including EC2 instances, CloudFormation stacks, and IAM users. Securing your account is like putting a digital lock on your valuable assets, guaranteeing your cloud resources' safe and efficient operation.

Q3: What Are The Two Types Of Policies In AWS, And How Do They Differ?

A: In AWS, there are two types of policies: Managed policies, suitable for creating reusable policies within your account, and inline policies, which are tied to specific IAM roles, users, or groups. 

Managed policies come in two forms: AWS managed policies, maintained by AWS and covering various permissions, and Customer managed policies, representing specific roles within your organization. On the other hand, Inline policies are inseparable from the IAM role, user, or group to which they belong, highlighting a more direct association between policies and specific entities in your AWS environment.

Q4: Why Is Enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) For IAM Users In AWS Recommended?

A: Enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is strongly encouraged for all AWS users, including the root user and everyday users. Using a different MFA device for both the root user and regular users is advisable. You can purchase hardware MFA devices, such as those offered by AWS partners like Gemalto, for enhanced security for $13. 

To activate MFA for your users, follow these steps in the IAM service within the Management Console. It is essential to activate MFA for all users with passwords, particularly those accessing the Management Console, ensuring an added layer of protection

Q5: How Does An IAM Role Contribute To Authenticating AWS Resources, Specifically Virtual Servers Like EC2 Instances?

A: An IAM role is crucial in authenticating AWS resources, such as virtual servers like EC2 instances. You can attach no roles, one or multiple roles, to an EC2 instance. Every AWS API request originating from a resource, like an EC2 instance, undergoes authentication through the attached roles. 

When an AWS resource has one or multiple roles attached, IAM checks the policies linked to those roles to determine the permissibility of the request. Notably, EC2 instances, by default, need a role, rendering them incapable of making any calls to the AWS API until a role is assigned.

Q6: Why Is Using A Firewall For Your EC2 Instance Essential, And What Principles Should You Follow In Controlling Traffic?

A: A firewall for your EC2 instance is crucial to regulate incoming (ingress) and outgoing (egress) traffic. For optimal security, when running a web server, only open necessary ports to the outside world – typically port 80 for HTTP traffic and port 443 for HTTPS traffic. Close all other ports to minimize potential security vulnerabilities. 

Adhering to the principle of least privilege, similar to IAM, ensures that only essential ports are open. A strict firewall enhances security and prevents unintended actions, such as restricting outgoing SMTP connections from test systems to avoid accidental emails to customers.

Q7: How Can You Control Traffic To Virtual Servers, Specifically EC2 Instances, Using Security Groups In AWS?

A: Security groups are crucial in managing traffic to AWS resources like EC2 instances. Typically, EC2 instances can have multiple security groups associated with them, and a single security group may be linked to various instances. 

Security groups operate based on defined rules, allowing or denying network traffic according to parameters such as direction (inbound or outbound), IP protocol (TCP, UDP, ICMP), source/destination IP address, port, and source/destination security group (exclusive to AWS).

While AWS doesn't restrict allowing all traffic, it is advisable to establish rules with maximum restriction for enhanced security and best practices.

Q8: What Is The Purpose Of A Bastion Host, And How Can Security Group Rules Be Applied To Implement Secure SSH Access?

A: A bastion host, or jump box, serves as a singular entry point for SSH access from the internet, providing enhanced security. This approach offers two key advantages: Firstly, it limits the entry point to just one system, minimizing the risk of hacking. Secondly, even if one server is compromised, the attacker cannot quickly jump to other servers in the network.

To implement a bastion host concept, two rules are applied:

• Allow SSH access to the bastion host from 0.0.0.0/0 or a specific source address.

• Allow SSH access to all other servers only if the traffic source is the bastion host. This setup ensures secure and controlled access to your servers.

Q9: How Can Internet Access Be Facilitated For Private Subnets In AWS, And What Role Does A NAT Server Play In This Process?

A: In AWS, public subnets naturally have a route to the internet through an internet gateway. To extend internet access to private subnets without establishing a direct internet route, a NAT (Network Address Translation) server is employed. 

Placed in a public subnet, the NAT server enables internet access for private subnets by handling address translation as a virtual server. Internet-bound traffic from the private subnet is directed through the NAT server's public IP address, providing a secure and controlled mechanism for private subnet connectivity to the internet

Q10: How Can You Restrict SSH Traffic To Your AWS Resources To A Specific Source IP Address, And Why Is Hard-Coding The Public IP Address Not A Recommended Solution?

A: Inbound traffic on port 22 (SSH) is initially allowed from any source IP address. However, to enhance security, it's advisable to restrict access to only your IP address. Hard-coding the public IP address into the configuration template is discouraged as it can change over time. 

The recommended solution involves utilizing parameters. By adding a parameter to store the current public IP address and modifying the rule, specifically the AllowInboundSSH rule, you can dynamically manage and control access based on the evolving IP address, ensuring a more flexible and secure configuration.

Q11: Why Is It Crucial To Promptly Install Security Updates For Your Operating System, Software Libraries, Environments, And Applications?

A: Timely installation of security updates is vital as vulnerabilities can affect various components, including the operating system, software libraries (e.g., OpenSSL), environments (Java, Apache, PHP), and applications like WordPress. 

The urgency stems from the potential release of exploits, updates, or the ease with which individuals can analyze source code to identify vulnerabilities. Establishing a proactive plan for swift deployment of updates across all running servers is essential. This ensures a robust defense against potential threats, minimizing the window of vulnerability and maintaining the overall security posture of your systems.

Conclusion

Securing systems in AWS is critical for safeguarding data and maintaining operational integrity. JanBask Training's AWS courses provide in-depth knowledge on implementing robust security measures in the AWS environment. From access controls to encryption, these courses equip professionals with the skills to fortify digital assets, ensuring a secure and resilient AWS infrastructure.