All news with #aws iam tag

Amazon S3 Adds Tagging for S3 Tables (ABAC & Cost)

🔖Amazon S3 now supports tags on S3 Tables to enable attribute-based access control (ABAC) and cost allocation. Tags can be applied to table buckets and individual tables, letting you manage permissions for users and roles without frequent IAM or resource-policy updates. Tagging is available in all Regions where S3 Tables is offered and can be used via the Console, SDK, API, or CLI. Use tags to simplify governance and track costs.

AWS Service Reference adds SDK operation-to-action mapping

🔐 AWS has expanded its Service Reference Information to map SDK operations to the specific IAM action(s) required to call them. This enables teams to answer questions such as “Which permission is needed for this API operation?” and to retrieve authoritative answers programmatically. You can integrate the data into policy management and automation pipelines to reduce manual effort and keep policies aligned with service updates. The capability is provided at no additional cost.

Large-Scale AWS Credential Abuse and SES Exploitation

🔐 Identity compromise is driving large-scale AWS abuse, with attackers leveraging stolen access keys to test accounts and weaponize Amazon SES for Business Email Compromise and invoice fraud. FortiGuard Labs attributes the reconnaissance layer to a campaign named TruffleNet that uses TruffleHog and automated AWS CLI/Boto3 requests to validate credentials and probe SES quotas. Fortinet recommends continuous monitoring, least-privilege access, MFA, and integrated detection via FortiCNAPP and related controls to detect and block these activities.

Model Context Protocol Proxy for AWS now generally available

🔒 The Model Context Protocol (MCP) Proxy for AWS is now generally available, offering a client-side proxy that lets MCP clients connect to remote, AWS-hosted MCP servers using AWS SigV4 authentication. It supports agentic development tools such as Amazon Q Developer CLI, Kiro, Cursor, and agent frameworks like Strands Agents, and interoperates with MCP servers built on Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Gateway or Runtime. The open-source Proxy includes safety controls (read-only mode), configurable retry logic, and logging for troubleshooting, and can be installed from source, via Python package managers, or as a container to integrate with existing MCP-supported tools.

Amazon Aurora DSQL Adds Resource-Based Policies Support

🔒 Amazon Web Services has added resource-based policies to Aurora DSQL, letting administrators define which IAM principals can perform specific IAM actions on Aurora DSQL resources. Policies also support Block Public Access (BPA) controls to restrict access to public or VPC endpoints. The capability is available now in a set of regions and the documentation provides guidance to get started.

Choosing the Right AWS Service for Secrets and Configs

🔐 AWS outlines when to use Secrets Manager, Systems Manager Parameter Store, and AWS AppConfig to manage credentials, configuration values, and feature flags. The guidance recommends Secrets Manager for sensitive credentials that need rotation and multi‑Region replication, Parameter Store for simple or high‑volume key/value data, and AppConfig for validated, controlled deployments. The post compares encryption, access controls, replication, monitoring, and pricing to help architects select the best fit.

Deploying AWS Secrets Manager Agent as an EKS Sidecar

🔒 This post demonstrates deploying the AWS Secrets Manager Agent as a sidecar container in Amazon EKS to provide a language-agnostic local HTTP interface (localhost:2773) for secrets retrieval. The agent pulls and caches secret values, reducing direct API calls to Secrets Manager and improving application availability. It enforces SSRF protection via a generated token at /var/run/awssmatoken and implements ML‑KEM post‑quantum key exchange by default. Authentication uses Amazon EKS Pod Identity and IAM permissions (secretsmanager:GetSecretValue and secretsmanager:DescribeSecret), and the post includes build, containerization, and deployment steps.

Securing Amazon Bedrock API Keys: Best Practices Guidance

🔐 AWS details practical guidance for implementing and managing Amazon Bedrock API keys, the service-specific credentials that provide bearer-token access to Bedrock. It recommends STS temporary credentials when possible and defines two API key types: short-term (client-generated, auto-expiring) and long-term (IAM-user associated). Protection advice includes using SCPs, iam and bedrock condition keys, and storing long-term keys in secure vaults. Detection and monitoring use CloudTrail, EventBridge rules, and an AWS Config rule, and response steps show CLI commands to deactivate and delete compromised keys.

CloudWatch Database Insights Adds Tag-Based Access Control

🔐 Amazon CloudWatch Database Insights now supports tag-based access control for database-level and per-query metrics powered by RDS Performance Insights. Instance tags defined on RDS and Aurora are now automatically evaluated to authorize Performance Insights metrics, enabling IAM policies to use tag-based access conditions across logical groups of databases. This reduces manual, resource-level permission management and improves governance and security consistency. The feature is available in all AWS regions where Database Insights is offered.

Simplified Amazon Bedrock Model Access and Governance Controls

🔐 Amazon Bedrock now automatically enables serverless foundation models in each AWS Region, removing the prior per-model enablement step and retiring the Model Access page and PutFoundationModelEntitlement IAM permission. Access is managed through standard AWS controls—IAM and Service Control Policies (SCPs)—so account- and organization-level governance remains intact. Existing model restrictions enforced by IAM or SCPs continue to apply, and previously enabled models are unaffected. Administrators should transition to scoped IAM/SCP policies and patterns such as wildcards and NotResource denies to maintain least-privilege control.

Amazon Bedrock automatically enables serverless models

🔓 Amazon Bedrock now automatically enables access to all serverless foundation models by default in all commercial AWS regions. This removes the prior manual activation step and lets users immediately use models via the Amazon Bedrock console, AWS SDK, and features such as Agents, Flows, and Prompt Management. Anthropic models remain enabled but require a one-time usage form before first use; completing the form via the console or API and submitting it from an AWS organization management account will enable Anthropic across member accounts. Administrators continue to control access through IAM policies and Service Control Policies (SCPs).

AWS Resource Explorer Enables Immediate Regional Discovery

🔍 AWS Resource Explorer now provides immediate access to resource search within each AWS Region without requiring prior activation. To start searching you need, at minimum, permissions granted by the AWS Resource Explorer Read Only Access or AWS Read Only Access managed policies, and you can discover resources via the Resource Explorer console, Unified Search, or AWS CLI/SDKs. To index the full inventory, including historical backfill and automatic updates, complete Resource Explorer setup so it can create a service-linked role. You can also enable cross-Region search with a single console click or the new CreateResourceExplorerSetup API, and the feature is available at no additional cost in supported Regions.

Amazon Cognito: Managed vs. Custom Login UI Options

🔒 This post contrasts Amazon Cognito's two primary UI approaches—managed login and a fully custom UI—and outlines feature, security, and operational trade-offs to guide architects and developers. Managed login (offered as a modern branding editor or the Hosted UI classic) offloads hosting, scaling, and maintenance while providing OAuth2 flows, federation with social and OIDC/SAML providers, passwordless options, and CloudTrail action logging. A custom UI gives full control over UX, session management, localization, and supports custom authentication flows via Lambda triggers, but requires development, hosting, and operational responsibility under the AWS Shared Responsibility Model.

Crimson Collective Targets AWS Cloud Instances for Theft

🔒 Researchers report the 'Crimson Collective' has been targeting long-term AWS credentials and IAM accounts to steal data and extort companies. Using open-source tools like TruffleHog, the attackers locate exposed AWS keys, create new IAM users and access keys, then escalate privileges by attaching AdministratorAccess. They snapshot RDS and EBS volumes, export data to S3, and send extortion notices via AWS SES. Rapid7 urges organisations to audit keys, enforce least privilege, and scan for exposed secrets.

SageMaker Unified Studio adds SSO for Spark sessions

🔐 Amazon SageMaker Unified Studio now supports corporate identities for interactive Apache Spark sessions using AWS Identity Center trusted identity propagation. Data engineers and scientists can sign on to JupyterLab Spark sessions with organizational credentials while administrators apply fine-grained access controls and maintain end-to-end data access traceability. The integration leverages AWS Lake Formation, Amazon S3 Access Grants, and Amazon Redshift Data APIs, and includes comprehensive AWS CloudTrail logging for interactive and background sessions to streamline compliance.

AWS Transfer Family Adds Four New IAM Condition Keys

🔒 AWS has added four service-specific IAM condition keys for AWS Transfer Family, enabling administrators to write more granular policies and SCPs. These keys let you constrain server protocols, endpoint types, and storage domains at request time. For example, use transfer:RequestServerEndpointType to block public servers or transfer:RequestServerProtocols to allow only SFTP. The keys are available in all Regions where the service is offered.

AWS Transfer Family Adds VPC Endpoint Policy Support

🔒 AWS now supports attaching VPC endpoint policies to Transfer Family interface VPC endpoints, enabling administrators to apply granular access controls to Transfer Family APIs. Administrators can restrict specific API actions, designate which principals may call them, and limit target resources. The capability integrates with existing IAM policies and organizational service control policies, and Transfer Family also supports FIPS 140-3 enabled VPC endpoints across all AWS Regions.

AWS Lambda Code Signing Now Available in GovCloud Regions

🔐 AWS Lambda now supports code signing in AWS GovCloud (US-West and US-East) through the managed AWS Signer service. Lambda validates signatures at deployment to ensure code has not been altered and that it originates from trusted signers. Administrators can create Signing Profiles, bind allowed profiles to functions, and configure whether failed signature checks produce warnings or reject deployments. Access and permissions are controlled via IAM, and there is no additional charge to use this capability.

Defense-in-Depth: Building an AWS Control Framework

🔒 This post outlines a practical, layered approach to reduce risk in AWS by moving beyond detective-only controls to a comprehensive defense‑in‑depth control framework. It recommends combining preventative, proactive, detective, and responsive controls across the resource lifecycle and illustrates how AWS services such as AWS Control Tower, AWS Organizations, Security Hub, and AWS Config enable that strategy. The guidance covers concrete patterns—from SCPs, RCPs and policy‑as‑code in CI/CD to automated remediation via Lambda and Systems Manager—to scale governance, reduce findings, and shorten remediation time.

Automating Security Hub Exceptions with Business Context

🔒 This post describes an automated approach to validate and document exceptions to AWS Security Hub findings, enabling security teams to enforce governance while developers request and implement compensating controls. The solution leverages EventBridge, SQS, Lambda, and DynamoDB to validate controls, collect evidence, and maintain an immutable audit trail. It preserves segregation of duties, supports multiple validation types, and includes deployment scripts and CloudFormation templates. The authors emphasize the reference architecture is a starting point and must be reviewed and adapted before production use.