Is there a secure server with more security features than Amazon Web Services (AWS)? It would be hard to find one! Every customer of AWS benefits from a network architecture and a data center that was created specifically to meet the requirements of organizations with the need for a very security-sensitive infrastructure. There are hundreds of features and tools available, each of which centers around auditability, controllability, agility, and visibility.
Amazon Web Services gives customers the security they need but doesn’t require the huge capital investment a company’s own secure server would require. Overall, the operational overhead is much lower than having a secure server on-site.
Amazon Web Services offer numerous encryption options
One of the benefits of AWS is the fact that it’s highly customizable. This is true even of their encryption options. Customers have the option to add an extra layer of security to data that rests in the cloud.
Data encryption options include:
- EBS (Elastic Block Store)
- Glacier
- SQL Server RDS
- S3
- Oracle RDS
- Redshift
Companies can also choose their own key management options that allow them to have AWS manage their encryption needs, or companies can have total control of their own encryption keys. Yet another option is dedicated, hardware-based cryptographic key storage that is designed for customers who have compliance needs, such as HIPAA compliance.
Network security options
Users of AWS have numerous security capabilities and services at their fingertips, each of which is designed to improve privacy and to allow for maximum control and flexibility of network access.
Examples include:
- Built-in firewalls that allow customers to create their own private networks within Amazon Web Services, and to control their own network access to instances and subnets
- Encryption in transit along with TLS across all platforms and services
- Numerous connectivity options that enable dedicated or private connections from on-premises sites
- The option to deploy DDoS mitigation technologies as a portion of content delivery or auto-scaling strategies
Configuration and inventory
With AWS customers have access to many tools that allow them to move quickly while also ensuring their cloud resources comply with best practices and various organization standards.
The tools available include:
- Deployment tools that allow customers to manage both the creation and the decommissioning of Amazon Web Services resources in accordance with organization standards
- Management tools for inventory and configuration that identify AWS resources and allow them to be tracked and managed
- Tools for template creation and management that allow for the standardization, pre-configuration, and hardened AMIs (AWS Machine Images) for Amazon EC2
Access control
Customers can enforce, define, and manage user access policies across every AWS services, which includes:
- Identifying and accessing management capabilities in order to define individual user accounts that include permission along all AWS resources
- Multifactor authentication specific to highly privileged accounts, which includes numerous options for hardware-based authenticators
- Integration possibilities with corporate directories that can reduce overhead and boost the end-user experience
Monitoring and logging
Users of AWS want to know exactly what’s going on in their platform, and Amazon makes it easy to do that with a variety of features:
- Customizable notifications that alert users when specific thresholds are exceeded or when certain events occur
- Information on API calls, which includes who made the call, what it was about, and where they were calling from
- The ability to streamline investigations and compliance reporting via numerous log aggregation customizations
Together these tools allow customers to find issues before they become huge issues for their businesses. They also allow customers to improve their security methods and minimize the risk profile of their environment.
AWS and HIPAA Compliance
Amazon Web Services are set up with HIPAA compliance and other compliance needs in mind. While there isn’t a HIPAA compliance certification for Cloud providers, AWS aligns their HIPAA risk management program with NIST 800-853 and FedRAMP. These are higher security standards that map right to the HIPAA security rule.
FINRA’s confidence in Amazon Web Services
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, better known as FINRA, is currently one of the largest independent regulators of securities in the country. They were created to keep an eye on and regulate trading practices. In order to best respond as market dynamics change quickly, FINRA moved their platform to AWS. This includes the analyzing and storing of more than 30 billion market events daily. FINRA chose Amazon Web Services because they offer the services and security features they need.
eFileCabinet uses the advanced security features of AWS
eFileCabinet works hard to be the one of the most secure Cloud-based options on the planet. Like FINRA, our files are trusted to the secure server at AWS. Our customized tools allow customers to meet industry specific regulatory compliance, such as SEC and HIPAA compliance. Our advanced file encryption adds an additional layer of security, and our available online backup service protects critical information from catastrophic consequences in the event of a system failure or natural disaster.
There’s no question that companies who value the security of their data can trust the incredible security features utilized by Amazon Web Services, especially when they’re coupled with the additional security layers added by eFileCaibnet. To learn more about the convenience and security options available, fill out the form on this page today.