Securing EC2 Access with AWS Systems Manager Session Manager: Eliminating SSH

Introduction Traditional SSH access to EC2 instances poses several security challenges, including the management of SSH keys, exposure of ports, and lack of centralized auditing. AWS Systems Manager Session Manager offers a secure and auditable alternative, allowing you to manage EC2 instances without opening inbound ports or maintaining bastion hosts. This guide provides a step-by-step approach to configuring Session Manager for secure EC2 access, aligning with AWS’s official documentation and best practices. ...

June 3, 2025 · 7 min · 1324 words · Javier Pulido

Hardening EC2 Instances for AWS Security: A Practical Guide

This guide delves into the technical aspects of hardening EC2 instances, covering topics from instance selection to monitoring and automation, aligning with AWS’s security recommendations.

May 29, 2025 · 5 min · 857 words · Javier Pulido

Monitoring AWS Security Events Without Breaking the Bank

Monitoring in AWS doesn’t have to be expensive. In this guide, we’ll walk through real-world strategies to detect and respond to security events in AWS without blowing your budget — using a mix of native tooling, automation, and open-source solutions. Table of Contents Introduction Why AWS Monitoring Costs Spiral Key Principles for Cost-Effective Monitoring Low-Cost Native AWS Tools for Security Monitoring Open-Source Solutions That Complement AWS Example Architectures & Pricing Automation Snippets for Cost-Efficient Alerts Common Pitfalls to Avoid Conclusion Introduction When people talk about security monitoring in AWS, the conversation quickly jumps to expensive SIEM tools or overengineered pipelines. But if you’re running lean, or just want better control over where your money is going, you can achieve excellent security visibility with surprisingly low cost. ...

May 19, 2025 · 5 min · 915 words · Javier Pulido

Securing Temporary Credentials in AWS: Best Practices for Safe Role Usage

Temporary credentials are one of the most powerful — and misunderstood — access mechanisms in AWS. They’re essential for enabling short-lived, tightly scoped access without the long-term baggage of static IAM user credentials. But with this flexibility comes a new surface for mistakes, misuse, and oversights. In this post, I’ll walk through the core use cases for temporary credentials, how they work, where they go wrong, and the best ways to keep them secure in your environment. ...

May 11, 2025 · 4 min · 763 words · Javier Pulido

AWS Incident Response Playbook Template

A downloadable AWS incident response playbook for small teams, including isolation workflows, evidence handling, and post-incident reporting guidance.

May 4, 2025 · 2 min · 359 words · Javier Pulido

Incident Response in AWS: A Playbook for Small Security Teams

Learn how to run an effective incident response process in AWS using automation and forensic best practices — without needing a separate IR account.

May 4, 2025 · 5 min · 903 words · Javier Pulido

How I Passed the AWS Certified Security – Specialty (SCS-C02) Exam in 2025

My real-world journey passing the AWS Certified Security – Specialty (SCS-C02) exam. Study strategies, mistakes, resources, and tips for future candidates.

April 28, 2025 · 3 min · 635 words · Javier Pulido

AWS Security Checklist 2025: 10 Critical Steps to Secure Your Cloud

A step-by-step checklist to secure your AWS account in 2025 — includes IAM hardening, S3 lockdown, logging, and budget alerts. Beginner to intermediate friendly.

April 20, 2025 · 3 min · 540 words · Javier Pulido

5 Critical AWS Security Misconfigurations (2025 Edition) – How to Find & Fix Them

Five AWS misconfigurations still causing breaches in 2025 — includes fixes for public S3 buckets, over-permissive IAM, open security groups, and missing monitoring.

April 19, 2025 · 4 min · 645 words · Javier Pulido