Choosing the Right AWS Security Dashboard

There are several dashboards in AWS that help you monitor your security posture, but each one has a different focus. Its gets hard to really understand which is for which function. It did appear to me like its a bit of duplication. But that’s cloud vendors for you , they ask to enable 10 services for one feature :). Here’s a small writeup to help you pick the right one for your needs:

What are you trying to achieve?

• Understand what security controls are deployed and where: Use the AWS Control Tower — Security Control Deployment Dashboard. This dashboard gives you an overview of the security measures you have in place across your AWS environment. Think of it as an inventory of your security controls.

What security controls are deployed: Are firewalls enabled in all your accounts? Do you have encryption turned on for your databases? The dashboard gives you a quick snapshot of these configurations.

Where the controls are deployed: Are specific security measures applied across all regions or only in certain ones? This helps you identify any gaps in your security coverage.

• Get a central view of your security posture and compliance: Use the AWS Security Hub — Oversight Dashboard. This dashboard brings together information from all your security tools and shows you how well your security measures are meeting industry standards (compliance) across different regions and resources. Imagine it as a central command center for your security posture.

Unified View of Security Posture: Imagine having a single dashboard that shows you the security health of all your resources across different regions. This lets you identify areas that might be more vulnerable or require additional attention.

Compliance Monitoring: Are your security measures aligned with industry best practices and regulations? The Oversight Dashboard helps you track compliance by highlighting any resources that fall outside established standards. This is crucial for organizations that need to adhere to strict data privacy regulations.

• Track the effectiveness of your security controls and troubleshoot issues: Use the AWS Config — Operational Dashboard. This dashboard helps you see how well your deployed security controls are working and identify any problems. Think of it as a tool to monitor the health of your security controls.

Security Control Health Monitoring: Imagine being able to see if your intrusion detection system is functioning properly or if your encryption keys are being rotated regularly. The Operational Dashboard provides real-time insights into the effectiveness of your security controls, highlighting any potential issues.

Troubleshooting and Improvement: Think of this dashboard as a way to diagnose problems with your security controls. By identifying areas where controls might not be working as expected, you can take corrective actions to improve your overall security posture.

• Monitor performance and detect potential security threats: Use the Amazon CloudWatch — Performance Monitoring Dashboard. While not a traditional security dashboard, it can be used to set up alerts for unusual activity that might indicate a security issue, like a denial-of-service attack (DDoS). Consider it a tool to catch security threats in action.

Catching Security Threats in Action: Imagine a sudden surge in traffic that could be a DDoS attack aimed at overwhelming your systems. CloudWatch can be configured to monitor for such unusual activity and send you immediate alerts. This allows you to react quickly and take steps to mitigate the threat before it disrupts your operations.

Proactive Threat Detection: CloudWatch goes beyond simply monitoring. You can set up custom metrics and thresholds to identify anomalies that might signal a potential security breach. For instance, a spike in failed login attempts could indicate someone trying to crack your passwords.

Choosing the right dashboard boils down to the type of security controls you want to monitor:

• Deployment: Use AWS Control Tower.
• Oversight and Compliance: Use AWS Security Hub.
• Operations and Troubleshooting: Use AWS Config.
• Performance and Threat Detection: Use Amazon CloudWatch.

By understanding these differences, you can choose the most suitable dashboard for your specific security needs. The best dashboard depends on what you’re trying to achieve. Consider the type of security controls (preventive, detective) and your overall goals (deployment, operations, oversight) to pick the right tool.