In this blog, we will learn about AWS Shared Responsibility Model.
Almost all the services and applications we see around are based on cloud technology. Many organizations and businesses use the cloud to host their data, applications and services. With this much demand, many learners are preparing themselves for cloud technologies. But without proper learning of cloud security, the knowledge is incomplete.
Various services are active in the cloud simultaneously. Both cloud vendor and customer shares some responsibility which we will learn with the following topics:
- What is Shared Responsibility Model
- Levels of Abstraction in Cloud Computing
- AWS Shared Responsibility Model
- Conclusion
The Shared Responsibility Model is a cloud security framework that mandates the security obligations of cloud service providers and users to ensure accountability. In simple words, A cloud vendor provides various cloud services to its users. One provides the service, and the other uses it. Both vendor and user share some responsibilities, like the vendor is responsible for the service provided, and the user is responsible for the service usage.
Levels of Abstraction in Cloud Computing
Security responsibilities can’t be common for all scenarios. Each scenario can demand additional security and responsibility. So, levels of abstraction are the area that pertains to the responsibilities. The levels of abstraction are just the other name for cloud computing service models: IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS.
- Infrastructure as a Service [IaaS] – Infrastructure as a Service is the lowest level of abstraction. Under IaaS, cloud vendors allow users to use their data centres, including the servers, storage, network, hardware and virtualization. The user has a great degree of control but with more responsibility for security.
- Platform as a Service [PaaS] – Platform as a Service is the next level of abstraction that enables users to build and run applications. Under PaaS, including the Infrastructure, the cloud vendor also provides a platform to build, run and manage applications.
- Software as a Service [SaaS] – Software as a Service is the highest level of abstraction. Under SaaS, the cloud vendor hosts applications to make them available for the end-users or customers. SaaS removes the need for organizations to host applications in their private data centres.
- Bare Metal Service – It is the final level of abstraction where the customer can use the hardware provided by the cloud vendor. It helps developers access the physical resources for their applications intended to run directly on hardware. For example, organizations can deploy EC2 instances to the AWS hardware instead of the virtualized environment.
Read More: Cloud Computing Service Model: IaaS, PaaS and SaaS
AWS Shared Responsibility Model
The biggest challenge that organizations face is the confusion of the responsibilities leading to security compromisation. This confusion gives hackers a blind spot to attack, and many reports claimed the improperly shared security responsibilities as the culprit for various security incidents. Thus, Amazon Web Service [AWS] established the AWS Shared Responsibility Model to clarify responsibilities.
According to AWS Shared Responsibility Model, AWS is responsible for the Security of the Cloud and the customer is responsible for the Security in the Cloud.
- AWS Responsibility: AWS is responsible for protecting the infrastructure that runs all the AWS services. In other words, AWS control, operate and manage the components from the host operating system and virtualization layer that is down to the physical layer in which the service operates.
- Customer Responsibility: The customer’s responsibility depends on the AWS service used and the configuration they need to perform to secure that service. In other words, customers need to manage the guest operating system, including security patches and application software. Also, they need to configure the AWS provided security controls like security groups, network access control and IAM [Identity and Access Management].
The responsibility of both AWS and the customers varies with the service taken into use. So to make it more clear, we will discuss the shared responsibility model for some specific AWS services.
AWS Shared Responsibility Model for EC2
Elastic Compute Cloud or EC2 lies under infrastructure as a Service [IaaS], and the responsibility model for both cloud service provider and customer is as follows:
- AWS Responsibility: AWS is responsible for the Infrastructure [Regions and Availability Domains] and services [compute, storage, database and network] used with EC2.
- Customer Responsibility: The customer is responsible for the security configuration or firewall [like security groups], guest operating system [like Ubuntu & Windows], applications & tools installed, client and server-side encryption and customer data.
AWS Shared Responsibility for Containers
EC2 virtualize hardware whereas container virtualizes operating system and the responsibility model for both cloud service provider and customer is a follows:
- AWS Responsibility: AWS is responsible for the Infrastructure [Regions and Availability Domains], services [compute, storage, database and network], platform and operating system.
- Customer Responsibility: The customer is responsible for the security configuration or firewall [like security groups], Identity and Access Management [IAM], client and server-side encryption and customer data.
Now, apart from AWS services, AWS Shared Responsibility also extends to IT controls.
Also Check: Our blog post on AWS CloudHSM.
AWS Shared Responsibility of IT Controls
Just like the IT environment responsibility, the management, operation and verification of IT control are also shared between AWS and customers. AWS can help customers by managing the controls of the physical infrastructure to relieve their burden of operating controls. AWS control and compliance will help customers to evaluate and verify their controls.
The examples of controls managed by AWS, customers and both are as follows.
Inherited Controls: These Controls are fully inherited by customers from AWS.
- Physical and Environmental controls
Shared Controls: These controls apply to both the infrastructure and customer layers, but in a completely separate perspective. AWS provides the infrastructure requirements, and the customer must provide their own control implementation within their use of AWS services. For example:
- Patch Management – Here, AWS is responsible for patching and fixing flaws within the infrastructure, whereas customers for patching their guest operating system and applications.
- Configuration Management – Here, AWS maintains the configuration of its infrastructure devices, whereas a customer takes responsibility for configuring their own guest operating systems, databases, and applications.
- Awareness & Training – AWS trains AWS employees, whereas a customer must train their own employees.
Customer-Specific: These controls are solely the responsibility of the customer based on the application they are deploying within AWS services. Examples include:
- Zone Security or Service and Communications Protection may require a customer to route or zone data within specific security environments.
Conclusion
Security should not be compromised at any cost, and AWS knows the importance of Cloud Security very well. We covered everything about the AWS Shared Responsibility Model and its importance in this blog and how it removes the confusion between the service provider and the customer.
Related/Reference
- AWS Networking Fundamentals – Introduction and Basics
- AWS RDS: Introduction and Tutorial
- Top 50 AWS Interview Questions
- Creating AWS Elastic Compute Cloud EC2 Instance
- Overview of Amazon Web Services & Concept
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate SAA-C02: Everything You Need To Know
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