Title

AWS re:Invent 2023 - Amazon S3 security and access control best practices (STG315)

Summary

Amazon S3 is a foundational service for flexible, scalable, and durable object storage in the cloud.
Security is a top priority, with the goal of ensuring that only authorized parties have access to stored data.
AWS has introduced secure defaults for S3, including encryption by default, block public access, and disabled ACLs for new buckets.
Encryption options include SSES3 (default), SSKMS, and DSSE KMS for regulatory requirements.
Bucket policies and IAM policies are crucial for managing access and ensuring security.
Access Analyzer and logging (CloudTrail and server access logs) provide visibility into bucket configurations and access patterns.
New features like bucket keys and access grants offer cost savings and scalable access management for large-scale data lakes.
IAM policies can be used to grant access across accounts, to AWS services, and to create data perimeters that exclude unauthorized access.

AWS has shifted from a recommendation-based approach to implementing secure defaults, simplifying the security setup for users.
The introduction of encryption by default with SSES3 and the disabling of ACLs by default enhance security without additional user configuration.
The use of IAM roles and policies is emphasized as a core skill for securing AWS resources, with S3 being a common focus.
Access points and access grants are advanced features that address scalability and fine-grained access control for large organizations with complex data access patterns.
The presentation highlights the importance of understanding and using IAM policies effectively to manage access and secure data in S3.
The talk also underscores AWS's commitment to improving S3 security features and making them more user-friendly, as seen with the new launches and default settings.
The dual-layer server-side encryption (DSSE KMS) is a response to customer needs for regulatory compliance, showing AWS's responsiveness to customer feedback.
The session emphasizes the shared responsibility model in cloud security, where AWS provides tools and defaults, but customers must also actively manage their security posture.