Security and compliance

Security

Cloud security at AWS is the highest priority. As organizations embrace the scalability and flexibility of the cloud, AWS is helping them evolve security, identity, and compliance into key business enablers. AWS builds security into the core of our cloud infrastructure, and offers foundational services to help organizations meet their unique security requirements in the cloud.

As an AWS customer, you will benefit from a data center and network architecture built to meet the requirements of the most security-sensitive organizations. Security in the cloud is much like security in your on-premises data centers—only without the costs of maintaining facilities and hardware. In the cloud, you don’t have to manage physical servers or storage devices. Instead, you use software-based security tools to monitor and protect the flow of information into and out of your cloud resources.

An advantage of the AWS Cloud is that it allows you to scale and innovate, while maintaining a secure environment and paying only for the services you use. This means that you can have the security you need at a lower cost than in an on-premises environment.

As an AWS customer you inherit all the best practices of AWS policies, architecture, and operational processes built to satisfy the requirements of our most security-sensitive customers. Get the flexibility and agility you need in security controls.

The AWS Cloud enables a shared responsibility model. While AWS manages security of the cloud, you are responsible for security in the cloud. This means that you retain control of the security you choose to implement to protect your own content, platform, applications, systems, and networks no differently than you would in an on-site data center.

AWS provides you with guidance and expertise through online resources, personnel, and partners. AWS provides you with advisories for current issues, plus you have the opportunity to work with AWS when you encounter security issues.

You get access to hundreds of tools and features to help you to meet your security objectives. AWS provides security-specific tools and features across network security, configuration management, access control, and data encryption.

Finally, AWS environments are continuously audited, with certifications from accreditation bodies across geographies and verticals. In the AWS environment, you can take advantage of automated tools for asset inventory and privileged access reporting.

Benefits of AWS security

Compliance

AWS Cloud Compliance helps you understand the robust controls in place at AWS for security and data protection in the cloud. Compliance is a shared responsibility between AWS and the customer, and you can visit the Shared Responsibility Model to learn more. Customers can feel confident in operating and building on top of the security controls AWS uses on its infrastructure.

The IT infrastructure that AWS provides to its customers is designed and managed in alignment with best security practices and a variety of IT security standards. The following is a partial list of assurance programs with which AWS complies:

AWS provides customers a wide range of information on its IT control environment in whitepapers, reports, certifications, accreditations, and other third-party attestations. More information is available in the Risk and Compliance whitepaper and the AWS Security Center.