AWS Config remediation is a powerful feature that enables automated correction of non-compliant resources in your AWS environment. As a SysOps Administrator, understanding this capability is essential for maintaining compliance and security at scale.
AWS Config continuously monitors and records yo…AWS Config remediation is a powerful feature that enables automated correction of non-compliant resources in your AWS environment. As a SysOps Administrator, understanding this capability is essential for maintaining compliance and security at scale.
AWS Config continuously monitors and records your AWS resource configurations, evaluating them against desired configurations defined in Config Rules. When a resource violates a rule and becomes non-compliant, remediation actions can be triggered to bring it back into compliance.
There are two types of remediation:
1. **Manual Remediation**: Administrators review non-compliant resources and manually initiate remediation actions through the AWS Console or CLI.
2. **Automatic Remediation**: Config automatically executes remediation actions when non-compliance is detected, reducing response time and human intervention.
Remediation actions are implemented through AWS Systems Manager Automation documents (runbooks). AWS provides pre-built remediation actions for common scenarios, such as:
- Enabling S3 bucket encryption
- Enabling VPC flow logs
- Revoking unused IAM credentials
- Enabling CloudTrail logging
You can also create custom remediation actions using your own Automation documents for specific organizational requirements.
Key configuration options include:
- **Remediation Action**: The SSM Automation document to execute
- **Resource ID Parameter**: Maps the non-compliant resource to the automation
- **Retry Attempts**: Number of retries if remediation fails
- **Concurrency**: How many resources to remediate simultaneously
Best practices for AWS Config remediation include:
- Testing remediation actions in non-production environments first
- Starting with manual remediation before enabling automatic remediation
- Monitoring remediation execution through CloudWatch
- Implementing proper IAM permissions for remediation roles
Remediation integrates well with other AWS services like CloudWatch Events, SNS for notifications, and Security Hub for centralized security findings, making it a cornerstone of automated compliance management in AWS deployments.
AWS Config Remediation - Complete Guide
Why AWS Config Remediation is Important
AWS Config Remediation is a critical feature for maintaining compliance and security across your AWS infrastructure. It allows organizations to automatically correct non-compliant resources, reducing manual intervention and ensuring consistent adherence to organizational policies. For SysOps Administrators, understanding remediation capabilities is essential for implementing automated governance at scale.
What is AWS Config Remediation?
AWS Config Remediation is a feature that enables you to associate remediation actions with AWS Config rules. When a resource is evaluated as non-compliant against a Config rule, remediation actions can be triggered either automatically or manually to bring the resource back into compliance.
There are two types of remediation: - Manual Remediation: Administrators manually trigger the remediation action when needed - Automatic Remediation: Remediation actions execute automatically when non-compliance is detected
How AWS Config Remediation Works
Step 1: Create a Config Rule First, you establish an AWS Config rule that defines the desired configuration state for your resources.
Step 2: Associate a Remediation Action You link a remediation action to the Config rule. Remediation actions use AWS Systems Manager Automation documents (runbooks) to perform corrective actions.
Step 3: Configure Remediation Parameters Specify the required parameters for the SSM Automation document, such as resource IDs, IAM roles, and other necessary inputs.
Step 4: Choose Remediation Type Select either automatic or manual remediation based on your requirements and risk tolerance.
Step 5: Execution When a resource becomes non-compliant, the remediation action executes using the specified SSM Automation document to correct the configuration.
Key Components
- SSM Automation Documents: Pre-built or custom runbooks that define remediation steps - Remediation Action: The link between a Config rule and an SSM document - Resource Parameters: Dynamic values passed to the automation document - Retry Attempts: Number of times remediation will retry if it fails - Automatic Remediation: Option to remediate resources as soon as non-compliance is detected
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on AWS Config Remediation
Key Points to Remember:
1. Remediation uses SSM Automation: Always remember that remediation actions are powered by AWS Systems Manager Automation documents. If a question mentions automated correction of non-compliant resources with Config, think SSM Automation.
2. Two remediation types exist: Know the difference between manual and automatic remediation. Automatic remediation triggers as soon as non-compliance is detected, while manual requires administrator action.
3. IAM permissions are crucial: The remediation action requires appropriate IAM permissions to modify resources. Questions may test your understanding of the IAM role requirements.
4. Retry configuration: You can configure retry attempts and time between retries for failed remediation actions.
5. Pre-built vs Custom documents: AWS provides pre-built remediation documents, but you can also create custom SSM Automation documents for specific needs.
6. Scope of remediation: Remediation can target specific resources or all non-compliant resources detected by a rule.
Common Question Scenarios:
- When asked about automating compliance fixes, AWS Config Remediation with SSM Automation is typically the answer - Questions about enforcing encryption on resources often involve Config rules with remediation actions - If a scenario requires reverting configuration changes to a compliant state, think Config Remediation - Questions mentioning continuous compliance and automatic correction point toward automatic remediation
What Config Remediation Cannot Do:
- It cannot prevent non-compliant resources from being created (use Service Control Policies or IAM for prevention) - It cannot remediate resources in other AWS accounts unless properly configured with cross-account access - Some resources may not support certain remediation actions due to technical limitations