Amazon Inspector is a fully managed security assessment service that helps improve the security and compliance of applications deployed on AWS. As a SysOps Administrator, understanding Inspector is essential for maintaining secure infrastructure.
Amazon Inspector automatically discovers workloads …Amazon Inspector is a fully managed security assessment service that helps improve the security and compliance of applications deployed on AWS. As a SysOps Administrator, understanding Inspector is essential for maintaining secure infrastructure.
Amazon Inspector automatically discovers workloads such as EC2 instances, container images in Amazon ECR, and Lambda functions, then scans them for software vulnerabilities and unintended network exposure. The service continuously monitors your AWS environment and rescans resources when changes occur, such as installing new packages or publishing new container images.
Key features include:
**Automated Discovery and Scanning**: Inspector automatically detects eligible resources in your AWS accounts and begins scanning them for vulnerabilities. This includes Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) from multiple sources.
**Risk Scoring**: Each finding receives a risk score based on factors like exploitability, network accessibility, and potential impact. This helps prioritize remediation efforts effectively.
**Integration with AWS Services**: Inspector integrates with AWS Security Hub for centralized security findings, EventBridge for automated workflows, and Systems Manager for patch management. Findings can also be exported to S3 for further analysis.
**Multi-Account Management**: Using AWS Organizations, you can enable Inspector across multiple accounts and delegate administration to a central security team.
**Container Security**: Inspector scans container images stored in ECR repositories and provides visibility into vulnerabilities before deployment. It also monitors running containers on ECS and EKS.
**Lambda Function Scanning**: The service examines Lambda function code and dependencies for known vulnerabilities.
For compliance purposes, Inspector helps organizations meet requirements by providing continuous vulnerability assessments and detailed reports. The service supports compliance frameworks by identifying security gaps and providing remediation guidance.
SysOps Administrators should configure Inspector through the AWS Management Console, CLI, or API, set up appropriate IAM permissions, and establish notification mechanisms for critical findings to maintain a strong security posture.
Amazon Inspector is an automated security assessment service that helps improve the security and compliance of applications deployed on AWS. It automatically assesses applications for exposure, vulnerabilities, and deviations from best practices.
Why is Amazon Inspector Important?
Amazon Inspector is crucial for several reasons:
• Automated Vulnerability Management: It continuously scans workloads for software vulnerabilities and unintended network exposure • Compliance Requirements: Helps organizations meet security compliance standards by identifying security issues • Risk Prioritization: Provides a risk score to help prioritize remediation efforts • Integration with AWS Services: Works seamlessly with other AWS services like AWS Security Hub, Amazon EventBridge, and AWS Organizations
How Amazon Inspector Works
1. Automatic Discovery and Scanning Amazon Inspector automatically discovers and scans EC2 instances, container images in Amazon ECR, and Lambda functions. There is no need to install agents for ECR or Lambda scanning.
2. Types of Assessments • EC2 Scanning: Uses the AWS Systems Manager (SSM) Agent to assess EC2 instances for software vulnerabilities and network reachability issues • ECR Container Image Scanning: Scans container images pushed to Amazon ECR for known vulnerabilities • Lambda Function Scanning: Assesses Lambda functions and their layers for vulnerabilities in application package dependencies
3. Findings and Reporting • Findings are generated when vulnerabilities are detected • Each finding includes a severity rating (Critical, High, Medium, Low, Informational) • The Amazon Inspector risk score helps contextualize vulnerabilities based on factors like network exposure
4. Continuous Monitoring Amazon Inspector performs continuous scanning - rescanning occurs automatically when new vulnerabilities are published or when changes are made to resources.
Key Features to Remember
• Agentless for containers and Lambda: No agent installation required for ECR and Lambda scanning • SSM Agent for EC2: EC2 instances require the SSM Agent to be installed and running • Multi-account support: Can be managed across multiple accounts using AWS Organizations • Integration with Security Hub: Findings can be sent to AWS Security Hub for centralized security management • EventBridge Integration: Automate responses to findings using Amazon EventBridge rules
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Amazon Inspector
Tip 1: Know the Prerequisites When a question mentions EC2 vulnerability scanning, remember that the SSM Agent must be installed and the instance must have the appropriate IAM role for Systems Manager.
Tip 2: Understand Scanning Triggers Inspector rescans when: a new CVE is added to the database, a new EC2 instance is launched, new software is installed on an EC2 instance, or a new image is pushed to ECR.
Tip 3: Differentiate from Other Services • Amazon Inspector vs. AWS Config: Inspector focuses on vulnerabilities; Config focuses on configuration compliance • Amazon Inspector vs. GuardDuty: Inspector finds vulnerabilities; GuardDuty detects active threats and malicious activity • Amazon Inspector vs. Security Hub: Inspector generates findings; Security Hub aggregates findings from multiple services
Tip 4: Remember Supported Resources Amazon Inspector supports three resource types: EC2 instances, ECR container images, and Lambda functions. If a question mentions other resources, Inspector is likely not the answer.
Tip 5: Cost Considerations Pricing is based on the number of instances scanned, container images scanned, and Lambda functions assessed. Questions about cost optimization may involve selective scanning.
Tip 6: Automation Scenarios For questions about automating responses to security findings, look for answers involving EventBridge rules triggering Lambda functions or SNS notifications based on Inspector findings.
Tip 7: Network Reachability Amazon Inspector can assess network reachability to identify unintended network exposure. This is separate from vulnerability scanning and focuses on network configuration analysis.