Let's be honest. Security is now an important design issue for any serious application developed on AWS.

You can't simply add some firewalls and hope your users' data is secure. I know. That's part of the reason why we've built AWS Hosting Services and Third Party Hosting Services over the years.

It’s not that your AWS setup is bound to be vulnerable. It’s just that there are so many ways to do security wrong that even if you’re doing a lot of things right, the one thing you’re not might bite you.

The good news is: there are some easy but incredibly effective security best practices you can implement in your application development cycle. 

Things that will make your AWS applications secure, scalable, and rock solid strong. Let’s get to know it: 

Let’s get to know everything in detail:

AWS Application Development Best Practices

So, how do you create secure applications in AWS?

Easy.

Focus on secure architecture, proper configuration, and automated monitoring. Oh, and yes: automation. (Security automation, not Kubernetes, though we’re good at that, too.)

Here are 10 AWS application development best practices that every developer should know and that the best AWS development companies follow to a T.

1. Use IAM Roles Properly 

IAM is your friend. Or it should be, at least.

AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) is where you specify what can and cannot be done by apps and users.

Unless you use IAM correctly (by reusing root credentials, hardcoding access keys into your code, for instance), all the rest of the security efforts are for naught. (To learn more about why and how to use IAM roles, read this in-depth guide from the AWS security best practices.)

A fast tip: rotate your access keys regularly and require all users to use MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication).

2. Encrypt Everything (Especially At Rest)

This is the second security best practice you should observe when developing applications in AWS. Encrypt your data at rest at all times.

The key management should be handled by the AWS Key Management Service (KMS).

Encryption in transit is equally critical. Use SSL/TLS to secure all communications channels, default to HTTPS, and only transmit unencrypted data over a safe network connection (VPN, private link).

If you're dealing with highly sensitive information (health, financial, payment card data, personal data, etc.), you might even be mandated to encrypt under law.

3. Automate Security Monitoring with AWS Config and CloudTrail

AWS Config enables you to automate security configuration audits and ensure your AWS resources are complying with company security policies at all times. And CloudTrail enables you to monitor all of your API calls. Always.

Security automation in AWS isn't just about reducing manual effort; it's also one of the most powerful and effective methods of preventing breaches.

4. Network Segmentation with VPCs and Security Groups

The flat network is no more.

Segmented and isolated networks are not only more secure. They're also simpler to protect and manage.

Lease a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) to segregate AWS resources from the public internet. Use private subnets for private resources (databases, sensitive workloads).

Use security groups (basically virtual firewalls for EC2 instances) to admit traffic in/out only what's truly necessary.

5. Patch Management (Application and OS Updates)

No updates to the software are an open door to hackers.

Ensure your OS and your apps are updated wherever you host them: on-premise or in the cloud (AWS or Azure Development Services)

In the cloud, it's particularly crucial since the hosted pieces (EC2 OSes, container images, Lambda runtimes, etc.) are constructed and distributed by other people.

If you're offering managed services, SaaS, or Azure Development Services as part of your solution, you'll require this.

You can leverage automation tools such as AWS Systems Manager Patch Manager to automate patch management on your EC2 instances.

6. Don't Scrimp on Logging and Monitoring

Log anything that you can and monitor logs.

Amazon CloudWatch Logs can aggregate logs from your system software and apps and be used to trigger alarms on activity such as failed logins, error messages, or spikes in traffic.

Extra credit for directing your logs to a SIEM (security information and event management) system for immediate monitoring.

That's how AWS best practices specialists secure apps.

7. Protect your APIs and Endpoints

Your app's APIs are the Golden Gate for attackers, particularly when your app is internet-facing.

Don't leave your APIs open. Protect your endpoints.

Authenticate every API call. Utilize Amazon Cognito or other OAuth providers.

Implement rate limiting and throttling to ensure that your APIs are not abused.

Utilize API Gateway to enforce authentication, authorization, throttling, encryption policies, and filtering on your endpoints.

If you are exposing internal services to the internet, use a private VPC to segregate them.

8. Backup Early, Backup Often

Don't spend time worrying about backups when you first know that things have gone wrong.

Automate your backups with the AWS Backup service, enable periodic backups for your databases, EBS volumes, and file systems.

Perform periodic tests to ensure your recovery plan is indeed working as expected. A backup is only as good as its restore procedures.

The cloud simplifies and makes disaster recovery more reliable, but that doesn't exclude you from doing this.

9. Implement Zero Trust Security Frameworks

Zero Trust has been around, but it's more important now than ever.

Zero Trust security best practices (don't trust anyone, check everything) are particularly suited for cloud-native applications.

Here are some fundamental concepts:

Use AWS Identity Center (previously AWS SSO) to manage user access and require step-up authentication for sensitive and important actions.

Microservices are good from a security perspective also, so have your app stick with that design and make each service authenticate each API call and communicate securely (encrypted channels only, no wide-open internal networks, etc.).

Zero Trust implementation is not easy, but it is rewarding in the long term.

10. Conduct Security Audits and Pen Tests Periodically

Finding issues before they occur is great, but you also want to have an idea of where you are at all times.

Periodic security audits and testing will assist you in verifying that your applications adhere to the AWS security best practices.

AWS Trusted Advisor will provide you with security best practice suggestions directly from AWS.

You can also commission an independent third-party audit team to conduct a penetration test and assist you in identifying and prioritizing security concerns.

Bonus Tip: A skilled AWS Development Company can assist you in your auditing and security testing endeavors. 

Wrapping Up 

Keep in mind that security in AWS is not an event that happens once. It's a process.

You must be intentional and intentional about it, regardless of how secure your setup is. Similar to having your phone up to date or your mouth clean. For peace of mind.

These are some of the best practices we employ here at AJAWS in our AWS application development projects.

Regardless of whether you're creating a SaaS application, a mobile application backend, or a hybrid application that incorporates both AWS and Azure (That's You, Ourselves), these best practices will have you up and running for a long time.

Our developers are AWS inside-out experts; they automate the appropriate stuff so you don't need to bother, and make sure the applications they create are as secure as they are strong.