Security and compliance are top concerns for any organization that uses cloud infrastructure. The Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) developed by the US Department of Defense are a set of guidelines that provide recommendations for securing software and hardware systems. STIG compliance is important for organizations that operate in regulated industries or need to meet government security requirements.

Manually configuring instances to meet STIG compliance can be a complex and time-consuming process. AWS provides a solution to automate the process of creating STIG-compliant instances using EC2 Image Builder. EC2 Image Builder is a fully managed AWS service that simplifies the creation, maintenance, validation, sharing, and deployment of Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) for EC2 instances. By using EC2 Image Builder, organizations can easily automate the process of creating STIG-compliant AMIs.

To ensure that the RHEL8 EC2 instances are in compliance with the latest STIG requirements, it's essential to use the latest packages provided by Red Hat. Red Hat regularly releases updated STIG packages that address new vulnerabilities and provide the latest security controls. By using the latest STIG packages from Red Hat, organizations can ensure that their RHEL EC2 instances are secure and compliant with the latest industry standards.

Benefits of STIG-Compliant Instances

Creating STIG-compliant instances provides several benefits. Firstly, it ensures that instances meet the necessary security standards set by STIGs, which is important for security and governance. Secondly, it saves time and resources by automating the process of creating STIG-compliant instances. Finally, it enables organizations to quickly and easily launch STIG-compliant instances, which is essential for maintaining a secure and compliant infrastructure.

EC2 Image Builder Overview

EC2 Image Builder is a fully managed AWS service that simplifies the process of creating, maintaining, and validating Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) for EC2 instances. EC2 Image Builder provides a web-based console and a set of APIs that enable you to automate the process of creating and managing AMIs. With EC2 Image Builder, you can create customized images that are optimized for your specific use case and meet the necessary security standards.

EC2 Image Builder supports various operating systems, including Amazon Linux 2, Ubuntu, and Windows Server. You can use EC2 Image Builder to create AMIs that are optimized for specific use cases, such as web servers, databases, or machine learning. EC2 Image Builder also supports the creation of golden images that can be used as the basis for creating new instances.

EC2 Image Builder is designed to work with other AWS services, such as EC2 Auto Scaling, AWS CloudFormation, and AWS CodePipeline. This integration enables you to automate the process of creating and deploying STIG-compliant AMIs.

The CloudFormation script below leverages AWS EC2 Image Builder to establish an image pipeline that downloads the latest STIG Ansible playbook and applies it to an EC2 RHEL8 instance. The script then creates an AMI off the instance, which can be used to launch STIG-compliant instances in the future.

git clone https://github.ibm.com/Reza-Beykzadeh/ec2-imagebuilder-rhel.git

Reza Beykzadeh is an IBM Cloud Enterprise Solutions Architect responsible for defining the overall structure of AWS technical programs for Federal clients. Mr. Beykzadeh primarily designs functional technology solutions, oversees development and implementation of programs, and provides technical leadership as well as support to software development teams. He holds 13 AWS certifications, including SAP on AWS and Machine Learning. Mr. Beykzadeh has a strong focus on generative AI, leveraging it to innovate and optimize legacy code conversion solutions. IBM has recognized Mr. Beykzadeh as a ‘rockstar’ for his dedication to client success and his contributions to integrating GenAI with AWS solutions. He was recently named a Federal Market Circle Golden Circle Honoree, an elite group of top performing IBMers who delivered outstanding business results in 2024. Mr. Beykzadeh holds a B.A. in Information Technology from George Mason University.