Rule: EBS volumes should be protected by a backup plan
This rule emphasizes the importance of having a backup plan for EBS volumes.
| Rule | EBS volumes should be protected by a backup plan |
| Framework | Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) |
| Severity | ✔ High |
EBS Volumes Backup Compliance for FFIEC
Ensuring that Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) volumes are adequately backed up is a critical component of a robust disaster recovery plan, particularly for organizations subject to the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) regulations. Financial institutions are required to have strong data protection and recovery mechanisms in place to safeguard financial data.
Rule Description
EBS volumes must be regularly backed up using automated snapshots. Backup frequency and retention should align with data criticality and compliance requirements. The backup strategy should include:
- Regular snapshots taken at intervals that meet the FFIEC’s guidelines.
- Retention policies specifying the duration for which backups are kept.
- Encryption of snapshots to ensure data security during transit and at rest.
- Failover plans to recover from data loss events.
- Testing backups periodically to verify restoration processes.
Troubleshooting
If automated backups are failing, troubleshooting steps include:
- 1.
Verify Backup Permissions: Confirm that the IAM role associated with the EC2 instance or AWS Backup service has the necessary permissions to create snapshots.
- 2.
Check Snapshot Limits: Ensure you have not hit the limit on the number of snapshots permitted in your AWS account.
- 3.
Review AWS Backup Policies: Ensure your AWS Backup policies match the required backup frequencies and retention periods.
- 4.
Monitor for Errors: Check AWS CloudTrail and the AWS Backup dashboard for any error messages that could indicate the root cause of failed backups.
AWS CLI Commands
Create Snapshot
aws ec2 create-snapshot --volume-id [VOLUME_ID] --description "Snapshot for compliance"
Create a Backup Plan
aws backup create-backup-plan --backup-plan file://backup-plan.json
You will need to create a
backup-plan.jsonVerify Backup Encryption
aws ec2 describe-snapshot-attribute --snapshot-id [SNAPSHOT_ID] --attribute createVolumePermission
Ensure the output indicates that the snapshot is encrypted.
Step by Step Guide for Remediation
- 1.
Implement Backup Plan:
- Use AWS Backup service to define a backup plan.
- Ensure that the frequency matches FFIEC requirements.
- Confirm the retention period aligns with data preservation policies.
- 2.
Configure Encryption:
- Encrypt EBS volumes using AWS Key Management Service (KMS) keys.
- Ensure snapshots inherit the encryption from the parent volume.
- 3.
Set Up Notifications:
- Use Amazon CloudWatch Events to trigger notifications for backup and restore events.
- 4.
Monitor Backup Activity:
- Consistently monitor backup logs through AWS CloudTrail.
- Ensure AWS Backup job completion with success status.
- 5.
Regular Testing:
- Schedule regular drills for data restoration from snapshots.
- Verify the integrity of the data.
- 6.
Documentation and Reporting:
- Maintain documentation of backup procedures.
- Provide reports to demonstrate compliance with FFIEC regulations.
Implementing a sound backup strategy for EBS volumes is not only a crucial step for data integrity but also a compliance requirement for financial institutions regulated by the FFIEC. Careful, detailed, and regular adherence to this rule will ensure the protection of critical financial data and bolster a company's resilience against data loss.