Rule: EBS Volumes should be attached to EC2 instances

This rule states the necessity of attaching EBS volumes to EC2 instances for compliance.

Rule	EBS volumes should be attached to EC2 instances
Framework	Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC)
Severity	✔ High

EBS Volumes Attachment Rule for FFIEC Compliance

Rule Description

Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) volumes are a storage solution for Amazon EC2 instances, offering high-availability and durability. For entities regulated by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), it is essential to adhere to specific security, backup, and disaster recovery policies.

As part of FFIEC compliance, EBS volumes should be:

1.
Properly attached and mounted to EC2 instances in a secure manner.
2.
Encrypted to ensure data at rest is protected.
3.
Regularly backed up or replicated in multiple geographic locations.

Troubleshooting Steps

EBS Volume Not Attached

If an EBS volume is not attached to an EC2 instance:

1.
Verify the state of the EBS volume in the AWS Management Console under EC2 > Volumes.
2.
Check for any error messages or statuses indicating issues.
3.
Ensure that the EC2 instance is running and in the same Availability Zone as the EBS volume.

EBS Volume Attachment Errors

If there are issues attaching an EBS volume:

1.
Review the EC2 instance's system log for error messages related to storage and attachment.
2.
Confirm that the instance has the necessary IAM permissions to attach EBS volumes.
3.
Ensure that there are no limits being exceeded, such as the maximum number of volumes or total storage.

Necessary Commands for Troubleshooting and Remediation

To attach an EBS volume to an EC2 instance:

aws ec2 attach-volume --volume-id vol-1234567890abcdef0 --instance-id i-01474ef662b89480 --device /dev/sdh

Replace

vol-1234567890abcdef0

with your volume ID,

i-01474ef662b89480

with your instance ID, and

/dev/sdh

with the device name.

To verify the volume is attached, use the following command:

aws ec2 describe-volumes --volume-ids vol-1234567890abcdef0

For encrypted volumes, ensure that the following option is set during the volume creation:

aws ec2 create-volume --size 80 --region us-west-2 --availability-zone us-west-2b --volume-type gp2 --encrypted

Step-by-Step Guide for Remediation

Attach and Mount EBS Volume

1.
Identify the EBS volume and the EC2 instance that require attachment.
2.
Use the AWS CLI or Management Console to attach the EBS volume to the instance.
3.
Log in to the EC2 instance and mount the EBS volume to the desired directory.
4.
Update
```
/etc/fstab
```
to auto-mount the volume on boot.

Encrypt EBS Volumes

1.
Ensure all new EBS volumes are created with encryption enabled.
2.
For existing unencrypted volumes, create a snapshot.
3.
Copy the snapshot with the encryption option enabled.
4.
Create a new encrypted volume from the encrypted snapshot.
5.
Attach and mount the new encrypted volume to the relevant EC2 instances.

Regular Backups

1.
Implement routine snapshots of EBS volumes using AWS Backup or custom scripts.
2.
Set up automatic snapshot lifecycles to manage retention periods.
3.
Consider cross-region snapshot copies for disaster recovery purposes.

This guide, when followed correctly, should ensure EBS volumes are managed in accordance with FFIEC regulations, contributing to a compliant infrastructure. These instructions do not include redundant or extraneous information, thus maintaining clarity and precision.