Rule: At Least One Enabled Trail Should be Present in a Region
This rule ensures the presence of at least one enabled trail in a specific region.
| Rule | At least one enabled trail should be present in a region |
| Framework | Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) |
| Severity | ✔ Low |
Rule Description:
The rule requires that there should be at least one enabled trail present in a region for Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC). The FFIEC is a formal interagency body that prescribes uniform principles, standards, and report forms for the federal examination of financial institutions. Ensuring at least one enabled trail in a region helps in monitoring and tracking activities within financial institutions to maintain compliance with FFIEC regulations.
Troubleshooting Steps (if applicable):
If there is no enabled trail present in a region, it may indicate a configuration issue or failure to set up the trail correctly. To troubleshoot, follow these steps:
- 1.
Confirm the AWS Region: Verify if the region under consideration is correct and aligns with the FFIEC requirement for enabling trails.
- 2.
Check Trail Status: Determine the status of the trails in the region. Use the AWS Command Line Interface (CLI) or AWS Management Console to access the AWS CloudTrail service and check if any trails are enabled.
- 3.
Verify Trail Configuration: Ensure that the enabled trail has the appropriate settings according to FFIEC guidelines. Check if the trail captures all desired events and logs them in the desired location, such as Amazon S3.
- 4.
Check CloudWatch Alarms: CloudTrail can be integrated with CloudWatch to generate alarms based on specific events or patterns. Check if relevant alarms are properly set up and triggered if required events are not being captured.
- 5.
Review AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) Policies: Ensure that the IAM policies associated with the trail have the necessary permissions to collect and deliver the logs. Validate the IAM policy for the
resource and the corresponding Amazon S3 bucket policy.trail - 6.
Logging Attributes: Review the logging attributes of the enabled trail. Confirm if log file integrity validation is enabled to ensure the logs are not tampered with. Additionally, verify if log file encryption is enabled for data security.
Necessary Codes (if applicable):
There are no specific codes provided for this rule, as it focuses on ensuring the presence of at least one enabled trail in a region. However, if you need to enable a trail or modify the trail configuration, you can refer to the following examples:
AWS CLI command to enable a trail:
aws cloudtrail create-trail --name my-trail --s3-bucket-name my-bucket --is-multi-region-trail
AWS CLI command to update a trail configuration:
aws cloudtrail update-trail --name my-trail --s3-bucket-name my-new-bucket --is-multi-region-trail
Step-by-Step Guide for Remediation:
To ensure compliance with the FFIEC requirement of having at least one enabled trail in a region, follow these step-by-step instructions:
- 1.
Login to the AWS Management Console or open the AWS CLI.
- 2.
Confirm the desired AWS Region: Ensure that you are in the correct AWS region for setting up or modifying the trail.
- 3.
Enable a Trail: If no trail is currently present, enable a new trail using the AWS CLI or the AWS Management Console. Provide a unique name for the trail and specify the Amazon S3 bucket where the logs will be stored.
- 4.
Update Trail Configuration: If an existing trail is present but not enabled, update the trail configuration to enable it in the desired region. Use the AWS CLI or the AWS Management Console to modify the trail's settings.
- 5.
Verify Trail Status: After enabling or updating the trail, check its status to ensure it is active and capturing the desired events.
- 6.
Validate Trail Settings: Review the trail configuration to ensure it aligns with FFIEC requirements. Confirm the logging attributes, such as log file integrity validation and log file encryption settings, are enabled if applicable.
- 7.
Test Logging: Perform a test action that should generate logs, such as creating an AWS resource or performing an administrative action. Check if the trail captures the corresponding logs in the designated Amazon S3 bucket.
- 8.
Regular Monitoring: Continuously monitor the trail's status and logs to ensure ongoing compliance with FFIEC regulations. Configure and utilize CloudWatch alarms to identify any deviations from expected logging behavior.
By following these remediation steps, you can ensure that at least one enabled trail is present in the region, meeting the FFIEC compliance requirements.