Rule: EC2 Instances Should Not Have a Public IP Address
This rule specifies that EC2 instances should not be assigned a public IP address.
| Rule | EC2 instances should not have a public IP address |
| Framework | HIPAA |
| Severity | ✔ High |
Rule Description:
According to HIPAA regulations, EC2 instances should not have a public IP address. Public IP addresses can potentially expose sensitive healthcare data and violate the security and privacy requirements of HIPAA.
Troubleshooting:
If you find an EC2 instance that has a public IP address, follow the steps below to remediate the issue.
- 1.
Identify the instances with public IP addresses:
- Use the AWS Management Console or AWS CLI to list all the EC2 instances in your account.
- 2.
Review Instance Details:
- Observe the "Public IP" field for each instance to identify those with public IP addresses.
Remediation Steps:
- 1.Remove Public IP Address:
AWS provides multiple options to remove the public IP address from an EC2 instance. Choose the appropriate method based on your requirements.
Method 1: Disassociate the Elastic IP
If the instance has an Elastic IP associated with it, disassociate it from the instance.
- Open the Amazon EC2 console.
- Go to the "Elastic IPs" section.
- Identify the Elastic IP associated with the instance.
- Select the Elastic IP and choose "Disassociate".
Method 2: Release the Elastic IP
If the instance has an Elastic IP allocated to it but not currently associated, you can release the Elastic IP.
- Open the Amazon EC2 console.
- Go to the "Elastic IPs" section.
- Identify the Elastic IP associated with the instance.
- Select the Elastic IP and choose "Release addresses".
Method 3: Remove the Public IP Address
If the instance has a public IP address assigned automatically by AWS, you can remove it.
- Open the Amazon EC2 console.
- Go to the "Instances" section.
- Identify the EC2 instance with the public IP address.
- Select the instance and choose "Actions".
- Click on "Networking" and choose "Manage IP addresses".
- Select "Release IP address" for the public IP.
- 1.Verify That the Instance No Longer Has a Public IP:
After performing the necessary steps based on the chosen method, validate that the EC2 instance no longer has a public IP address.
- Verify the "Public IP" field is empty for the instance.
- Access the instance using its private IP or internal domain name for any required communication.
Conclusion:
By removing the public IP address from EC2 instances, you ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations and protect sensitive healthcare data from potential security risks. Always validate that the instances have no public IP addresses after performing the necessary steps.