Rule: EBS Volumes Should Be Protected by a Backup Plan
This rule ensures that EBS volumes have a backup plan for protection.
| Rule | EBS volumes should be protected by a backup plan |
| Framework | HIPAA |
| Severity | ✔ High |
EBS Volumes Backup Compliance for HIPAA
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets the standard for sensitive patient data protection. Entities that are involved in healthcare services are required to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of protected health information (PHI). When utilizing AWS and its Elastic Block Store (EBS) service, it is imperative to have a robust backup plan in place.
Rule Details
A HIPAA-compliant backup plan for EBS volumes typically involves:
- Regular snapshots of EBS volumes containing PHI.
- Encryption of snapshots using AWS KMS with an appropriate cryptographic key.
- Retention policies for maintaining, and securely deleting, snapshots.
- Disaster recovery planning to ensure availability in case of emergencies.
Prerequisites
- An AWS account with appropriate permissions.
- EBS volumes in use that store or process PHI.
Step-by-step Guide for Remediation
- 1.
Enable EBS Volume Encryption
- Encrypt new EBS volumes with an AWS Key Management Service (KMS) customer master key (CMK) before storing PHI.
aws ec2 create-volume --size 20 --region us-east-1 --availability-zone us-east-1a --volume-type gp2 --encrypted --kms-key-id alias/your-key-alias
- 2.
Regular Backup Plan
- Set up a schedule for taking snapshots of EBS volumes.
aws ec2 create-snapshot --volume-id vol-xxxxxxx --description "HIPAA backup for volume vol-xxxxxxx"
- 3.
Snapshot Encryption
- Ensure that all snapshots taken are encrypted with a KMS CMK.
aws ec2 copy-snapshot --source-region us-east-1 --source-snapshot-id snap-xxxxxx --region us-east-1 --encrypted --kms-key-id alias/your-key-alias
- 4.
Retention Policies
- Implement lifecycle policies to automate the deletion of outdated snapshots.
# Example using Data Lifecycle Manager (DLM) aws dlm create-lifecycle-policy --execution-role-arn arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/aws-service-role/dlm.amazonaws.com/AWSServiceRoleForDataLifecycleManager --description "HIPAA backup policy" --state ENABLED --policy-details file://policy-details.json
Create a
file to define the retention policy.policy-details.json - 5.
Enable Access Logging
- Turn on access logging to monitor and audit access to the snapshots and EBS volumes.
- 6.
Testing Backup and Restore
- Regularly test backup and restore processes to ensure the integrity and successful restoration of data.
aws ec2 create-volume --snapshot-id snap-xxxxxx --availability-zone us-east-1a --encrypted --kms-key-id alias/your-key-alias
- 7.
Document The Backup Process
- Keep detailed documentation of your backup and disaster recovery procedures for compliance purposes.
Troubleshooting Steps
- If backups fail to complete, check for insufficient permissions or limits exceeded in your account.
- For snapshot errors, check the status of the EBS volume and ensure it's in an available state before taking a snapshot.
- If encryption isn't functioning, validate your KMS permissions and ensure that your IAM policies include access to the key.
Conclusion
Implementing and maintaining a backup plan for EBS volumes is crucial for HIPAA compliance. By following the above guidelines, you can help ensure that PHI data is adequately protected, encrypted, and can be recovered in the event of data loss. Remember, compliance is an ongoing process that includes regular audits and updates to your practices as needed.