Securing and Operating Distributions in CloudFront

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Securing and Operating Distributions in CloudFront

In this lab, you will implement best-practice security settings and explore key operational configurations to optimize the performance and presentation of your Globomantics website using CloudFront. Specifically, you will secure access to your origin, configure a custom domain name, and enforce cache updates to ensure your site delivers an exceptional user experience.

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Lab Info

Level

Beginner

Last updated

Sep 24, 2025

Duration

45m

Challenge

Configure and Test Origin Access Control
- Permissions are critical: Double-check that your permissions are set correctly.
- Always save your changes: Triple-check that you've saved any modifications you make.
- S3 URL should not work: Ensure you cannot access your website using the S3 URL. This indicates the setup is secure and only accessible through CloudFront.
Challenge

Configure SSL/TLS Connectivity to the Distribution using a Custom Domain Name
- Validate Ownership of Your Domain with ACM: Don’t skip this step; your setup won’t work without proper domain validation. You can confirm validation status through the Certificate information section in your web browser.
- Verify your Record Type in Route 53: Ensure the record type is set correctly, and confirm it’s within the public hosted zone.
Challenge

Adjusting Caching Manually with Invalidation
- Check at the Distribution Level: Ensure the configuration is applied at the distribution level,, it is not a behavior.
Challenge

Adjusting Caching Automatically with Behaviors
- Understand Caching Behavior: Familiarize yourself with caching behavior—this term describes how distributions manage and deliver content from the origin.

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