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Techniques for Securing an Application in AWS

As a newly hired DevOps Engineer, you have been given objectives to strengthen the security posture around a high-profile application. You are given three specific tasks: 1) Move secrets from a CloudFormation template to Secrets Manager and reference them from the template, 2) Configure a web access control list to guard against specific OWASP Top Ten items, and 3) Configure an EC2 instance to be managed by Amazon Inspector.

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Path Info

Level
Clock icon Intermediate
Duration
Clock icon 1h 0m
Last updated
Clock icon Sep 03, 2025

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Table of Contents

  1. Challenge

    Create Secrets in Secrets Manager

    1. View the CF template to move the username/password to Secrets Manager.
    2. Create a secret in Secrets Manager named dbsecret (make sure to get the name exactly right for grading).

  2. Challenge

    Update the CloudFormation Template

    1. Edit the template to reference secrets in Secrets Manager.

    2. Update the template using the reference to Secrets Manager.

      Hint: Don't struggle with the syntax on this. Check out this AWS page.

  3. Challenge

    Configure the Web ACL

    1. From the WAF Console, select Create Web ACL.
    2. Add the AWS Managed Rules: Core rule set, SQL database rule set, and known bad inputs.

    Note: This Web ACL is being created to protect an Application Load Balancer (which we won't create in this lab) in the Northern Virginia Region.

  4. Challenge

    Configure an EC2 Instance to be Managed by Systems Manager

    1. In IAM, select Create Role.
    2. Attach the AmazonSSMManagedInstanceCore policy to the role.
    3. Launch an EC2 Instance with the size t3.micro and the name instance4ssm1 and attach the role.
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Pluralsight Skills

Pluralsight Skills gives leaders confidence they have the skills needed to execute technology strategy. Technology teams can benchmark expertise across roles, speed up release cycles and build reliable, secure products. By leveraging our expert content, skill assessments and one-of-a-kind analytics, keep up with the pace of change, put the right people on the right projects and boost productivity. It's the most effective path to developing tech skills at scale.

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Hands-on Labs are real environments created by industry experts to help you learn. These environments help you gain knowledge and experience, practice without compromising your system, test without risk, destroy without fear, and let you learn from your mistakes. Hands-on Labs: practice your skills before delivering in the real world.

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We will provide the credentials and environment necessary for you to practice right within your browser.

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Follow along with the author’s guided walkthrough and build something new in your provided environment!

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