AWS Customer Data Detection

Learn how to detect customer data across AWS environments. Follow step-by-step guidance for GDPR compliance and data protection.

data exposure

GDPR

aws

Why It Matters

The core goal is to identify every location where customer information is stored within your AWS environment, so you can remediate unintended exposures before they become breaches. Scanning for customer data in AWS is a priority for organizations subject to GDPR, as it helps you prove you've discovered and accounted for all sensitive customer assets—mitigating the risk of data exposure through misconfigured services or unauthorized access.

Primary Risk: Data exposure through misconfigured AWS services

Relevant Regulation: GDPR General Data Protection Regulation

A thorough scan delivers immediate visibility across S3 buckets, RDS databases, DynamoDB tables, and other AWS services, laying the foundation for automated policy enforcement and ongoing compliance.

Prerequisites

Permissions & Roles

  • AWS IAM admin or service account
  • S3:ListBucket, S3:GetObject permissions
  • RDS:DescribeDBInstances, DynamoDB:ListTables

External Tools

  • AWS CLI or SDK
  • Cyera DSPM account
  • Cross-account role setup

Prior Setup

  • AWS account with resources provisioned
  • CloudTrail logging enabled
  • VPC and security groups configured
  • API credentials configured

Introducing Cyera

Cyera is a modern Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) platform that discovers, classifies, and continuously monitors your sensitive data across cloud services. By leveraging advanced AI and Named Entity Recognition (NER) to automatically identify customer data patterns across AWS services, Cyera ensures you stay ahead of accidental exposures and meet GDPR audit requirements in real time.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Configure AWS access and permissions

Create a cross-account IAM role with the minimum required permissions for data discovery. Ensure CloudTrail is enabled for audit logging and compliance tracking.

aws iam create-role --role-name CyeraDataDiscovery --assume-role-policy-document file://trust-policy.json

2
Enable AWS service scanning

In the Cyera portal, navigate to Integrations → Cloud Providers → AWS. Provide your account ID and cross-account role ARN, then define the scan scope to include S3, RDS, DynamoDB, and other relevant services.

3
Configure automated discovery workflows

Set up automated scanning schedules for different AWS services. Configure webhooks to push scan results into your SIEM, Security Hub, or existing ticketing systems like Jira or ServiceNow for immediate response.

4
Review findings and implement governance

Analyze the initial detection report, prioritize resources with high volumes of customer PII, and adjust detection rules to reduce false positives. Establish data lineage tracking and implement access controls based on findings.

Architecture & Workflow

AWS Services

S3 buckets, RDS databases, DynamoDB tables, Lambda functions

Cyera Connector

Pulls metadata and samples data across AWS services

AI Classification Engine

Applies NER models and customer data pattern detection

Reporting & Alerts

Dashboards, GDPR compliance reports, and remediation workflows

Data Flow Summary

Enumerate AWS Resources → Send to Cyera → Apply AI Detection → Generate Compliance Reports

Best Practices & Tips

Performance Considerations

  • Start with pilot AWS accounts or regions
  • Use intelligent sampling for large S3 buckets
  • Schedule scans during off-peak hours

GDPR Compliance Focus

  • Map data flows to identify data controllers vs processors
  • Establish data retention policies based on findings
  • Document lawful basis for customer data processing

Common Pitfalls

  • Missing cross-region S3 buckets or RDS instances
  • Overlooking Lambda environment variables
  • Forgetting to rotate cross-account role credentials

References & Further Reading

Next Steps

🛡️ Prevent: Set up customer data protection policies 🔧 Fix: Remediate exposed customer data findings