AWS Password Detection

Learn how to detect passwords and credentials in AWS environments. Follow step-by-step guidance for PCI-DSS compliance.

data exposure

PCI-DSS

aws

Why It Matters

The core goal is to identify every location where passwords and credentials are stored within your AWS environment, so you can remediate unintended exposures before they become breaches. Scanning for passwords in AWS is a priority for organizations subject to PCI-DSS, as it helps you prove you've discovered and accounted for all sensitive credential assets—mitigating the risk of data exposure through compromised authentication.

Primary Risk: Data exposure through compromised credentials

Relevant Regulation: PCI-DSS Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard

A thorough scan delivers immediate visibility, laying the foundation for automated policy enforcement and ongoing compliance.

Prerequisites

Permissions & Roles

  • AWS admin or IAM role with scanning privileges
  • s3:GetObject, s3:ListBucket permissions
  • secretsmanager:ListSecrets, ssm:GetParameters

External Tools

  • AWS CLI
  • Cyera DSPM account
  • API credentials

Prior Setup

  • AWS account provisioned
  • CloudTrail enabled
  • CLI authenticated
  • Security groups 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 using advanced AI and Natural Language Processing (NER) models, Cyera automatically detects password patterns, credential strings, and authentication tokens in AWS, ensuring you stay ahead of credential exposures and meet PCI-DSS audit requirements in real time.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Configure your AWS environment

Ensure CloudTrail is enabled and create an IAM role with the minimum required privileges for scanning S3, Secrets Manager, and Parameter Store.

aws configure --profile cyera-scanner

2
Enable scanning workflows

In the Cyera portal, navigate to Integrations → DSPM → Add new. Select AWS, provide your access keys and define the scan scope to include S3 buckets, EC2 instances, and managed services.

3
Integrate with third-party tools

Configure webhooks or streaming exports to push scan results into your SIEM or Security Hub. Link findings to existing ticketing systems like Jira or ServiceNow.

4
Validate results and tune policies

Review the initial detection report, prioritize resources with exposed credentials, and adjust detection rules to reduce false positives. Schedule recurring scans to maintain visibility.

Architecture & Workflow

AWS Services

S3, EC2, Secrets Manager, Parameter Store

Cyera Connector

Scans resources and analyzes content for credentials

Cyera Back-end

Applies NER models and pattern matching for passwords

Reporting & Remediation

Dashboards, alerts, and playbooks

Data Flow Summary

Enumerate Resources → Send to Cyera → Apply Detection → Route Findings

Best Practices & Tips

Performance Considerations

  • Start with high-risk S3 buckets first
  • Use sampling for very large log files
  • Tune scan frequency based on change rate

Tuning Detection Rules

  • Maintain allowlists for test environments
  • Adjust confidence thresholds for NER models
  • Match rules to your credential patterns

Common Pitfalls

  • Forgetting EC2 user data and instance metadata
  • Over-scanning encrypted volumes
  • Neglecting to rotate scanner credentials

References & Further Reading

Next Steps

🔧 Fix: Review and remediate exposed passwords 🛡️ Prevent: Implement password protection policies