AWS Analytics Data Prevention

Learn how to prevent exposure of analytics data in AWS environments. Follow step-by-step guidance for PCI-DSS compliance.

shadow data

PCI-DSS

aws

Why It Matters

The core goal is to implement preventive controls that automatically stop analytics data from being exposed in your AWS environment before it becomes a compliance violation or security incident. Establishing proactive prevention for analytics data in AWS is critical for organizations subject to PCI-DSS, as it helps you maintain continuous compliance and prevents shadow data repositories containing payment card information from becoming publicly accessible.

Primary Risk: Shadow data containing sensitive analytics information becoming publicly exposed

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

Preventive controls provide ongoing protection, automatically enforcing security policies and maintaining compliance posture without manual intervention.

Prerequisites

Permissions & Roles

  • AWS IAM Administrator access
  • S3 bucket policy management permissions
  • Ability to configure AWS CLI or CloudFormation

External Tools

  • AWS CLI or CloudFormation
  • Cyera DSPM account
  • AWS service principal credentials

Prior Setup

  • AWS account activated
  • S3 buckets and data lakes configured
  • AWS CLI authenticated
  • VPC and 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 automating the prevention of analytics data exposure in AWS using advanced AI and policy enforcement capabilities, Cyera ensures you maintain continuous compliance and prevents accidental exposures before they occur.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Configure AWS preventive policies

Set up AWS IAM policies and S3 bucket policies that automatically restrict public access to analytics data. Create service control policies (SCPs) at the organization level to enforce data protection standards.

aws iam create-policy --policy-name PreventAnalyticsExposure --policy-document file://analytics-prevention-policy.json

2
Enable automated policy enforcement

In the Cyera portal, navigate to Policies → Prevention → Create New. Configure automated remediation workflows that trigger when analytics data is detected in risky locations, automatically applying encryption and access controls.

3
Set up continuous monitoring

Configure CloudWatch events and CloudTrail to monitor for policy violations. Set up automated alerts that trigger when someone attempts to make analytics data publicly accessible or modify security controls.

Deploy guardrails and automation

Implement AWS Config rules to continuously evaluate compliance posture. Deploy Lambda functions that automatically remediate policy violations and maintain consistent security controls across all analytics data repositories.

Architecture & Workflow

AWS S3 & Analytics Services

Protected analytics data storage and processing

Cyera Policy Engine

Continuously monitors and enforces data protection policies

AWS Config & CloudTrail

Compliance monitoring and audit trail

Automated Remediation

Lambda functions and workflows for instant response

Prevention Flow Summary

Monitor Data → Detect Risk → Apply Controls → Verify Protection

Best Practices & Tips

Policy Configuration

  • Start with least-privilege access controls
  • Implement defense-in-depth strategies
  • Use AWS Organizations for centralized governance

Automation & Monitoring

  • Set up real-time alerting for policy violations
  • Implement automated remediation workflows
  • Regular testing of prevention mechanisms

Common Pitfalls

  • Over-restrictive policies blocking legitimate access
  • Forgetting to test prevention controls regularly
  • Not accounting for cross-account data sharing

References & Further Reading

Next Steps

🔍 Detect: Scan for existing analytics data exposures 🔧 Fix: Remediate any detected analytics data exposures