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🛡️ AWS Redshift Cluster is publicly accessible🟢

Logic​

Similar Policies​

Description​

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Description​

This policy identifies AWS Redshift Clusters that are configured with the Publicly Accessible setting enabled. When this flag is set to true, the cluster is internet-facing and assigned a publicly resolvable DNS name that maps to a public IP address.

Rationale​

Publicly accessible databases and data warehouses significantly increase the attack surface of your cloud environment. Exposing a Redshift cluster to the Internet allows unauthorized actors to attempt exploitation of vulnerabilities or perform brute-force attacks against the cluster endpoint. Configuring clusters as private supports a defense-in-depth strategy by ensuring that access to the data warehouse is restricted to trusted networks within your VPC.

Audit​

This policy flags an AWS Redshift Cluster as INCOMPLIANT if Publicly Accessible is set to Yes.

Clusters that are not in the available state are marked as INAPPLICABLE.

Remediation​

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Remediation​

Disable Public Accessibility​

To reduce the attack surface and prevent Internet exposure, configure Amazon Redshift clusters to be private by disabling public accessibility. This ensures the cluster endpoint is reachable only from within trusted networks in your VPC.

From Command Line​

Use the following AWS CLI command to disable public access for the specified Redshift cluster:

aws redshift modify-cluster \
    --cluster-identifier {{cluster-id}} \
    --no-publicly-accessible

Note: This change may require a cluster restart to take effect, depending on the current configuration.

After applying the change, verify that applications and users can still connect to the cluster through approved private network paths.

Additional Considerations​
  • Private Connectivity: Use Interface VPC Endpoints (AWS PrivateLink) to enable secure, private connectivity to Amazon Redshift without routing traffic over the public Internet.
  • Network Restrictions: Apply the principle of least privilege by configuring security groups to allow inbound traffic only on the Redshift port (default: 5439) and only from approved internal IP ranges or VPC resources.

policy.yaml​

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Linked Framework Sections​

SectionSub SectionsInternal RulesPoliciesFlagsCompliance
💼 AWS Foundational Security Best Practices v1.0.0 → 💼 [Redshift.1] Amazon Redshift clusters should prohibit public access1no data
💼 Cloudaware Framework → 💼 Network Exposure137no data
💼 FedRAMP High Security Controls → 💼 AC-3 Access Enforcement (L)(M)(H)3790no data
💼 FedRAMP High Security Controls → 💼 AC-4 Information Flow Enforcement (M)(H)239112no data
💼 FedRAMP High Security Controls → 💼 AC-4(21) Physical or Logical Separation of Information Flows (M)(H)1168no data
💼 FedRAMP High Security Controls → 💼 AC-6 Least Privilege (M)(H)81285no data
💼 FedRAMP High Security Controls → 💼 AC-21 Information Sharing (M)(H)19no data
💼 FedRAMP High Security Controls → 💼 SC-7 Boundary Protection (L)(M)(H)10888no data
💼 FedRAMP High Security Controls → 💼 SC-7(3) Access Points (M)(H)19no data
💼 FedRAMP High Security Controls → 💼 SC-7(4) External Telecommunications Services (M)(H)49no data
💼 FedRAMP High Security Controls → 💼 SC-7(20) Dynamic Isolation and Segregation (H)20no data
💼 FedRAMP High Security Controls → 💼 SC-7(21) Isolation of System Components (H)37no data
💼 FedRAMP Low Security Controls → 💼 AC-3 Access Enforcement (L)(M)(H)90no data
💼 FedRAMP Low Security Controls → 💼 SC-7 Boundary Protection (L)(M)(H)49no data
💼 FedRAMP Moderate Security Controls → 💼 AC-3 Access Enforcement (L)(M)(H)90no data
💼 FedRAMP Moderate Security Controls → 💼 AC-4 Information Flow Enforcement (M)(H)194no data
💼 FedRAMP Moderate Security Controls → 💼 AC-4(21) Physical or Logical Separation of Information Flows (M)(H)68no data
💼 FedRAMP Moderate Security Controls → 💼 AC-6 Least Privilege (M)(H)685no data
💼 FedRAMP Moderate Security Controls → 💼 AC-21 Information Sharing (M)(H)19no data
💼 FedRAMP Moderate Security Controls → 💼 SC-7 Boundary Protection (L)(M)(H)772no data
💼 FedRAMP Moderate Security Controls → 💼 SC-7(3) Access Points (M)(H)19no data
💼 FedRAMP Moderate Security Controls → 💼 SC-7(4) External Telecommunications Services (M)(H)49no data
💼 NIST CSF v2.0 → 💼 DE.CM-01: Networks and network services are monitored to find potentially adverse events185no data
💼 NIST CSF v2.0 → 💼 DE.CM-09: Computing hardware and software, runtime environments, and their data are monitored to find potentially adverse events182no data
💼 NIST CSF v2.0 → 💼 ID.AM-03: Representations of the organization's authorized network communication and internal and external network data flows are maintained89no data
💼 NIST CSF v2.0 → 💼 PR.AA-05: Access permissions, entitlements, and authorizations are defined in a policy, managed, enforced, and reviewed, and incorporate the principles of least privilege and separation of duties144no data
💼 NIST CSF v2.0 → 💼 PR.DS-01: The confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data-at-rest are protected196no data
💼 NIST CSF v2.0 → 💼 PR.DS-02: The confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data-in-transit are protected167no data
💼 NIST CSF v2.0 → 💼 PR.DS-10: The confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data-in-use are protected197no data
💼 NIST CSF v2.0 → 💼 PR.IR-01: Networks and environments are protected from unauthorized logical access and usage129no data
💼 NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 → 💼 AC-3 Access Enforcement15666no data
💼 NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 → 💼 AC-3(7) Access Enforcement _ Role-based Access Control36no data
💼 NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 → 💼 AC-4 Information Flow Enforcement3276131no data
💼 NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 → 💼 AC-4(21) Information Flow Enforcement _ Physical or Logical Separation of Information Flows4268no data
💼 NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 → 💼 AC-6 Least Privilege102378no data
💼 NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 → 💼 AC-21 Information Sharing219no data
💼 NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 → 💼 SC-7 Boundary Protection29898no data
💼 NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 → 💼 SC-7(3) Boundary Protection _ Access Points19no data
💼 NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 → 💼 SC-7(4) Boundary Protection _ External Telecommunications Services49no data
💼 NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 → 💼 SC-7(9) Boundary Protection _ Restrict Threatening Outgoing Communications Traffic35no data
💼 NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 → 💼 SC-7(11) Boundary Protection _ Restrict Incoming Communications Traffic37no data
💼 NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 → 💼 SC-7(16) Boundary Protection _ Prevent Discovery of System Components37no data
💼 NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 → 💼 SC-7(20) Boundary Protection _ Dynamic Isolation and Segregation20no data
💼 NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 → 💼 SC-7(21) Boundary Protection _ Isolation of System Components37no data
💼 PCI DSS v3.2.1 → 💼 1.2.1 Restrict inbound and outbound traffic to that which is necessary for the cardholder data environment, and specifically deny all other traffic.1067no data
💼 PCI DSS v3.2.1 → 💼 1.3.1 Implement a DMZ to limit inbound traffic to only system components that provide authorized publicly accessible services, protocols, and ports.630no data
💼 PCI DSS v3.2.1 → 💼 1.3.2 Limit inbound Internet traffic to IP addresses within the DMZ.30no data
💼 PCI DSS v3.2.1 → 💼 1.3.4 Do not allow unauthorized outbound traffic from the cardholder data environment to the Internet.15no data
💼 PCI DSS v3.2.1 → 💼 1.3.5 Permit only “established” connections into the network.30no data
💼 PCI DSS v3.2.1 → 💼 1.3.6 Place system components that store cardholder data in an internal network zone, segregated from the DMZ and other untrusted networks.15no data
💼 PCI DSS v4.0.1 → 💼 1.3.1 Inbound traffic to the CDE is restricted.67no data
💼 PCI DSS v4.0.1 → 💼 1.3.2 Outbound traffic from the CDE is restricted.67no data
💼 PCI DSS v4.0.1 → 💼 1.4.2 Inbound traffic from untrusted networks to trusted networks is restricted.30no data
💼 PCI DSS v4.0.1 → 💼 1.4.4 System components that store cardholder data are not directly accessible from untrusted networks.15no data
💼 PCI DSS v4.0 → 💼 1.3.1 Inbound traffic to the CDE is restricted.967no data
💼 PCI DSS v4.0 → 💼 1.3.2 Outbound traffic from the CDE is restricted.67no data
💼 PCI DSS v4.0 → 💼 1.4.2 Inbound traffic from untrusted networks to trusted networks is restricted.930no data
💼 PCI DSS v4.0 → 💼 1.4.4 System components that store cardholder data are not directly accessible from untrusted networks.15no data