Secure Your AWS CloudFront Endpoints Before It’s Too Late

AWS CloudFront is a globally distributed Content Delivery Network (CDN) service designed for high-speed, low-latency content distribution. While CloudFront offers robust security by default, additional configurations can significantly enhance its security and resilience against cyber threats.

In this guide, we will walk through the steps to securely configure AWS CloudFront with an Amazon S3 bucket as the origin. We will explore key security settings, including CloudFront policies, Web Application Firewall (WAF) configurations, and response headers to ensure a robust setup.

Why Secure AWS CloudFront Endpoints?

You may wonder, Isn’t AWS CloudFront already secure? While CloudFront does have built-in security features, additional configurations can further protect your content and its origin from unauthorized access and cyber threats. By implementing these measures, you ensure that your CloudFront distribution remains both high-performing and secure.

Setting Up a Secure CloudFront Distribution

Step 1: Creating an S3 Bucket with Custom Settings

1. Access the S3 Console:
2. Configure the Bucket:
3. Adjust Public Access Settings:
4. Additional Configurations:

Step 2: Enabling Static Website Hosting and Uploading Files

1. Navigate to the Properties tab of the S3 bucket.
2. Scroll down to Static Website Hosting and click Edit.
3. Enable the feature and configure:
4. Save changes and note the assigned S3 static website URL.
5. Upload HTML files (index.html, error.html) to the S3 bucket.

Step 3: Creating an SSL/TLS Certificate in AWS ACM

1. Open AWS Certificate Manager (ACM).
2. Click Request Certificate and select Public Certificate.
3. Enter your domain name (e.g., yourdomain.com).
4. Complete DNS validation by adding the provided CNAME record to your domain’s DNS settings.
5. Once validated, the certificate will be issued.

Step 4: Configuring AWS CloudFront Distribution

1. Open CloudFront Console and click Create Distribution.
2. Select Origin:
3. Configure Cache Behavior:

Step 5: Defining CloudFront Policies

1. Cache Policy

• Navigate to CloudFront Policies → Create Cache Policy.
• Configure TTL settings and Cache Key settings.
• Enable Compression Support (e.g., Gzip, Brotli).
• Save the policy.

2. Origin Request Policy

• Click Create Origin Request Policy.
• Configure Headers, Query Strings, and Cookies.
• Save the policy.

3. Response Headers Policy (Security & CORS)

• Click Create Response Headers Policy.
• Configure Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS):
• Enable Security Headers:
• Save the policy.

Step 6: Enabling AWS Web Application Firewall (WAF)

1. In CloudFront Distribution Settings, enable AWS WAF.
2. Click Enable Security Protections.
3. Choose Monitor Mode for initial setup.
4. Configure WAF rules to filter malicious traffic.
5. Save settings.

Step 7: Deploying and Testing

1. Deploy CloudFront Distribution:
2. Configure DNS Records:
3. Test the Configuration:

Conclusion

By implementing these steps, your AWS CloudFront distribution will be more secure and optimized for performance. This guide covered:

• Securing the origin (S3 bucket) with policies
• Configuring CloudFront policies for caching, request forwarding, and security headers
• Enabling AWS WAF to protect against web attacks
• Deploying and validating the secure setup