Rule: RDS DB Instance Backup Should Be Enabled
This rule ensures that RDS DB instance backup is enabled for data protection and disaster recovery.
| Rule | RDS DB instance backup should be enabled |
| Framework | HIPAA |
| Severity | ✔ Medium |
Rule Description:
In order to comply with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations, the backup feature of Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service) DB instances should be enabled. Enabling backups ensures that valuable data stored in the DB instances can be recovered in case of accidental deletion, corruption, or system failures.
Troubleshooting Steps (if applicable):
If backup is not already enabled for an RDS DB instance, follow these troubleshooting steps to enable it:
- 1.Verify the current backup status of the RDS DB instance.
- 2.If backups are not enabled, proceed to the next step.
- 3.Identify the appropriate Backup Retention Period for your specific HIPAA requirements.
- 4.Enable automated backups for the RDS DB instance.
- 5.Validate the backup settings to confirm that the backup feature is successfully enabled.
Necessary Code (if applicable):
The following code snippet can be used to enable automated backups for an RDS DB instance:
aws rds modify-db-instance --db-instance-identifier <db-instance-identifier> --backup-retention-period <backup-retention-period>
Replace
<db-instance-identifier><backup-retention-period>Step-by-Step Guide for Remediation:
Follow these step-by-step instructions to enable RDS DB instance backup for HIPAA compliance:
- 1.Login to your AWS console.
- 2.Navigate to the RDS service.
- 3.Select the region where your RDS DB instance is located.
- 4.Locate and click on the RDS DB instance that needs backup enabled.
- 5.In the "Actions" dropdown menu, select "Modify".
- 6.Scroll down to the "Backup" section.
- 7.Enable the "Backup Retention Period" option.
- 8.Set the appropriate backup retention period according to your HIPAA compliance requirements.
- 9.Scroll to the bottom and click on the "Modify DB Instance" button to save the changes.
- 10.Wait for the modification to complete. This might take a few minutes.
- 11.Once the modification is complete, confirm that the backup feature is successfully enabled by going back to the RDS DB instance details page.
- 12.Check that the "Backup Retention Period" value reflects the desired setting.
By following the above steps, automated backups will be enabled for your RDS DB instance, ensuring compliance with HIPAA regulations.