Rule: RDS DB Instance Should Be Protected by Backup Plan
This rule ensures that RDS DB instances are protected by a backup plan for data safety and recovery.
| Rule | RDS DB instance should be protected by backup plan |
| Framework | HIPAA |
| Severity | ✔ High |
Ensuring RDS DB Instance Compliance with HIPAA Backup Requirements
Understanding HIPAA Backup Requirements for RDS
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has specific requirements for backing up electronic protected health information (ePHI) to ensure data availability, integrity, and confidentiality. For an Amazon RDS DB instance containing ePHI, the HIPAA Security Rule requires:
- 1.Regular backups of ePHI.
- 2.Disaster recovery measures.
- 3.Emergency operation plans.
- 4.Data encryption in transit and at rest.
Rule Details and Description
An RDS DB instance that contains ePHI should have:
- Automated backups turned on with a suitable retention period.
- Database snapshots that are created regularly.
- Encryption enabled for data at rest and in transit.
Step by Step Guide for Remediation
Step 1: Enable Automated Backups
Configure automated backups with an appropriate retention period. The default retention period for automated backups is seven days, but for HIPAA compliance, you might need to extend it.
aws rds modify-db-instance \ --db-instance-identifier <your-db-instance-identifier> \ --backup-retention-period <desired-retention-period-in-days> \ --apply-immediately
Step 2: Schedule Regular DB Snapshots
Create a process to take regular snapshots of your RDS DB instance for additional backups.
aws rds create-db-snapshot \ --db-snapshot-identifier <snapshot-identifier> \ --db-instance-identifier <your-db-instance-identifier>
Implement a routine, such as a Lambda function or cron job, to automate this process.
Step 3: Enable Encryption
Activate encryption to ensure data at rest is protected.
aws rds create-db-instance \ --db-instance-identifier <new-db-instance-identifier> \ --db-instance-class <db-instance-class> \ --engine <engine> \ --allocated-storage <storage-size> \ --master-username <master-username> \ --master-user-password <master-user-password> \ --storage-encrypted \ --kms-key-id <your-kms-key-id>
To encrypt an existing non-encrypted DB instance, create a snapshot, copy it with encryption, and then restore the DB instance from the encrypted snapshot.
Step 4: Enforce Transport Layer Encryption
Configure the DB instance to require SSL/TLS for all connections to protect data in transit.
ALTER DATABASE <your-database-name>
SET rds.force_ssl=1
RESTART;
Troubleshooting
- If automated backups are not working, check the backup window and ensure there are no conflicting maintenance tasks.
- For snapshot issues, check the AWS RDS limits to ensure you haven't reached the maximum number of snapshots.
- If data encryption fails, verify that the KMS key is available and permissions are set correctly.
Considerations for SEO Acceleration
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