Rule for RDS Aurora Cluster Backup Protection
This rule emphasizes the necessity of backup plans for securing RDS Aurora clusters.
| Rule | RDS Aurora clusters should be protected by backup plan |
| Framework | SOC 2 |
| Severity | ✔ Medium |
Rule Description:
RDS Aurora clusters must have a backup plan in place to ensure compliance with SOC 2 requirements. This ensures that data stored in the clusters is regularly backed up and can be restored in case of any data loss or corruption.
Remediation Steps:
- 1.
Identify Backup Requirements: Determine the specific backup requirements for your RDS Aurora cluster, including the frequency and retention period of backups. This will depend on your business needs and compliance requirements.
- 2.
Enable Automated Backups: Configure automated backups for your RDS Aurora cluster. This can be done either during the initial setup or by modifying the cluster settings.
- 3.
Choose Backup Window: Select a suitable backup window during a period of low database activity. This minimizes any impact on the cluster's performance during the backup process.
- 4.
Define Backup Retention: Set the retention period for backups based on your requirements. This determines how long the backups will be stored and available for restoration.
- 5.
Enable Snapshot Export: Exporting snapshots to Amazon S3 allows you to have an additional copy of your backups outside of the RDS environment. Enable this feature for added resilience.
- 6.
Enable Multi-AZ Deployment: Consider using Multi-AZ deployment for your Aurora cluster for enhanced availability and durability. This automatically replicates your data across different Availability Zones, providing automatic failover in the event of a primary zone outage.
- 7.
Monitor Backup Status: Regularly monitor the backup status of your RDS Aurora cluster to ensure backups are being performed successfully and within the defined schedule.
- 8.
Perform Periodic Restores: It is recommended to periodically restore backups to validate the integrity of the backup files and ensure they can be successfully restored if needed.
- 9.
Test Recovery Procedures: Develop and test recovery procedures to validate that you can restore your data in case of a disaster. This ensures that the backups are functional and can be relied upon to recover data when required.
Troubleshooting Steps:
- Backup Failure: If backups are not being performed, check the cluster's configuration and make sure the automated backup feature is enabled. Also, ensure that there is enough storage available for the backups.
- Backup Window Performance Impact: If the backup process is impacting the performance of the cluster during the defined backup window, consider adjusting the backup window to a period of even lower activity. Also, evaluate the cluster's resource allocation to ensure it is sufficient for handling backups without affecting performance.
- Snapshot Export Failure: If snapshot exports to Amazon S3 fail, ensure that the necessary permissions are granted to the RDS service to access the S3 bucket. Check the network connectivity between the RDS cluster and the S3 bucket.
- Backup Restoration Issues: If there are difficulties in restoring backups, verify that the backups are available and accessible. Check the credentials and privileges required to perform the restore operation.
It is important to regularly review and test your backup plan to ensure it remains effective and aligned with the SOC 2 requirements. This helps safeguard the data stored in your RDS Aurora cluster and provides assurance to your clients and auditors.