Amazon Inspector Agent Autodeploy
A Lambda job in Python to automatically deploy Inspector agent to newly-launched EC2 instances
| Category | Security Automation & Orchestration |
|---|---|
| Community Stars | 28 |
| Last Commit | 8 years ago |
| Last page update | 19 days ago |
| Pricing Details | Free to use under Apache License 2.0 |
| Target Audience | AWS users looking to automate security monitoring on EC2 instances. |
The Amazon Inspector Agent Autodeploy tool is designed to ensure consistent and automated deployment of the Amazon Inspector agent on newly launched EC2 instances. This tool leverages an AWS Lambda function written in Python, which is triggered by a CloudWatch event each time a new EC2 instance enters the running state.
Technically, the Lambda function relies on the EC2 Simple System Manager (SSM) agent being installed and running on the target instances, with the necessary SSM permissions attached to the instance's IAM role. The function checks for the presence of the SSM agent and then uses SSM's Run Command to install and start the Amazon Inspector agent on the new instances. This approach ensures that all EC2 instances are consistently monitored by Amazon Inspector without manual intervention.
Operationally, this setup requires careful management of IAM policies to avoid permission errors, such as the "list index out of range" error, which is often due to insufficient permissions in the Lambda function's IAM policy. Additionally, the use of userdata at instance launch can simplify the process of ensuring SSM agent installation and proper role attachment.
From a technical details perspective, the tool's effectiveness depends on the timely triggering of the Lambda function by CloudWatch events and the availability of the SSM agent on the instances. The automation ensures that Inspector agents are deployed uniformly, enhancing the overall security posture by providing comprehensive visibility into the security and compliance status of EC2 instances. However, it is important to monitor the Lambda function's execution logs and error handling to ensure seamless operation.