AWS Core Services

Overview

Understanding some essential services will give you a solid foundation for threat hunting within AWS environments. Below are the core AWS services that every beginner should learn, grouped by category, along with their primary use cases.

1. Compute Services

Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud)

• What it is: A virtual server that you can launch in the cloud.

• Use Case:

  • Run web servers, databases, or custom applications.

  • Host workloads like websites or APIs.

AWS Lambda

• What it is: A serverless compute service that runs your code only when needed, without managing servers.

• Use Case:

  • Execute code in response to events (e.g., upload to S3).

  • Build lightweight APIs or automation functions.

2. Storage Services

Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service)

• What it is: An object storage service for storing data like files, backups, and media.

• Use Case:

  • Store and serve static website files.

  • Keep backups and logs securely with built-in redundancy.

Amazon EBS (Elastic Block Store)

• What it is: Block storage that can be attached to EC2 instances for storing operating systems and data.

• Use Case:

  • Store data persistently on virtual machines (e.g., databases).

3. Database Services

Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service)

• What it is: A managed relational database service that supports engines like MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server.

• Use Case:

  • Host relational databases without worrying about infrastructure management.

Amazon DynamoDB

• What it is: A fully managed NoSQL database service.

• Use Case:

  • Store data for applications that need high availability and low latency, such as real-time apps.

4. Networking and Content Delivery

Amazon VPC (Virtual Private Cloud)

• What it is: A service to create isolated networks for your AWS resources.

• Use Case:

  • Control network access to your instances and services through security groups and subnets.

Amazon CloudFront

• What it is: A content delivery network (CDN) service that delivers content to users with low latency.

• Use Case:

  • Serve static assets (e.g., images, videos) globally with low latency.

5. Identity and Access Management

AWS IAM (Identity and Access Management)

• What it is: A service to manage user access and permissions across AWS.

• Use Case:

  • Control who can access what services and resources (e.g., granting access to developers or limiting access to critical infrastructure).

6. Security and Monitoring

Amazon CloudWatch

• What it is: A monitoring service for AWS resources and applications.

• Use Case:

  • Track performance metrics, create dashboards, and set alarms for resource health.

AWS CloudTrail

• What it is: A service that logs API calls and tracks changes across AWS resources.

• Use Case:

  • Audit resource changes and ensure security policies are followed.

7. Application Integration and Automation

Amazon SQS (Simple Queue Service)

• What it is: A message queuing service that allows applications to send and receive messages.

• Use Case:

  • Decouple components of distributed systems by ensuring messages are reliably delivered.

Amazon SNS (Simple Notification Service)

• What it is: A notification service for sending messages to subscribers.

• Use Case:

  • Send alerts (e.g., SMS, emails) or push notifications to applications or users.

8. Management and Deployment

AWS CloudFormation

• What it is: A service that helps provision resources using infrastructure as code (IaC).

• Use Case:

  • Automate the deployment of resources with templates for repeatable setups.

AWS Elastic Beanstalk

• What it is: A Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offering that makes it easy to deploy applications.

• Use Case:

  • Deploy web applications without managing the underlying infrastructure.

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Summary Table

Category	Service	Use Case
Compute	EC2	Host virtual machines (web servers, databases)
	Lambda	Run code without managing servers
Storage	S3	Store files, backups, and media
	EBS	Attach persistent storage to EC2 instances
Database	RDS	Manage relational databases
	DynamoDB	Store NoSQL data with high availability
Networking	VPC	Create isolated networks
	CloudFront	Serve content with low latency worldwide
Identity & Access	IAM	Manage user permissions and roles
Security	CloudWatch	Monitor resource health and create alarms
	CloudTrail	Audit changes to AWS resources
Application Integration	SQS	Decouple components with message queues
	SNS	Send notifications or alerts
Management	CloudFormation	Automate deployments using templates
	Elastic Beanstalk	Deploy web apps easily with minimal setup