AWS Security Fundamentals
I’m coming off VMworld 2016. A consistent theme I heard throughout the conference is the need for a multi-cloud strategy. Pat Gelsinger provided stats around cloud usage amongst VMware customers. A couple of interesting numbers were the average number of clouds providers per enterprise and that 50% of data will be stored in the Public Cloud vs. 5% today. VMware believes an average of 8 cloud providers exist within each enterprise. There’s also no consistent API across cloud provider. Without a consistent API, administrators have to manage several security, network and compute domains.
I put together a course on AWS Security Fundamentals for Pluralsight. The point of the course is to introduce AWS security concepts and features. Security administrators, network administrators and security auditors will find the course help. Here’s some highlights from each Module.
Overview – 32m 28s
- Introduction 0m 47s
- Course Overview 1m 26s
- Module Overview 4m 25s
- Shared Responsibility and Governance 6m 27s
- Network Configuration 2m 36s
- Asset Configuration Management 4m 27s
- Data Encryption 5m 14s
- Disaster Recovery 5m 31s
- Module Review 1m 30s
Access Control 30m 4s
- Introduction 5m 20s
- IAM Capabilities 5m 30s
- Creating a User 5m 4s
- Installing Python 6m 19s
- Logging in as Another User 2m 46s
- IAM Security Status 3m 39s
- Summary 1m 24s
Encrypting & Controlling Access to S3 26m 10s
- Introduction 2m 52s
- Server Side Encryption 6m 50s
- Client Side Encryption 3m 10s
- Creating and Managing Keys 4m 54s
- Encrypting S3 Data 4m 39s
- Controlling Access to S3 and Summary 3m 43s
Logging and Auditing Access and Actions 23m 19s
- Introduction 2m 33s
- Scenario 3m 4s
- Introduction to CloudTrail 3m 53s
- Setting up CloudTrail 3m 38s
- Encrypting CloudTrail Log Files 4m 0s
- Reviewing CloudTrail Log Files 3m 29s
- Summary2m 38s
Putting It All Together 10m 43s
Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!
Keith Townsend is a seasoned technology leader and Chief Technology Advisor at Futurum Group, specializing in IT infrastructure, cloud technologies, and AI. With expertise spanning cloud, virtualization, networking, and storage, Keith has been a trusted partner in transforming IT operations across industries, including pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, government, software, and financial services.
Keith’s career highlights include leading global initiatives to consolidate multiple data centers, unify disparate IT operations, and modernize mission-critical platforms for “three-letter” federal agencies. His ability to align complex technology solutions with business objectives has made him a sought-after advisor for organizations navigating digital transformation.
A recognized voice in the industry, Keith combines his deep infrastructure knowledge with AI expertise to help enterprises integrate machine learning and AI-driven solutions into their IT strategies. His leadership has extended to designing scalable architectures that support advanced analytics and automation, empowering businesses to unlock new efficiencies and capabilities.
Whether guiding data center modernization, deploying AI solutions, or advising on cloud strategies, Keith brings a unique blend of technical depth and strategic insight to every project.
