🛡️ Automated AWS Key Compromise Remediation

Description

This n8n workflow provides a secure, enterprise-grade response system for AWS IAM access key compromises with built-in form submission and human approval mechanisms. When an AWS access key is suspected to be compromised, this workflow enables rapid containment through a secure web form interface with basic authentication, human approval via Slack, and automated damage prevention through immediate key deactivation, credential invalidation, and comprehensive security reporting.

How This Workflow is Useful

Secure Form-Based Response

• Authenticated Form Submission: Secure web form with basic authentication for capturing compromise details
• Human Approval Workflow: Slack-based approval system for sensitive security operations
• Rapid Key Deactivation: Instantly disables compromised access keys after approval
• Credential Invalidation: Creates and applies security policies to invalidate existing temporary credentials
• Policy Analysis: Automatically scans and analyzes both inline and attached IAM policies for the affected user
• AI-Powered Reporting: Generates detailed security reports with intelligent analysis and team notifications

Business Value

• Reduces Mean Time to Response (MTTR): Automates manual security procedures that typically take hours
• Minimizes Security Exposure: Immediate containment prevents potential data breaches and unauthorized resource access
• Ensures Compliance: Provides audit trails and documentation required for security compliance frameworks
• Cost Prevention: Prevents potential financial damage from compromised credentials being used maliciously
• Rapid Response Capability: Streamlines security response procedures when incidents are detected

Technical Benefits

• AWS Best Practices: Implements official AWS security recommendations for key compromise response
• Scalable Architecture: Handles multiple access keys and complex IAM policy structures
• Error Handling: Robust error handling ensures workflow continues even if individual steps fail
• Audit Trail: Complete logging of all actions taken during the incident response
• Integration Ready: Easily integrates with existing security tools and notification systems

Use Cases

1. Incident Response Automation

• Automated response to security alerts from AWS CloudTrail
• Integration with SIEM systems for immediate key compromise response
• 24/7 security monitoring and automated containment

2. Compliance and Audit

• Meeting regulatory requirements for incident response documentation
• Providing audit trails for security compliance frameworks (SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS)
• Demonstrating due diligence in security incident handling

3. Multi-Account Management

• Centralized security response across multiple AWS accounts
• Consistent incident response procedures across different environments
• Standardized security automation for enterprise AWS deployments

4. Security Training and Testing

• Security team training on AWS incident response procedures
• Tabletop exercises and security drills
• Testing and validation of security response capabilities

Key Features

Core Functionality

• ✅ Secure Form Interface: Web form with basic authentication for secure data submission
• ✅ Human Approval Gate: Slack-based approval workflow for sensitive operations
• ✅ Authenticated Data Processing: Secure handling of form submissions with validation
• ✅ Immediate Key Deactivation: Instant disabling of compromised credentials after approval
• ✅ Security Policy Generation: Automatic creation and attachment of credential invalidation policies
• ✅ Policy Analysis: Deep analysis of user permissions and attached policies
• ✅ AI Security Analysis: Intelligent security report generation with risk assessment
• ✅ Team Notifications: Real-time Slack notifications to security teams
• ✅ Comprehensive Logging: Complete audit trail of all response actions

Technical Specifications

• Secure Form Interface: Web form with basic authentication for secure data capture
• Human Approval System: Slack-based approval workflow for sensitive operations
• AWS API Integration: Direct integration with AWS IAM APIs
• Authentication Layer: Basic auth protection for form submissions
• Error Handling: Robust error handling with continuation on non-critical failures
• Scalable Processing: Handles multiple policies and complex IAM structures
• Security Best Practices: No hardcoded credentials, uses AWS credential management
• Modular Design: Easy to customize and extend for specific organizational needs

Prerequisites

Required Credentials

• AWS Credentials with IAM permissions for:
  • ListAccessKeys, UpdateAccessKey
  • ListUserPolicies, ListAttachedUserPolicies
  • CreatePolicy, AttachUserPolicy
  • GetPolicy, GetPolicyVersion, GetUserPolicy

Required Integrations

• Slack Workspace for approval workflow and team notifications
• Basic Authentication Setup for secure form access

Optional Integrations

• AI Language Model (Claude/OpenAI) for intelligent security analysis and report generation

Installation and Setup

1. Import the workflow into your n8n instance
2. Configure AWS credentials in n8n credential manager
3. Set up basic authentication for the secure form interface
4. Configure Slack integration for approval notifications and team alerts
5. Set up AI model (optional) for enhanced security analysis and reporting
6. Configure approval workflow in Slack for human oversight
7. Test in development environment before production use

Workflow Inputs

Secure Form Submission

This workflow uses a secure web form with basic authentication to capture compromise details:

• Username: The AWS IAM username of the compromised account
• Access Key ID: The specific access key ID that has been compromised

Authentication & Approval Process

1. Form Authentication: Basic authentication protects the submission form
2. Data Processing: Secure handling and validation of submitted credentials
3. Human Approval: Slack notification sent to security team for approval
4. Automated Execution: Upon approval, the workflow executes the security response

This multi-layered approach ensures that sensitive security operations require both authentication and human oversight before execution.

🚀 Automate with Slack Integration

Want to fully automate and simplify this workflow? Connect it with Slack for seamless team collaboration and instant response capabilities!

Interactive Slack Automation

Combine this AWS Key Compromise Response workflow with our Interactive Slack Approval & Data Submission System to create a fully automated incident response pipeline:

• Instant Slack Alerts: Receive immediate notifications when key compromises are detected
• One-Click Response: Trigger the AWS response workflow directly from Slack with interactive buttons
• Team Collaboration: Enable security teams to respond collectively through Slack channels
• Approval Workflows: Add human approval gates before executing critical security actions
• Real-time Updates: Get live status updates and completion notifications in Slack

How the Complete Solution Works

1. Detection: External security monitoring tools (CloudTrail, SIEM, etc.) detect potential key compromise
2. Secure Form Access: Security team accesses the authenticated web form to submit compromise details
3. Form Submission: Credentials are securely submitted through the basic auth-protected form
4. Human Approval: Slack notification sent to security team for review and approval
5. Approved Execution: Upon approval, the AWS security response executes automatically
6. Real-time Updates: Progress and completion notifications sent back to Slack
7. Security Analysis: AI-powered analysis and comprehensive reporting delivered to the team

Get Started with Full Automation

To enable automatic notifications and complete the automation pipeline, use the Interactive Slack Approval & Data Submission System with Webhooks workflow: https://n8n.io/workflows/5049-interactive-slack-approval-and-data-submission-system-with-webhooks/

This integration transforms manual security responses into streamlined, team-collaborative automation that reduces response time from hours to minutes.

Security Considerations

• Form Authentication: Basic authentication protects the submission interface
• Human Approval Gate: Slack-based approval prevents unauthorized execution
• AWS Credential Management: Uses AWS credential management best practices
• No Sensitive Data Storage: No sensitive data stored in workflow configuration
• Least-Privilege Access: Implements least-privilege access principles
• Complete Audit Trails: Provides complete audit trails for compliance
• Secure Data Processing: Encrypted handling of form submissions and approvals
• Immediate Damage Prevention: Designed for rapid containment after approval

⚠️ Important Disclaimer

Use with Caution: Disabling access keys without proper understanding can significantly impact your personal or business operations. This workflow immediately deactivates AWS access keys, which may disrupt running applications, automated processes, or services that depend on these credentials.

AWS Best Practices Recommendation:

• Use IAM Roles instead of Access Keys whenever possible for enhanced security
• IAM roles provide temporary credentials and eliminate the need for long-term access keys
• Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning permissions
• Regularly rotate and audit your AWS credentials
• Implement proper monitoring and alerting for credential usage

Before Using This Workflow:

• Ensure you understand which services and applications use the target access key
• Have a rollback plan in case of accidental disruption
• Test in a non-production environment first
• Coordinate with your team before executing in production

For comprehensive AWS security best practices, refer to the AWS Security Best Practices Guide.

For more workflows and automation solutions, visit: https://n8n.io/creators/niranjan/