Amazon Inspector

aws/security aws/assessment aws/service

💡 Definition

Amazon Inspector is an automated vulnerability management service that continuously scans AWS workloads for software vulnerabilities and unintended network exposure.

🔑 Key Concepts

Continuous Scanning: Automatically discovers and scans running EC2 instances, container images in ECR, and Lambda functions for vulnerabilities.
Vulnerability Database: Uses a database of Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) to identify known software issues.
Network Reachability: Assesses network configurations to identify potential exposure of your EC2 instances to the internet.
Centralized Findings: Consolidates findings from across the organization into a central dashboard.

⚙️ How it Works

Enable Inspector: You enable it with a single click in the AWS console.
Scan Resources: Inspector automatically discovers and begins scanning your supported resources. It uses the Systems Manager Agent (SSM Agent) for EC2 instances.
Generate Findings: It generates detailed findings that describe the vulnerability, the affected resource, and remediation recommendations. Findings are prioritized by severity.

🎯 Use Cases

Vulnerability Management: Identifying and prioritizing software vulnerabilities in your compute environments.
Compliance: Meeting compliance requirements that mandate regular vulnerability scanning.
Security Assessment: Continuously assessing your security posture to reduce the attack surface.

💰 Pricing Model

Per Resource Scan: Charged based on the number of instances, container images, or Lambda functions scanned per month.

📝 Exam Tips (CLF-C02)

Keywords: "Automated vulnerability assessment", "Vulnerability scanning", "Network exposure".
It helps you identify security issues within your instances and container images (e.g., unpatched software).
Contrasts with AWS Trusted Advisor, which provides best practice recommendations across a broader set of categories (Cost, Performance, etc.), whereas Inspector focuses specifically on software vulnerabilities and network exposure.

See Also: * EC2 * AWS Trusted Advisor * Systems Manager