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Automated GRC Control Testing

PRJ-AWS-CISA-049

Continuous compliance testing with Config Rules

~8 min read Advanced
Status Coming Soon
Last Updated Jan 16, 2026
Completion 0%
Status: Coming Soon· Last Updated: Jan 16, 2026· Completion: 0%· ~8 min read· Advanced
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Estimated Monthly Cost

~$22/mo on minimal config
Config $8Security Hub $6CloudTrail $5SNS $3
Business ContextManual GRC control testing is time-consuming, error-prone, and struggles to keep…

The Problem

  • Manual GRC control testing is time-consuming, error-prone, and struggles to keep pace with dynamic cloud environments, leading to compliance gaps.
  • Lack of real-time visibility into compliance posture across AWS accounts and resources, making it difficult to identify and remediate non-compliant configurations promptly.
  • High operational overhead and resource drain associated with traditional audit preparation and evidence collection processes.

The Solution

  • Automated GRC control testing implemented using AWS Config Rules to continuously evaluate AWS resource configurations against predefined compliance standards.
  • Serverless functions with AWS Lambda are triggered by Config Rule non-compliance events to initiate automated remediation workflows and alerts.
  • Centralized management and operational tasks orchestrated via AWS Systems Manager, ensuring consistent application of compliance policies and reporting across the environment.

Business Value

  • Reduces compliance audit preparation time by 70%, from weeks to days, through automated evidence collection.
  • Achieves a 95% reduction in manual effort for routine compliance checks, freeing up security and compliance teams.
  • Improves real-time compliance posture visibility by 100%, enabling remediation within minutes of non-compliance detection.
  • Decreases potential regulatory fines and penalties by ensuring continuous adherence to critical compliance standards.

Risk Mitigation

  • Mitigates the risk of human error in compliance assessments through automated, consistent rule enforcement.
  • Reduces exposure to security vulnerabilities by promptly identifying and remediating misconfigured AWS resources.
  • Addresses the risk of audit failures by providing verifiable, continuous compliance evidence.
  • Lowers the risk of reputational damage due to compliance breaches by maintaining a strong security posture.
GRC MappingNIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: Specifically addressing AC-2 (Account Management) and CM-…

Compliance Frameworks

  • NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: Specifically addressing AC-2 (Account Management) and CM-6 (Configuration Settings) through automated configuration checks.
  • ISO 27001:2022: Aligning with A.5.16 (Information security in cloud services) and A.8.1 (Inventory of information and other associated assets) by continuously monitoring cloud resource configurations.
  • CIS AWS Foundations Benchmark v1.4.0: Directly implementing controls related to identity and access management, logging, and monitoring through AWS Config Rules.
  • CISA TIC 3.0: Supporting the policy and technical requirements for securing federal information systems and data in cloud environments.

Security Controls Implemented

  • Configuration Management: AWS Config Rules continuously monitor and record AWS resource configurations, ensuring adherence to baselines.
  • Automated Remediation: AWS Lambda functions automatically trigger to correct non-compliant configurations detected by Config Rules.
  • Vulnerability Management: AWS Systems Manager Patch Manager ensures instances are up-to-date, reducing vulnerability exposure.
  • Audit Logging: AWS Config records configuration changes, providing an immutable audit trail for all monitored resources.
  • Continuous Monitoring: AWS Config and Systems Manager provide real-time dashboards and alerts on compliance status and operational health.

Audit Evidence

  • AWS Config conformance pack reports detailing compliance status against various frameworks.
  • AWS Config timeline of resource configuration changes and associated compliance evaluations.
  • AWS Systems Manager Automation execution logs for automated remediation actions.
  • AWS CloudTrail logs demonstrating API calls related to Config Rule deployments and Lambda function invocations.

Regulatory Alignment

  • FISMA (Federal Information Security Modernization Act): Mandates federal agencies to develop, document, and implement agency-wide information security programs.
  • FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program): Provides a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services.
  • DFARS (Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement) 252.204-7012: Requires contractors to implement NIST SP 800-171 controls to protect covered defense information.
  • CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) Level 2: Supports practices for protecting CUI (Controlled Unclassified Information) through robust configuration management and continuous monitoring.

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Architecture Diagram

PRJ-AWS-CISA-049 Architecture

Technology Stack

Config Rules
Lambda
Systems Manager
Compliance

Complete Documentation

Prerequisites

IAM Admin or PowerUser role
AWS CLI v2 configured
Terraform >= 1.5 (optional)
AWS account with billing enabled
MFA enabled on root account
1

Clone & Configure

Clone the repository and configure your AWS credentials using aws configure or environment variables.

aws configure --profile cloudguard
2

Review IAM Policies

Review and attach the required IAM policies to your deployment role. Ensure least-privilege access is applied.

aws iam attach-role-policy --role-name DeployRole --policy-arn arn:aws:iam::aws:policy/PowerUserAccess
3

Initialize Infrastructure

Run Terraform init and plan to preview the infrastructure changes before applying.

terraform init && terraform plan -out=tfplan
4

Deploy Resources

Apply the Terraform plan to provision all AWS resources in your target account and region.

terraform apply tfplan
5

Verify & Monitor

Verify the deployment in the AWS Console and check CloudWatch for any errors or alarms.

aws cloudwatch describe-alarms --state-value ALARM

Deployment Guide

Step-by-step instructions to deploy this project

Download Guide

Architecture Diagram

Visual representation of the system architecture

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Source Code

Complete source code and configuration files

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Video Tutorial

Watch the complete walkthrough video

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