As they work to fend off the rapidly expanding number of attempts by threat actors to exploit the dangerous React2Shell vulnerability, security teams are learning of two new flaws in React Server Components that could lead to denial-of-service attacks or the exposure of source code.

The post React Fixes Two New RSC Flaws as Security Teams Deal with React2Shell appeared first on Security Boulevard.

The cycle of vulnerability disclosure and weaponization has shattered records once again. According to a new threat intel from Amazon Web Services (AWS), state-sponsored hacking groups linked to China began actively exploiting a critical vulnerability nicknamed "React2Shell," in popular web development frameworks mere hours after its public release.

The React2Shell vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-55182, affects React Server Components in React 19.x and Next.js versions 15.x and 16.x when using the App Router. The flaw carries the maximum severity score of 10.0 on the CVSS scale, enabling unauthenticated remote code execution (RCE).

The Rapid Weaponization Race

The vulnerability was publicly disclosed on Wednesday, December 3. AWS threat intelligence teams, monitoring their MadPot honeypot infrastructure, detected exploitation attempts almost immediately.

The threat actors identified in the flurry of activity are linked to known China state-nexus cyber espionage groups, including:

• Earth Lamia: Known for targeting financial services, logistics, and government organizations across Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

• Jackpot Panda: A group typically focused on East and Southeast Asian entities, often aligned with domestic security interests.

"China continues to be the most prolific source of state-sponsored cyber threat activity, with threat actors routinely operationalizing public exploits within hours or days of disclosure," stated an AWS Security Blog post announcing the findings.

The speed of operation showcased how the window between public disclosure and active attack is now measured in minutes, not days.

Also read: China-linked RedNovember Campaign Shows Importance of Patching Edge Devices

Hacker's New Strategy of Speed Over Precision

The AWS analysis also revealed a crucial insight into modern state-nexus tactics that threat groups are prioritizing volume and speed over technical accuracy.

Investigators observed that many attackers were attempting to use readily available, but often flawed, public Proof-of-Concept (PoC) exploits pulled from the GitHub security community. These PoCs frequently demonstrated fundamental technical misunderstandings of the flaw.

Despite the technical inadequacy, threat actors are aggressively throwing these PoCs at thousands of targets in a "volume-based approach," hoping to catch the small percentage of vulnerable configurations. This generates significant noise in logs but successfully maximizes their chances of finding an exploitable weak link.

Furthermore, attackers were not limiting their focus, simultaneously attempting to exploit other recent vulnerabilities, demonstrating a systematic, multi-pronged campaign to compromise targets as quickly as possible.

Call for Patching

While AWS has deployed automated protections for its managed services and customers using AWS WAF, the company is issuing an urgent warning to any entity running React or Next.js applications in their own environments (such as Amazon EC2 or containers).

The primary mitigation remains immediate patching.

"These protections aren't substitutes for patching," AWS warned. Developers must consult the official React and Next.js security advisories and update vulnerable applications immediately to prevent state-sponsored groups from gaining RCE access to their environments.

• react-server-dom-webpack
• react-server-dom-parcel
• react-server-dom-turbopack

AWS' findings states a cautious tale that a vulnerability with a CVSS 10.0 rating in today's times becomes a national security emergency the moment it hits the public domain.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) this week made an AWS Security Hub for analyzing cybersecurity data in near real time generally available, while at the same time extending the GuardDuty threat detection capabilities it provides to the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) and Amazon Elastic Container Service (Amazon ECS). Announced at the AWS re:Invent 2025..

The post AWS Adds Bevy of Tools and Capilities to Improve Cloud Security appeared first on Security Boulevard.

AI browsers introduce reasoning-based risks. Learn how cross-origin AI agents dismantle web security and what defenses are needed.

The post Convenience or Catastrophe? The Dangers of AI Browsers No One is Talking About  appeared first on Security Boulevard.

A Donald Trump-backed push has failed to wedge a federal measure that would block states from passing AI laws for a decade into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) told reporters Tuesday that a sect of Republicans is now “looking at other places” to potentially pass the measure. Other Republicans opposed including the AI preemption in the defense bill, The Hill reported, joining critics who see value in allowing states to quickly regulate AI risks as they arise.

For months, Trump has pressured the Republican-led Congress to block state AI laws that the president claims could bog down innovation as AI firms waste time and resources complying with a patchwork of state laws. But Republicans have continually failed to unite behind Trump’s command, first voting against including a similar measure in the “Big Beautiful” budget bill and then this week failing to negotiate a solution to pass the NDAA measure.

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This is crazy. Lawmakers in several US states are contemplating banning VPNs, because…think of the children!

As of this writing, Wisconsin lawmakers are escalating their war on privacy by targeting VPNs in the name of “protecting children” in A.B. 105/S.B. 130. It’s an age verification bill that requires all websites distributing material that could conceivably be deemed “sexual content” to both implement an age verification system and also to block the access of users connected via VPN. The bill seeks to broadly expand the definition of materials that are “harmful to minors” beyond the type of speech that states can prohibit minors from accessing­ potentially encompassing things like depictions and discussions of human anatomy, sexuality, and reproduction.

The EFF link explains why this is a terrible idea.

Every great product experience starts with a smooth beginning. But in the world of cloud security, onboarding can sometimes feel like an obstacle course. Detailed fine-grained Identity and Access Management (IAM) configurations, lengthy deployment steps, and manual permission setups can turn what should be an exciting first impression into a tedious chore.

That’s changing. Rapid7 has enhanced the onboarding experience for Exposure Command and InsightCloudSec by integrating with AWS IAM temporary delegation - a new AWS capability that lets customers approve deployment access directly in the AWS console. The result? A faster, simpler, and more secure path to getting up and running in the cloud.

Why onboarding matters - and why it often fails  

The first minutes with a new platform matter. It’s the difference between “this is amazing” and “I’ll come back to it later.”

In cloud environments, setup usually involves multiple AWS services - compute, storage, networking, access management - all of which must be configured precisely to maintain security. Traditionally, customers have had to manually create IAM roles, adjust trust relationships, and fine-tune permissions just to let a partner solution like Rapid7 deploy resources.

It’s not just time-consuming; it’s error-prone. Misconfigured roles can cause deployment failures or unnecessary security risk. Support teams spend hours walking customers through the process, and the friction delays time-to-value. When scaling across dozens or hundreds of AWS accounts, those delays multiply fast.

Meet AWS IAM temporary delegation: What it is and why it matters

AWS IAM temporary delegation simplifies the entire setup journey. It allows trusted partners like Rapid7 to automate deployment securely - but only after the customer grants explicit, time-bound approval.

Here’s how it works: When you initiate onboarding from within Rapid7’s interface, you’re redirected to the AWS console. There, you can review the exact permissions Rapid7 is requesting and how long access will last. Once approved, AWS provides Rapid7 with temporary credentials to complete the setup. After the time window expires, that access ends automatically.

No long-term IAM keys, no manual role creation, and no guesswork. Customers stay in control, with full visibility and auditability. It’s automation with accountability built in.

How Rapid7 is putting this into action

With the latest release, Rapid7 has integrated this capability directly into Exposure Command and InsightCloudSec, creating a guided onboarding experience that happens almost entirely inside the Rapid7 interface.

Here’s the new flow:

1. Customers configure deployment options in Rapid7’s InsightCloudSec environment.
2. A temporary delegation request appears via an AWS console pop-up.
3. An authorized AWS user reviews and approves the request.
4. Rapid7 automatically deploys the necessary resources on the customer’s behalf.

This streamlined workflow eliminates dozens of manual steps and reduces onboarding time from hours to minutes. It’s faster, simpler, and still fully aligned with AWS’s strict security model. 

Speed, simplicity, and security

This integration hits the sweet spot between automation and trust:

• Speed: Customers can start realizing value from Rapid7’s cloud security solutions in minutes instead of days.

• Simplicity: The UI-driven process means no wrestling with IAM policies or JSON templates.

• Security: Access is temporary and permission-scoped. Customers retain complete oversight through the AWS console and CloudTrail logs.

For organizations with compliance or security governance requirements, this is the ideal balance: operational efficiency without compromising control.

Beyond onboarding: What this says about Rapid7 and AWS alignment

This update isn’t just about faster onboarding. It’s a glimpse into Rapid7’s broader partnership with AWS. Rapid7 has long been an AWS Advanced Tier Partner, building integrations that help customers manage security across cloud-native environments. From leveraging AWS telemetry in MXDR to integrating with AWS services like CloudTrail and GuardDuty, Rapid7’s platform has been designed to meet customers where they already operate within AWS.

By adopting AWS IAM temporary delegation early, Rapid7 reinforces its commitment to cloud-first innovation and shared responsibility principles. Customers get the assurance that their onboarding, deployment, and operations all align with AWS security best practices. 

What this means for customers

If you’re deploying Rapid7 Exposure Command (Advanced or Ultimate) or InsightCloudSec on AWS, here’s what to expect:

• A guided onboarding experience that automates AWS resource setup.
• A faster, less error-prone workflow that still keeps you in control.
• The ability for authorized users to approve temporary access requests directly in the AWS console.

Before onboarding, make sure someone in your organization has the permissions to approve delegation requests. After deployment, review your CloudTrail logs as part of normal governance;  you’ll see every action logged and time-bounded.

Value from day one

Onboarding shouldn’t be a hurdle. And now with AWS IAM Temporary Delegation and Rapid7’s enhanced experience, it no longer is. Together, AWS and Rapid7 have reimagined what “getting started” looks like in the cloud - faster, more intuitive, and just as secure as you need it to be.

It’s one more way Rapid7 is helping organizations unlock value from day one, while staying aligned with AWS’s best practices for identity, access, and automation.

See how easy secure onboarding can be.Explore Rapid7’s listings for Exposure Command and InsightCloudSec straight from the AWS Marketplace.

Outsmart attackers with smarter rules

Managing network security in a dynamic cloud environment is a constant challenge. As traffic volume grows and threat actors evolve their tactics, organizations need protection that can scale effortlessly while delivering robust, intelligent defense. That's where a service like AWS Network Firewall becomes essential, and we’re excited to partner with AWS to make it even more powerful.

What is AWS Network Firewall?

AWS Network Firewall (AWS NWF) is a managed service that provides essential, auto-scaling network protections for Amazon Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs). While its flexible rules engine offers granular control, defining and maintaining the right rules to defend against evolving threats is a complex and resource-intensive task.

Manually creating and updating rules often leads to coverage gaps and creates significant operational overhead. To simplify this process and empower teams to act with confidence, Rapid7 is proud to announce the availability of Curated Intelligence Rules for AWS Network Firewall. As an AWS partner, we convert our curated intelligence on Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) from into high-quality rule groups, delivering expert-vetted threat intelligence directly within your native AWS experience.

Harnessing industry-leading threat intelligence

In the world of threat intelligence, more isn’t always better. Too many low-fidelity alerts generate noise, distract analysts, and leave teams chasing false positives. At Rapid7, our approach is different. We focus on delivering high-fidelity intelligence, enabling customers to zero in on the threats most relevant to their unique environments. 

Rapid7 Curated Intelligence Rules embody this same approach, and are built on three key principles:

⠀
Focus on quality over quantity - Rules emphasize meaningful, low-noise detection directly aligned with current, real-world threats, significantly reducing alert fatigue.

Curated global intelligence - Rule sets are powered by high-quality, region-specific data from unique sources, providing unparalleled visibility and context for actionable detections.

Dynamic and self-cleaning rule sets - Threat intelligence is not static. Using Rapid7’s proprietary , rules are automatically retired when an IOC passes a certain threshold, ensuring the delivered intelligence is always fresh, relevant, and current.

⠀

We’re launching with two distinct rule sets, each designed to address today’s most pressing threats:

• Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) campaigns: Targets the subtle and persistent techniques used by state-sponsored and sophisticated threat actors.

• Ransomware & cybercrime: Focuses on the tools, infrastructure, and indicators associated with financially motivated attacks.

⠀

These rule sets are updated daily to ensure you have the most current protections. Furthermore, our intelligence is dynamic. When an IOC passes a certain threshold in our proprietary Decay Scoring system, we remove it from the rule set. This process guarantees that the intelligence you receive is always current and actionable, significantly reducing alert fatigue.

^{The operational advantage}

These Curated Intelligence Rules deliver immediate and tangible value, allowing your team to:

• Automate threat protection: Reduce overhead with curated, continuously updated detections delivered natively within AWS Network Firewall.

• Adopt protections faster: Deploy protections powered by Rapid7 Labs intelligence with just a few clicks in the console.

• Maintain predictable operations: Rely on AWS-validated updates, clear rule group metadata, and transparent per-GB metering.

Common use cases addressed

Our rule sets provide practical defense against a wide range of attack scenarios. You can:

• Block command and control (C2) communication from known malware families

• Detect network reconnaissance activity associated with advanced persistent threats

• Prevent data exfiltration to malicious domains linked to cybercrime groups

• Identify and stop the download of malware payloads from compromised websites

• Alert on traffic to newly registered domains used in malicious activities

Get started with Curated Intelligence Rules for AWS NFW today

Ready to enhance your cloud security with curated, actionable intelligence? Add our rule sets to your and strengthen your organization’s defenses in minutes.
››› Visit the listing in the AWS Marketplace to learn more.

We are delighted to announce Rapid7 launched a new Amazon Web Service (AWS) cloud region in India with the API name ap-south-2.

This follows an announcement in March 2025, when Rapid7 announced plans for expansion in India, including the opening of a new Global Capability Center (GCC) in Pune to serve as an innovation hub and Security Operations Center (SOC).

The GCC opened in April 2025, quickly followed by dedicated events in the country, to demonstrate our commitment to our partners and customers in the region. Three Security Day events took place in May, in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore. These events brought together key stakeholders from the world of commerce, academia, and government to explore our advancements in Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) and Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR).

“Expanding into India is a critical step in accelerating Rapid7’s investments in security operations leadership and customer-centric innovation,” said Corey Thomas, chairman and CEO of Rapid7. “Innovation thrives when multi-dimensional teams come together to solve complex challenges, and this new hub strengthens our ability to deliver the most adaptive, predictive, and responsive cybersecurity solutions to customers worldwide. Establishing a security operations center in Pune also enhances our ability to scale threat detection and response globally while connecting the exceptional technical talent in the region to impactful career opportunities. We are excited to grow a world-class team in India that will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of cybersecurity.”

Rapid7 expands to 8 AWS platform regions

Today, Rapid7 operates in eight platform regions (us-east-1, us-east-2, us-west-1, ap-northeast-1, ap-southeast-2, ca-central-1, eu-central-1, govcloud).

These regions allow our customers to meet their data sovereignty requirements by choosing where their sensitive security data is hosted. We have extended this capability to ap-south-2 and me-central-1 to process additional data and serve more customers with region requirements we have not previously been able to meet.

What this means for Rapid7 customers in India

This gives our customers in India the ability to access and store data in the India region for our Exposure Management product family.

⠀

⠀

Exposure Command combines complete attack surface visibility with high-fidelity risk context and insight into your organization’s security posture, aggregating findings from both Rapid7’s native exposure detection capabilities – as well as third-party exposure and enrichment sources you’ve already got in place – allowing you to:

• Extend risk coverage to cloud environments with real-time agentless assessment

• Zero-in on exposures and vulnerabilities with threat-aware risk context

• Continuously assess your attack surface, validate exposures, and receive actionable remediation guidance

• Efficiently operationalize your exposure management program and automate enforcement of security and compliance policies with native, no-code automation

Learn more about Exposure Command.

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Figure 1: Exposure Command Remediation Hub

AI-generated code is reshaping software development and introducing new security risks. Organizations must strengthen governance, expand testing and train developers to ensure AI-assisted coding remains secure and compliant.

The post Securing AI-Generated Code in Enterprise Applications: The New Frontier for AppSec Teams  appeared first on Security Boulevard.

President Trump is considering an executive order that would require the federal government to file lawsuits against states with AI laws, and prevent states with AI laws from obtaining broadband funding.

The draft order, “Eliminating State Law Obstruction of National AI Policy,” would order the attorney general to “establish an AI Litigation Task Force whose sole responsibility shall be to challenge State AI laws, including on grounds that such laws unconstitutionally regulate interstate commerce, are preempted by existing Federal regulations, or are otherwise unlawful in the Attorney General’s judgment.”

The draft order says the Trump administration “will act to ensure that there is a minimally burdensome national standard—not 50 discordant State ones.” It specifically names laws enacted by California and Colorado and directs the Secretary of Commerce to evaluate whether other laws should be challenged.

Read full article

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The world is becoming increasingly paperless, and most organizations, including federal agencies, are following suit. Switching from paper-based processes to digital ones offers great benefits. However, the security and compliance challenges that come with this shift aren’t to be taken lightly. As the federal government goes paperless to cut costs and modernize operational processes, a..

The post The Data Privacy Risk Lurking in Paperless Government appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Former DoJ attorney John Carlin writes about hackback, which he defines thus: “A hack back is a type of cyber response that incorporates a counterattack designed to proactively engage with, disable, or collect evidence about an attacker. Although hack backs can take on various forms, they are—­by definition­—not passive defensive measures.”

His conclusion:

As the law currently stands, specific forms of purely defense measures are authorized so long as they affect only the victim’s system or data.

At the other end of the spectrum, offensive measures that involve accessing or otherwise causing damage or loss to the hacker’s systems are likely prohibited, absent government oversight or authorization. And even then parties should proceed with caution in light of the heightened risks of misattribution, collateral damage, and retaliation...

The post On Hacking Back appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Former DoJ attorney John Carlin writes about hackback, which he defines thus: “A hack back is a type of cyber response that incorporates a counterattack designed to proactively engage with, disable, or collect evidence about an attacker. Although hack backs can take on various forms, they are—­by definition­—not passive defensive measures.”

His conclusion:

As the law currently stands, specific forms of purely defense measures are authorized so long as they affect only the victim’s system or data.

At the other end of the spectrum, offensive measures that involve accessing or otherwise causing damage or loss to the hacker’s systems are likely prohibited, absent government oversight or authorization. And even then parties should proceed with caution in light of the heightened risks of misattribution, collateral damage, and retaliation.

As for the broad range of other hack back tactics that fall in the middle of active defense and offensive measures, private parties should continue to engage in these tactics only with government oversight or authorization. These measures exist within a legal gray area and would likely benefit from amendments to the CFAA and CISA that clarify and carve out the parameters of authorization for specific self-defense measures. But in the absence of amendments or clarification on the scope of those laws, private actors can seek governmental authorization through an array of channels, whether they be partnering with law enforcement or seeking authorization to engage in more offensive tactics from the courts in connection with private litigation.

CVE-2025-12779 Vulnerability Details and Impact

AWS Response and Patch Availability

A critical security flaw in Microsoft's WSUS feature is being actively exploited in the wild by threat actors who could gain access into unpatched servers, remotely control networks, and use them to deliver malware or do other damage. Microsoft is urging organizations to apply a patch to their systems.

The post Critical Microsoft WSUS Security Flaw is Being Actively Exploited appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Migrating workloads to Amazon Web Services (AWS) represents a significant strategic opportunity, enabling greater agility, scalability, and potential for innovation. But undertaking this transition without a comprehensive strategy for visibility and security can introduce unforeseen risks, operational delays, and challenges in managing the new cloud environment effectively. A critical aspect often overlooked is the discovery and protection of sensitive data as it moves to and resides within the cloud, demanding specific attention.

Addressing security proactively is not merely a technical requirement: it functions as a crucial enabler, allowing organizations to fully realize the strategic benefits of the cloud without being hindered by security roadblocks or compliance failures.

Furthermore, bringing sensitive data protection into focus early connects the technical migration process directly to significant business risks, such as regulatory non-compliance and the potential impact of data breaches, underscoring the importance of robust security solutions for confidently realizing cloud benefits.

Integrating security across the migration lifecycle

A successful and secure migration is not achieved by treating security as an afterthought. Security considerations must be integrated throughout the entire migration lifecycle – from the initial assessment of the current environment, through mobilizing resources and establishing the cloud foundation, to the final migration and modernization phases.

Cloud migration typically involves distinct stages:

1. Assess: Evaluating the current state, identifying assets, and understanding existing risks.
2. Mobilize: Preparing resources and establishing a secure cloud foundation or landing zone in AWS.
3. Migrate and modernize: Transferring workloads and potentially optimizing them for the cloud environment.

Addressing security continuously across these stages helps prevent costly delays and rework often associated with late-stage security implementations. Effective tooling and methodology are essential here.

Rapid7’s security platform is designed to support organizations through this journey, providing the necessary visibility, risk context, and security controls for a smoother transition to AWS. The platform unifies critical capabilities, aiming to provide a 360° view of the attack surface and streamlining security operations across hybrid environments.

Improving migration efficiency through unified security

Efficiency is paramount across migration phases to maintain project velocity without compromising security. Managing multiple disparate tools can impede progress and obscure visibility. Rapid7 helps streamline critical activities by unifying essential capabilities within its Command Platform:

• Asset Discovery: Identify every vulnerable device and weak identity across your environment with comprehensive attack surface management.
• Risk-based prioritization: Incorporate business context, third-party vulnerability findings, and threat intelligence into how you assess risk to improve your cloud security posture and protect cloud workloads.
• Proactive remediation:Customize remediation workflows to seamlessly orchestrate and automatically respond to any vulnerability.

This integrated approach offers advantages beyond simplified tool management, potentially leading to richer context through data correlation and more effective prioritization.

During assessment

Comprehensive planning requires a complete asset inventory. Surface Command accelerates the initial assessment phase through rapid, comprehensive asset discovery across internal and external inventories, including cloud environments like AWS. This helps to eliminate blind spots and identify all assets, including potentially unsecured systems, before they are considered for migration.

Subsequently, Exposure Command builds upon this asset foundation, adding vulnerability data and risk scoring to identify critical weaknesses in on-premises systems slated for migration. It enables teams to focus remediation efforts effectively by prioritizing vulnerabilities based on threat-aware risk context before these systems move to the cloud.

During mobilize and migrate and modernize

In these intensive phases, Exposure Command ensures the AWS landing zone and core services are configured securely according to organizational policies and industry best practices (e.g., CIS Benchmarks) through its Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform  (CNAPP) capabilities, while providing ongoing monitoring for misconfigurations. It also plays a critical role in managing cloud permissions by analyzing identities and access rights to help enforce least-privilege access models.

As workloads are deployed, it offers  vulnerability management tailored for cloud assets, including container security. Concurrently, InsightConnect reduces the manual workload associated with security tasks. As a SOAR solution, it utilizes numerous plugins to automate repetitive processes like configuration validation, vulnerability enrichment, or initiating remediation workflows. This automation frees up valuable security and IT resources, helping maintain project velocity.

Enhancing risk management: Before, during, and after migration

Migrating to the cloud should not involve transferring existing on-premises security risks or inadvertently creating new ones in the AWS environment. Proactive risk management, integrated throughout the migration lifecycle, is essential.

• Before migration: Surface Command's ability to discover known and unknown assets provides a foundational inventory, helping prevent the migration of forgotten or unsecured systems. Concurrently, Exposure Command's vulnerability management capabilities allow organizations to identify and address critical weaknesses in on-premises systems targeted for migration, leveraging threat-aware risk scoring to prioritize remediation efforts before these systems enter the cloud.
• During migration (mobilize and migrate phases): As the AWS environment is established and workloads deployed, Exposure Command ensures secure configuration and detects drift. Its capabilities aid in managing cloud permissions and enforcing least privilege. Critically, Exposure Command integrates sensitive data discovery capabilities, leveraging technologies like InsightCloudSec or ingesting findings from services such as Amazon Macie. This provides visibility into the location of sensitive data within AWS. This data-centric context is incorporated into Exposure Command's risk analysis, including attack path analysis, allowing teams to prioritize threats based on the potential business impact of compromised sensitive information.
• During and after migration (modernization and ongoing operations): In modern cloud environments utilizing CI/CD pipelines, Exposure Command supports a proactive DevSecOps approach. By integrating security checks directly into the development lifecycle—scanning container images and validating Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) templates—organizations can identify and fix security flaws before deployment to AWS. This "shift-left" strategy, facilitated by integrations with CI/CD platforms, significantly reduces the risk of introducing vulnerabilities into the production AWS environment and embeds security into cloud operations.

Building confidence through visibility, control, and automation

Achieving efficiency and robust risk management culminates in greater organizational confidence throughout the migration process and into ongoing cloud operations. Access to accurate, comprehensive data on assets and their associated vulnerabilities and risks allows for more informed, data-driven migration planning.

This comprehensive approach enables organizations to:

• Move beyond simple lift-and-shift approaches, using security posture data to strategically decide which workloads to migrate, identify necessary pre-migration remediation, and design secure target architectures in AWS.
• Validate the security posture of the foundational AWS environment with Exposure Command providing assurance before large-scale workload migration commences.
• Benefit from consolidated visibility and reporting through dashboards and features like Executive Risk View, offering stakeholders clear insights into the security status and risk landscape. This capability translates technical findings into business-relevant risk information to foster broader confidence.
• Leverage integrated detection and automatic response capabilities post-migration to ensure the security team can manage potential threats effectively in the new AWS environment.

This level of comprehensive visibility and control replaces uncertainty with operational readiness.

Achieving a secure and confident AWS transition

The transition to AWS offers substantial benefits in terms of agility, scalability, and innovation. However, realizing these benefits securely requires navigating the inherent complexities of migration and cloud operations.

Rapid7’s integrated solutions – Surface Command for foundational visibility and Exposure Command for comprehensive risk management across vulnerabilities, cloud  workloads, sensitive data, and CI/CD pipelines)provide the unified capabilities needed to manage the cloud journey efficiently and securely.

By delivering clarity and control across the entire migration lifecycle and into ongoing operations, the platform helps organizations manage the complexity of cloud security, enabling them to migrate to and operate within AWS with confidence.

Gain complete visibility for your AWS migration. Start your Surface Command free trial today.

Migrating workloads to Amazon Web Services (AWS) represents a significant strategic opportunity, enabling greater agility, scalability, and potential for innovation. But undertaking this transition without a comprehensive strategy for visibility and security can introduce unforeseen risks, operational delays, and challenges in managing the new cloud environment effectively. A critical aspect often overlooked is the discovery and protection of sensitive data as it moves to and resides within the cloud, demanding specific attention.

Addressing security proactively is not merely a technical requirement: it functions as a crucial enabler, allowing organizations to fully realize the strategic benefits of the cloud without being hindered by security roadblocks or compliance failures.

Furthermore, bringing sensitive data protection into focus early connects the technical migration process directly to significant business risks, such as regulatory non-compliance and the potential impact of data breaches, underscoring the importance of robust security solutions for confidently realizing cloud benefits.

Integrating security across the migration lifecycle

A successful and secure migration is not achieved by treating security as an afterthought. Security considerations must be integrated throughout the entire migration lifecycle – from the initial assessment of the current environment, through mobilizing resources and establishing the cloud foundation, to the final migration and modernization phases.

Cloud migration typically involves distinct stages:

1. Assess: Evaluating the current state, identifying assets, and understanding existing risks.
2. Mobilize: Preparing resources and establishing a secure cloud foundation or landing zone in AWS.
3. Migrate and modernize: Transferring workloads and potentially optimizing them for the cloud environment.

Addressing security continuously across these stages helps prevent costly delays and rework often associated with late-stage security implementations. Effective tooling and methodology are essential here.

Rapid7’s security platform is designed to support organizations through this journey, providing the necessary visibility, risk context, and security controls for a smoother transition to AWS. The platform unifies critical capabilities, aiming to provide a 360° view of the attack surface and streamlining security operations across hybrid environments.

Improving migration efficiency through unified security

Efficiency is paramount across migration phases to maintain project velocity without compromising security. Managing multiple disparate tools can impede progress and obscure visibility. Rapid7 helps streamline critical activities by unifying essential capabilities within its Command Platform:

• Surface Command: Provides comprehensive asset discovery and attack surface management.
• Exposure Command: Delivers vulnerability risk management, cloud security posture management, and workload protection.
• InsightConnect: Enables security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR).

This integrated approach offers advantages beyond simplified tool management, potentially leading to richer context through data correlation and more effective prioritization.

During assessment

Comprehensive planning requires a complete asset inventory. Surface Command accelerates the initial assessment phase through rapid, comprehensive asset discovery across internal and external inventories, including cloud environments like AWS. This helps to eliminate blind spots and identify all assets, including potentially unsecured systems, before they are considered for migration.

Subsequently, Exposure Command builds upon this asset foundation, adding vulnerability data (often leveraging capabilities from solutions like InsightVM) and risk scoring to identify critical weaknesses in on-premises systems slated for migration. It enables teams to focus remediation efforts effectively by prioritizing vulnerabilities based on threat-aware risk context before these systems move to the cloud.

During mobilize and migrate and modernize:

In these intensive phases, Exposure Command ensures the AWS landing zone and core services are configured securely according to organizational policies and industry best practices (e.g., CIS Benchmarks) through its Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) capabilities, while providing ongoing monitoring for misconfigurations. It also plays a critical role in managing cloud permissions by analyzing identities and access rights to help enforce least-privilege access models.

As workloads are deployed, it offers Cloud Workload Protection (CWP) and vulnerability management tailored for cloud assets, including container security. Concurrently, InsightConnect reduces the manual workload associated with security tasks. As a SOAR solution, it utilizes numerous plugins to automate repetitive processes like configuration validation, vulnerability enrichment, or initiating remediation workflows. This automation frees up valuable security and IT resources, helping maintain project velocity.

Enhancing risk management: Before, during, and after migration

Migrating to the cloud should not involve transferring existing on-premises security risks or inadvertently creating new ones in the AWS environment. Proactive risk management, integrated throughout the migration lifecycle, is essential.

• Before migration: Surface Command's ability to discover known and unknown assets provides a foundational inventory, helping prevent the migration of forgotten or unsecured systems. Concurrently, Exposure Command's vulnerability management capabilities allow organizations to identify and address critical weaknesses in on-premises systems targeted for migration, leveraging threat-aware risk scoring to prioritize remediation efforts before these systems enter the cloud.
• During migration (mobilize and migrate phases): As the AWS environment is established and workloads deployed, Exposure Command’s CSPM functions ensure secure configuration and detect drift. Its capabilities aid in managing cloud permissions and enforcing least privilege. Critically, Exposure Command integrates sensitive data discovery capabilities, leveraging technologies like InsightCloudSec or ingesting findings from services such as Amazon Macie. This provides visibility into the location of sensitive data within AWS. This data-centric context is incorporated into Exposure Command's risk analysis, including attack path analysis, allowing teams to prioritize threats based on the potential business impact of compromised sensitive information.
• During and after migration (modernization and ongoing operations): In modern cloud environments utilizing CI/CD pipelines, Exposure Command supports a proactive DevSecOps approach. By integrating security checks directly into the development lifecycle—scanning container images and validating Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) templates—organizations can identify and fix security flaws before deployment to AWS. This "shift-left" strategy, facilitated by integrations with CI/CD platforms, significantly reduces the risk of introducing vulnerabilities into the production AWS environment and embeds security into cloud operations.

Building confidence through visibility and control

Achieving efficiency and robust risk management culminates in greater organizational confidence throughout the migration process and into ongoing cloud operations. Access to accurate, comprehensive data on assets (via Surface Command) and their associated vulnerabilities and risks (via Exposure Command) allows for more informed, data-driven migration planning.

This comprehensive approach enables organizations to:

• Move beyond simple lift-and-shift approaches, using security posture data to strategically decide which workloads to migrate, identify necessary pre-migration remediation, and design secure target architectures in AWS.
• Validate the security posture of the foundational AWS environment with Exposure Command's CSPM capabilities, providing assurance before large-scale workload migration commences.
• Benefit from consolidated visibility and reporting through dashboards and features like the Executive Risk View, offering stakeholders clear insights into the security status and risk landscape. This capability translates technical findings into business-relevant risk information, fostering broader confidence.
• Leverage integrated detection and response capabilities post-migration, often orchestrated through InsightConnect, ensuring the security team is equipped to manage potential threats effectively in the new AWS environment

This comprehensive visibility and control replace uncertainty with operational readiness.

Achieving a secure and confident AWS transition

The transition to AWS offers substantial benefits in terms of agility, scalability, and innovation. However, realizing these benefits securely requires navigating the inherent complexities of migration and cloud operations.

Rapid7’s integrated solutions – Surface Command for foundational visibility, Exposure Command for comprehensive risk management (including vulnerability management, cloud security posture, workload protection, sensitive data context, and DevSecOps integration), and InsightConnect for automation and response – provide the unified capabilities needed to manage this journey efficiently and securely.

By delivering clarity and control across the entire migration lifecycle and into ongoing operations, the platform helps organizations manage the complexity of cloud security, enabling them to migrate to and operate within AWS with confidence.

Gain complete visibility for your AWS migration. Start your Surface Command free trial today.