Incident Response Playbook Template: Compromised AWS Creds

1. Compromised credentials require fast, structured responseThe playbook emphasizes that AWS credential compromise isn’t a single event — you must immediately detect, investigate, contain, eradicate, and remediate using a consistent, repeatable workflow
2. Leverage AWS-native tools for visibility across the incident lifecycleDetection and investigation hinge on Security Hub, GuardDuty, CloudTrail, Trusted Advisor, IAM reports, and Access Analyzer — all used to confirm misuse, identify blast radius, and gather evidence
3. Long-term fixes focus on eliminating root causesEradication and remediation stress removing attacker-created resources, hunting for persistence, patching vulnerabilities, and — most importantly — replacing long-term AWS credentials with temporary, least-privilege access

Who is this template for?

Cloud Security Teams: Professionals responsible for securing AWS environments and managing identity risks.
DevOps Engineers: Teams involved in managing infrastructure who need clear steps to handle credential-related incidents.
Incident Responders: Security teams requiring a structured, AWS-focused approach to handling compromised credentials.
Regulated Industries: Organizations with strict compliance needs that must ensure fast, efficient responses to identity-related threats.
AWS-Focused Organizations: Companies heavily reliant on AWS for their cloud operations, where compromised credentials can lead to significant operational risks.

This playbook template offers a thorough walkthrough of handling compromised credentials in AWS, covering:

Detection
- How to monitor AWS notifications, bills, and GuardDuty findings to identify signs of credential misuse.
- Tips for leveraging IAM credential reports and Access Analyzer to spot anomalies.
- Steps for reporting credential compromises to AWS for collaborative threat mitigation.
Investigation
- Using AWS tools like Security Hub, CloudTrail, and IAM Access Advisor to pinpoint the root cause and impact of the compromise.
- Techniques for building a clear timeline and understanding the blast radius of the incident.
Containment
- Step-by-step guidance for disabling compromised credentials, revoking sessions, and isolating impacted resources like EC2 instances and S3 buckets.
- Using IAM policies to block unauthorized access quickly and effectively.
Eradication
- How to delete malicious resources and unknown assets created by compromised identities.
- Checking for signs of persistence to ensure attackers cannot regain access.
Remediation
- Strategies for identifying and patching vulnerabilities that attackers may exploit.
- Transitioning from long-term credentials to temporary ones to minimize risks.
- Best practices for preventing similar incidents in the future with IAM role configurations and federated identity access.