Identifying security risks using AWS Cost and Usage Report data

This article explains how to use AWS Cost and Usage Report (CUR) data to identify security risks in your AWS environment through SQL queries and analysis.

• Unencrypted CloudFront traffic (HTTP) violates compliance frameworks and exposes data to interception
• Unauthorized region usage may indicate compromised credentials or policy violations
• Unprotected CloudFront/Route 53 without AWS Shield Advanced creates DDoS vulnerability gaps
• Extended support charges signal outdated software with unpatched security vulnerabilities
• Abnormal data transfer cost spikes may indicate data exfiltration or malicious activity
• Use provided SQL queries against CUR data in Amazon Athena to detect these risks
• Complement with AWS Budgets, Cost Anomaly Detection, GuardDuty, and Security Hub

Organizations can transform billing data into a security intelligence platform by implementing cost-based monitoring alongside traditional security tools to detect threats through financial footprints.