AWS Launches New Security Incident Response Service to Streamline Security Event Management

AWS has unveiled a new service called AWS Security Incident Response, designed to help organizations better manage and recover from security incidents. This comprehensive solution addresses the growing challenges organizations face in handling security events, from account compromises to ransomware attacks.

The service integrates deeply with existing AWS security tools, particularly Amazon GuardDuty and AWS Security Hub, while also supporting third-party threat detection tools. A standout feature is its 24/7 access to AWS Customer Incident Response Team (CIRT) experts, providing crucial support during security emergencies.

“Security events are becoming more pervasive and complex for customers. Security teams often face an overwhelming number of daily alerts, leading to potential misplaced priorities of resources and reduced effectiveness. Manual investigation of findings strains resources and may cause customers to overlook critical security alerts. Additionally, coordinating responses across multiple stakeholders, managing permissions in various environments, and documenting actions complicate the process,” the announcement explains.

The service introduces three core capabilities:

First, it implements automated triage of security findings, using customer-specific information to filter out expected behavior and highlight truly critical alerts. This automation helps security teams focus their attention where it’s most needed.

Second, it offers streamlined incident response through preconfigured notification rules and flexible permission settings. A centralized console provides integrated features including messaging, secure data transfer, and video conferencing capabilities, all accessible via APIs or the AWS Management Console.

Third, customers get access to self-service investigation tools alongside 24/7 CIRT support. Organizations can choose to handle incidents independently or work with third-party security vendors, providing flexibility based on their specific needs.

The service also includes a performance dashboard with key metrics such as mean time to resolution (MTTR) and case tracking statistics, enabling organizations to monitor and improve their security response over time.

Implementation of the service follows a straightforward process through AWS Organizations. Customers start by selecting a central account for managing security events, then enable proactive incident response features. The service can be configured to execute containment actions through specific IAM roles, potentially reducing the impact of security incidents.

AWS Security Incident Response is now operating in 12 AWS Regions globally, including major centers in North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe. The regions specifically include US East (N. Virginia, Ohio), US West (Oregon), Asia Pacific (Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo), Canada (Central), and Europe (Frankfurt, Ireland, London, Stockholm).

This launch represents AWS’s latest effort to support organizations in maintaining robust security postures while reducing the operational burden on security teams. The service’s automation capabilities and expert support aim to address the growing complexity of security incident management in modern cloud environments.