AWS networking is full of sharp edges. It is easy to create public endpoints, leave wide egress open, or miss the signal of a scanning attempt. Most teams do not need a complex zero-trust program to reduce risk. They need a small set of guardrails that catch real attacks and keep the network understandable.

This article focuses on practical steps that technical leaders can put in place without slowing delivery.

1. Start with a clear boundary

If you cannot describe what is public and what is private, you are already at risk.

Practical steps:

  • Separate public and private subnets in each VPC.
  • Keep private services private and force access through a load balancer, API gateway, or bastion.
  • Use NAT gateways for private outbound traffic instead of public IPs.

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2. Tighten inbound access first

Inbound exposure is the fastest path to compromise. Reduce it early.

Practical steps:

  • Use security groups as the primary control, not NACLs, for most workloads.
  • Limit inbound ports to the minimum required (often just 443).
  • Avoid broad CIDR ranges like 0.0.0.0/0 for admin paths.

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3. Add guardrails for outbound traffic

Most breaches include data leaving the network. Outbound controls are where many AWS accounts are weak.

Practical steps:

  • Segment egress by workload with separate route tables or security groups.
  • Use VPC endpoints for AWS services so traffic does not cross the public internet.
  • Restrict egress for admin systems to only the services they need.

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4. Make logging non-negotiable

Network hardening without visibility is a false sense of safety.

Practical steps:

  • Enable VPC Flow Logs for critical VPCs and subnets.
  • Send flow logs to a central account if you use AWS Organizations.
  • Alert on unusual ports, rejected traffic spikes, and unexpected destinations.

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5. Put a WAF in front of public apps

If you have public HTTP endpoints, a WAF is a practical first line of defense.

Practical steps:

  • Use AWS WAF managed rules as a baseline.
  • Block common scanners and bad bots before they hit your app.
  • Tune rules carefully to avoid false positives on real traffic.

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6. Limit administrative paths

Admin access should not travel the same path as customer traffic.

Practical steps:

  • Use a VPN or private access for admin-only services.
  • Prefer SSM Session Manager over direct SSH.
  • Close SSH and RDP ports wherever you can.

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7. Test for exposure, not perfection

You do not need a perfect network map to find high-risk exposure.

Practical steps:

  • Run basic external scans against your public IPs and domains.
  • Review security group rules quarterly for drift.
  • Audit public load balancers and IPs to confirm they are intentional.

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8. Put a small incident path in place

When a network alert fires, the response should be fast and simple.

Practical steps:

  • Define who reviews network alerts and how they escalate.
  • Create a short isolation playbook (disable SG rule, detach ENI, block IP).
  • Practice once a quarter so the process is familiar.

Closing thought

Network hardening does not need to be heavy. If you can define public vs private, reduce inbound exposure, control egress, and log the results, you will block most common attacks and catch the rest early.

If you want a quick review of your network exposure or help setting up guardrails that fit your team, we can help. We focus on practical changes that reduce risk without slowing delivery. Reach out through our consulting page to start a quick conversation.