How to Help Achieve Mobile App Transport Security (ATS) Compliance by Using Amazon CloudFront and AWS Certificate Manager

Welcome back to our blog series on mobile app security! In our previous posts, we discussed various security measures and best practices for safeguarding your mobile applications. Today, we'll dive into the crucial topic of achieving Mobile App Transport Security (ATS) compliance by utilizing Amazon CloudFront and AWS Certificate Manager.

ATS compliance ensures that your app's network connections are secure and protected against potential security threats. By implementing ATS, you'll not only enhance the overall security of your app but also create a safe environment for your users to transmit sensitive data. Now, let's explore how you can achieve ATS compliance with the help of Amazon CloudFront and AWS Certificate Manager.

Step 1: Setting up Amazon CloudFront

To get started, you'll need to set up Amazon CloudFront, a content delivery network (CDN) service that works seamlessly with AWS Certificate Manager. By utilizing CloudFront for content delivery, you can ensure that your app's data is distributed quickly and securely to users worldwide.

1. Create an Amazon CloudFront distribution:

- Sign in to the AWS Management Console and navigate to the CloudFront service.

- Click on "Create Distribution" and choose the appropriate delivery method (web, RTMP, or custom origin).

- Configure the distribution settings based on your app's requirements.

- Select the appropriate security settings, including the use of HTTPS and SSL certificates.

2. Configure behavior settings:

- Specify the behavior settings for your CloudFront distribution, such as origin protocol policy, query string forwarding, caching behavior, etc.

- Enable HTTPS by selecting "Redirect HTTP to HTTPS" to ensure secure communication between your app and CloudFront.

Step 2: Obtaining and managing SSL/TLS certificates with AWS Certificate Manager

Now that your CloudFront distribution is set up, it's time to obtain and manage the necessary SSL/TLS certificates using AWS Certificate Manager. SSL/TLS certificates enable secure connections between your app users and CloudFront.

1. Request a certificate:

- Sign in to the AWS Management Console, navigate to the AWS Certificate Manager service.

- Click on "Request a certificate" and select the appropriate certificate type (for example, "Edge-optimized" or "Regional").

- Enter the domain names associated with your app, such as example.com or api.example.com.

- Follow the instructions to validate domain ownership.

2. Deploy the certificate:

- After your certificate is issued, select it from the AWS Certificate Manager console.

- Choose the "Actions" dropdown and click on "Deploy to CloudFront."

- Select the appropriate CloudFront distribution and click on "Yes, Edit."

- Wait for the distribution to be updated with the new certificate.

Step 3: Configuration of security policies

To align with ATS compliance, you need to configure security policies for your CloudFront distribution and SSL/TLS certificates.

1. Select the appropriate security policy:

- Determine the minimum SSL/TLS protocol version and ciphers for your distribution.

- In the CloudFront console, select your distribution and click on "Edit."

- Under the "Security" section, choose the desired security policy that aligns with your requirements.

2. Enable Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS):

- Perfect Forward Secrecy enhances security by ensuring that a compromised key doesn't affect past or future session keys.

- In the CloudFront console, select your distribution, and click on "Edit."

- Under the "Security" section, enable the "Forward Secrecy" option.

Step 4: Testing and monitoring

Once you have implemented ATS compliance using Amazon CloudFront and AWS Certificate Manager, it's crucial to thoroughly test and monitor the security measures to ensure they are functioning as expected.

1. Test your app's connections:

- Conduct comprehensive testing on your app, including different network connections, to ensure all connections are secure and comply with ATS requirements.

- Verify that all communication is over HTTPS and that the SSL/TLS protocols and ciphers adhere to your defined security policies.

2. Monitor and analyze logs:

- Utilize CloudFront access logs and associated monitoring tools to track and analyze any potential security issues or breaches.

- Implement real-time monitoring and automated alerts for anomalies, suspicious activities, or unauthorized access attempts.

By following these steps, you can help achieve Mobile App Transport Security (ATS) compliance by leveraging the robust security offerings of Amazon CloudFront and AWS Certificate Manager. Remember, implementing ATS compliance goes a long way in safeguarding your app's data and protecting your users' privacy. Stay tuned for more insightful blogs on mobile app security!