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Minimum IAM permissions for the nOps platform

IAM Policy Permissions for the nOps Platform

Currently, the AWS managed ReadOnlyAccess policy is attached to the role created by nOps. This is to take advantage of a continuously updated managed policy that will cover future services added into AWS that the nOps platform can add without customer intervention. However, customers requiring a more restricted environment for security concerns may deny access to some services or actions. The following table shows the base permissions requested for the nOps free platform to provide recommendations around cost, security and general architecture best practices.

Base Permissions RequestedPurposeOptimization Platform Use
autoscaling:DescribeAutoScalingGroupsView details of auto-scaling groupsAnalyze and recommend adjustments for auto-scaling settings to optimize costs
autoscaling:DescribeAutoScalingInstancesView details of auto-scaling instancesMonitor instance performance to optimize scaling for cost savings
autoscaling:DescribeLaunchConfigurationsView launch configuration details for auto-scalingIdentify unused or inefficient configurations and suggest improvements
ce:GetCostAndUsageRetrieve cost and usage data for AWS servicesTrack real-time cost data, analyze spending trends, and identify high-cost services
ce:GetReservationPurchaseRecommendationGet purchase recommendations for reserved instancesSuggest Reserved Instances to save costs based on usage patterns
ce:GetReservationUtilizationView reserved instance utilizationMonitor RI utilization to ensure optimal usage and prevent underutilization
ce:GetSavingsPlansUtilizationDetailsView detailed utilization data for savings plansAssess Savings Plans usage and recommend adjustments for cost efficiency
ce:ListCostAllocationTagsList cost allocation tags used for tracking expensesOrganize and analyze expenses by tags for better cost management
ce:StartSavingsPlansPurchaseRecommendationGenerationStart generating recommendations for savings plans purchaseAutomate cost-saving recommendations by analyzing current and forecasted usage
ce:UpdateCostAllocationTagsStatusUpdate the status of cost allocation tagsManage tag usage to improve cost tracking and allocate expenses accurately
ce:GetSavingsPlansPurchaseRecommendationGet savings plan purchase recommendationsSuggest Savings Plans based on spending patterns for maximum cost reduction
cloudformation:DescribeStacksView details of CloudFormation stacksUsed by our compute copilot service to read and compare Cloudformation configurations to recommend optimizations on ASGs
cloudformation:ListStacksList all CloudFormation stacksRequired by our compute copilot service to get Cloudformation stacks to analyze
cloudtrail:DescribeTrailsView details of CloudTrail trailsCheck logging configurations to ensure compliance with security best practices
cloudtrail:LookupEventsSearch CloudTrail logs for eventsIdentify security events and monitor access to detect unusual activities
cloudwatch:GetMetricStatisticsRetrieve metric statistics from CloudWatchAnalyze performance data to recommend cost-effective scaling and optimization
cloudwatch:ListMetricsList available CloudWatch metricsDiscover metrics to track for identifying inefficiencies in resource usage
config:DescribeConfigurationRecordersView configuration recorder settings in AWS ConfigEnsure that configuration recording is active for compliance and audit purposes
cur:DescribeReportDefinitionsView report definitions in AWS Cost and Usage ReportsAnalyze existing report configurations for potential cost-saving improvements
cur:PutReportDefinitionCreate or update report definitions for AWS Cost and Usage ReportsGenerate customized reports to provide better visibility on spending and optimization
dynamodb:DescribeTableView details of DynamoDB tablesIdentify inefficient tables and suggest cost-effective scaling adjustments
dynamodb:ListTablesList all DynamoDB tablesDetect and recommend archiving or deletion of unused tables to reduce costs
ec2:DescribeAvailabilityZonesView available EC2 availability zonesHelp in cost optimization by suggesting zone-based deployments
ec2:DescribeFlowLogsView EC2 VPC flow log configurationsEnsure flow logging is enabled for security monitoring and compliance
ec2:DescribeImagesView details of available Amazon Machine Images (AMIs)Identify outdated or unused AMIs to prevent unnecessary storage costs
ec2:DescribeInstancesView details of EC2 instancesTrack instance usage and recommend right-sizing for cost savings
ec2:DescribeInstanceStatusView status of EC2 instancesMonitor instance health to reduce downtime and optimize resource use
ec2:DescribeLaunchConfigurationsView EC2 launch configurationsUsed by our compute copilot service to recommend cost-efficient configurations for instances based on usage patterns
ec2:DescribeLaunchTemplateVersionsView versions of EC2 launch templatesIdentify unused or redundant versions to optimize template usage and reduce clutter, recommendations generated by compute copilot
ec2:DescribeNatGatewaysView details of EC2 NAT gatewaysRecommend optimization for NAT gateway usage based on traffic patterns
ec2:DescribeNetworkInterfacesView EC2 network interface detailsAudit network configurations for security and cost efficiency
ec2:DescribeRegionsList available AWS regionsRecommend cost-effective region usage based on latency and price
ec2:DescribeReservedInstancesView details of reserved EC2 instancesTrack RI utilization and recommend purchases to save on long-term EC2 costs
ec2:DescribeRouteTablesView EC2 VPC route table configurationsMonitor route tables for security compliance and cost-efficient networking
ec2:DescribeSecurityGroupsView details of EC2 security groupsEnsure security group rules are optimized for least privilege and compliance
ec2:DescribeSnapshotsView details of EC2 snapshotsIdentify and recommend deletion of unused snapshots to save on storage costs
ec2:DescribeVolumesView details of EC2 volumesRecommend adjustments to storage volumes based on usage to reduce costs
ec2:DescribeVpcsView details of EC2 Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs)Review VPC usage for security and cost efficiency, suggesting unused resources cleanup
ecs:ListClustersList ECS clustersIdentify underutilized clusters to reduce unnecessary resource costs
eks:DescribeClusterView details of EKS clustersOptimize Kubernetes resource usage to reduce costs and improve performance
eks:DescribeNodegroupView details of EKS node groupsOptimize node group configurations for performance and cost savings
eks:ListClustersList all EKS clustersIdentify inactive clusters to reduce costs by decommissioning unused resources
elasticache:DescribeCacheClustersView details of ElastiCache clustersTrack usage to suggest scaling or configuration changes for cost efficiency
elasticache:DescribeCacheSubnetGroupsView ElastiCache subnet groupsAudit subnet groups for optimal network performance and security
elasticfilesystem:DescribeFileSystemsView details of EFS file systemsIdentify and suggest deletion of unused file systems to save on storage costs
elasticloadbalancing:DescribeLoadBalancersView details of load balancersRecommend load balancer configurations to improve efficiency and reduce costs
es:DescribeElasticsearchDomainsView details of Elasticsearch domainsMonitor domain usage to suggest optimizations for indexing and query cost efficiency
es:ListDomainNamesList all Elasticsearch domain namesIdentify inactive or low-usage domains to save costs
events:CreateEventBusCreate an event bus for Amazon EventBridgeConfigure automated alerts and actions for cost and security monitoring
events:ListRulesList EventBridge rulesReview and suggest optimizations to event rules for security and efficiency
guardduty:ListDetectorsList GuardDuty detectorsEnsure continuous security monitoring by identifying and activating necessary detectors
iam:GetAccountPasswordPolicyView IAM account password policyEnsure strong password policies for account security compliance
iam:GetAccountSummaryView summary of IAM account dataAssess account structure for adherence to security best practices
iam:GetRoleView details of an IAM roleAudit IAM roles for least-privilege and compliance with security policies
iam:ListAttachedUserPoliciesList IAM policies attached to a userIdentify over-permissioned policies for security and compliance
iam:ListRolesList all IAM rolesAudit roles to identify unused or redundant ones, optimizing security and governance
iam:ListUsersList all IAM usersIdentify inactive users to enhance account security and reduce potential vulnerabilities
inspector:ListAssessmentRunsList assessment runs in AWS InspectorReview security assessments to ensure resources follow best practices
kms:DecryptDecrypt data with AWS Key Management Service (KMS)Analyze and secure sensitive data for compliance with security requirements, Ex: decrypt Lambda functions encrypted at rest with KMS
lambda:GetFunctionView details of Lambda functionsIdentify cost-saving opportunities through function optimization
lambda:GetPolicyView policy attached to Lambda functionsAudit policies to ensure secure function permissions
lambda:ListFunctionsList all Lambda functionsTrack and suggest optimizations for underutilized functions
organizations:DescribeOrganizationView details of AWS Organizations setupMonitor organizational setup for cost-effective resource management
organizations:ListAccountsList accounts in an AWS organizationTrack and analyze account usage for cost and security best practices
organizations:ListRootsList root entities in AWS OrganizationsOrganize root accounts to simplify management, enhancing security and cost efficiency
rds:DescribeDBClustersView details of RDS clustersMonitor RDS usage to recommend scaling adjustments and cost-saving measures
rds:DescribeDBInstancesView details of RDS instancesIdentify and suggest right-sizing of RDS instances for cost efficiency
rds:DescribeDBSnapshotsView details of RDS snapshotsIdentify unused snapshots to save on storage costs
savingsplans:DescribeSavingsPlansView details of Savings PlansAssess and recommend changes in Savings Plans usage to reduce costs
support:DescribeCasesView support cases in AWS SupportTrack and resolve support cases, ensuring resource usage aligns with best practices
support:DescribeTrustedAdvisorCheckRefreshStatusesView refresh statuses for Trusted Advisor checksTrack check refresh statuses to maintain compliance and optimize costs
support:DescribeTrustedAdvisorCheckResultView results of Trusted Advisor checksAnalyze Trusted Advisor findings for cost savings and security optimizations
support:DescribeTrustedAdvisorChecksView list of Trusted Advisor checksIdentify critical checks to focus on for improving security and reducing unnecessary costs
s3:ListAllMyBucketsList all Amazon S3 bucketsIdentify and manage bucket usage to avoid excessive storage costs
tag:GetResourcesRetrieve resources with specific tagsAnalyze tag data for better resource allocation, management, and cost tracking
wellarchitected:*Access to Well-Architected Framework toolReview and optimize workloads to meet best practices for cost and security
workspaces:DescribeWorkspaceDirectoriesView details of AWS WorkSpaces directoriesTrack workspace directories for efficient management and cost savings