AWS Session Manager Eliminates Public IPs and SSH Keys, But Audit Trails Remain a Challenge
AWS Systems Manager Session Manager allows engineers to access EC2 instances via a browser or CLI shell without any open inbound ports, public IP addresses, or SSH key pairs. The tool works by having the SSM Agent on each instance maintain an outbound HTTPS connection to AWS, through which sessions are brokered, meaning port 22 never needs to be open. For startups, the switch is straightforward, eliminating key management and reducing attack surface immediately. However, enterprises face a distinct challenge: when all users access virtual machines through a single shared mechanism, demonstrating individual accountability for in-session activity becomes difficult to prove during audits. Proper session logging to S3 or CloudWatch, combined with KMS encryption, is recommended to address auditability requirements.
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