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Enable CloudTrail

This check ensures that AWS CloudTrail is enabled to record API activity across your AWS account. CloudTrail provides visibility into user actions, resource changes, and helps with security auditing, compliance, and incident investigation.

Check Details

  • Resource: General
  • Check: Enable CloudTrail
  • Risk: Lack of visibility into account activity and security incidents

Remediation via AWS Console

  1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console and open AWS CloudTrail. Amazon CloudTrail
  2. Open Trails. If you see Get started now, click it, or click Add new trail. Trails
  3. Configure trail details:
    • Trail name: Enter a name (example: organization-cloudtrail)
    • Multi-region trail: Leave enabled (recommended)
    • S3 bucket: Choose an existing bucket or create a new one
    • Log file encryption (KMS): Select an existing KMS key alias or create a new key
    • Log file KMS
  4. Click Next.
  5. Enable Management events. Under API activity, ensure both Read and Write are selected. Log events
  6. Click Next, review the configuration, and click Create trail.

Remediation via AWS CLI

  1. Log in to the AWS Management Console and click the CloudShell icon (>_) in the top-right corner. AWS CloudShell icon
  2. Create a new multi-region CloudTrail:
    
    
    aws cloudtrail create-trail \
     --name <trail-name> \
     --bucket-name <s3-bucket-for-cloudtrail> \
     --is-multi-region-trail
    
  3. Enable multi-region logging for an existing trail:
    
    
    aws cloudtrail update-trail \
     --name <trail-name> \
     --is-multi-region-trail
    

Ensure CloudTrail is enabled in all AWS regions and that logs are being delivered to the configured S3 bucket.