Cis AWS Database 9.10

9.10 Ensure Database has delete protection enabled (Manual)

Description

Ensure that delete protection is enabled on database instances to prevent accidental or unauthorized deletion. This setting safeguards critical databases by requiring explicit disabling of delete protection before deletion, reducing the risk of data loss through human error or malicious activity.

Rationale

Delete protection provides a safeguard against inadvertent or malicious deletion of critical databases. By requiring deliberate action to disable deletion protection, organizations mitigate risks associated with accidental data deletion and enhance the overall resilience of their data storage platform.

Impact

Failure to enable delete protection increases the risk of irreversible data loss, potential service disruption, and operational downtime.

Audit Procedure

Using AWS CLI

List deletion protection status for all Neptune DB clusters:

aws neptune describe-db-clusters \
  --query "DBClusters[*].{DBClusterIdentifier:DBClusterIdentifier,Engine:Engine,DeletionProtection:DeletionProtection}"

• DeletionProtection: true => Deletion protection is enabled (compliant).
• DeletionProtection: false => Deletion protection is not enabled (non-compliant).

Expected Result

All Neptune DB clusters should have DeletionProtection set to true.

Remediation

Using AWS CLI

Enable deletion protection on a specific Neptune cluster:

aws neptune modify-db-cluster \
  --db-cluster-identifier <cluster-identifier> \
  --deletion-protection \
  --apply-immediately

• --deletion-protection enables the deletion protection feature.
• --apply-immediately applies the change without waiting for the next maintenance window.

Default Value

Deletion protection is not enabled by default on Neptune DB clusters.

References

1. https://aws.amazon.com/products/databases/

CIS Controls

Profile

Level 1 | Manual