3 Common AWS Security Gaps I Still See in 2025
- Vineet Sharma
- Jun 3
- 3 min read
Straightforward risks. Real-world impact. Fix them before they hurt you.
After auditing AWS environments for over a decade—across startups, scale-ups, and established enterprises—I’ve noticed the same recurring security issues.
These aren't obscure zero-days or advanced persistent threats. They’re basic misconfigurations—avoidable, detectable, and often overlooked.
This article outlines three of the most common AWS security gaps that I encounter, why they’re dangerous, and how to fix them. Each example is based on real work we've done with clients globally.
1. Overly Permissive IAM Policies
IAM roles with Action: "*" and Resource: "*" are still being deployed in production environments. It usually starts with temporary troubleshooting or developer convenience and becomes permanent due to neglect.
Why it's a risk:
If these credentials are compromised, the attacker has full control over the environment.
There's no granular control to restrict lateral movement or damage.
These permissions often go unnoticed unless an incident occurs.
How to address it:
Use least-privilege policies.
Apply resource-specific permissions.
Use IAM Access Analyzer to simulate and validate policies.
Limit use of inline policies.
Avoid long-term access keys and enforce MFA.
2. Public S3 Buckets
S3 bucket misconfigurations remain one of the top security gaps. Despite AWS implementing default protections, organizations still disable block public access settings—sometimes intentionally, sometimes unknowingly.
Why it's a risk:
Data becomes publicly accessible and indexable.
Attackers continuously scan for public buckets.
Logs, backups, and internal documentation are often exposed.
How to address it:
Block public access at the account and bucket level.
Use IAM or bucket policies with explicit deny conditions.
Enable S3 access logs and monitor unauthorized requests.
Use AWS Config rules to flag non-compliant buckets.
Audit policies regularly and automate remediation.
3. Hardcoded Secrets in Repositories
Secrets are still being committed to GitHub, Bitbucket, and other source code platforms. This includes AWS credentials, database passwords, and API tokens.
Why it's a risk:
Attackers scan public repositories in real time.
Even private repositories can be leaked via misconfigured access.
Exposed secrets are often active and have broad access scopes.
How to address it:
Use AWS Secrets Manager or Systems Manager Parameter Store.
Scan code repositories with tools like truffleHog or git-secrets.
Enforce pre-commit hooks that prevent sensitive data from being committed.
Rotate secrets regularly.
Avoid embedding credentials in environment files within code.
Why These Gaps Persist
Fast-moving teams prioritize delivery over governance.
Security is treated as a final-stage activity, not a continuous process.
Cloud environments lack visibility unless explicitly instrumented.
There is limited ownership of infrastructure security in many organizations.
These issues are not caused by ignorance. They are caused by trade-offs that aren't revisited and processes that lack accountability.
What We Do at V12 Technologies
We help organizations strengthen their AWS security posture through:
IAM and access policy audits
Cloud resource tagging and governance frameworks
S3 and storage compliance reviews
CI/CD pipeline hardening
Secrets management implementation
Automated security monitoring and alerting
We don’t rely on generic checklists. Every audit is contextual, aligned with your business model, compliance needs, and operational scale.
Final Note
Security in AWS doesn’t fail because of missing features. It fails when configurations are not enforced, reviewed, or aligned with actual usage.
These three gaps—over-permissive IAM, public storage, and exposed secrets—are not new. But they remain persistent risks in 2025.
If your team is overdue for a security review, let’s talk. A short assessment now can prevent a major issue later.
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