AWS Account Setup & Security Guide

Many experiments in this lab manual utilize Amazon Web Services (AWS). This guide outlines the steps to set up your AWS account and secure it correctly.

💳 Creating an AWS Free Tier Account

AWS offers a 12-month free tier for new accounts, which is sufficient for completing the experiments in this manual.

1. Go to the AWS Free Tier Page.
2. Click Create a Free Account.
3. Enter your email address and an account name, then verify your email.
4. Set a strong password for your Root User.
5. Provide contact information (select Personal for your account type).
6. Enter credit/debit card information. AWS will make a temporary charge of $1 (or equivalent currency) to verify identity, which is refunded.
7. Complete identity verification via SMS or voice call.
8. Select the Basic Support - Free plan.
9. Wait for activation confirmation email (can take up to 24 hours, but usually occurs within minutes).

🔒 Post-Setup Security Recommendations

[!WARNING] Your AWS Root Account has unrestricted access to all resources and billing. If compromised, it can lead to massive unexpected charges. Follow these steps immediately after sign-up:

1. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

1. Log in to the AWS Console as the Root User.
2. Click your account name in the top right and select My Security Credentials.
3. Under Multi-factor authentication (MFA), click Assign MFA device.
4. Choose an authenticator app (like Google Authenticator or Authy) on your phone and complete the setup.

2. Set Up a Billing Alarm

To avoid unexpected charges:

1. In the search bar at the top, search for Billing.
2. Click Billing Preferences on the left menu.
3. Check the box for Receive Billing Alerts and save.
4. Go to CloudWatch in the console.
5. Navigate to Alarms ➔ All Alarms ➔ Create Alarm.
6. Select the metric: Billing ➔ Total Estimated Charge.
7. Set the threshold (e.g., alert if estimated charges exceed $5.00) and link it to an email address via Amazon SNS.