CloudWorkstation Security Hardening Guide¶

Overview¶

This guide provides comprehensive security hardening recommendations for CloudWorkstation production deployments. Following these guidelines will ensure enterprise-grade security for your research computing infrastructure.

🎯 Security Objectives¶

Confidentiality: Protect research data and access credentials
Integrity: Ensure system and data integrity through tamper detection
Availability: Maintain service availability while enforcing security controls
Auditability: Complete audit trail for compliance and incident response
Defense in Depth: Multiple security layers for comprehensive protection

📊 Security Maturity Levels¶

Basic Security (Score: 0-49)¶

Minimal security features enabled
Suitable for development/testing only
Not recommended for production

Standard Security (Score: 50-74)¶

Core security features enabled
Basic audit logging and monitoring
Suitable for internal/pilot deployments

Hardened Security (Score: 75-89)¶

Comprehensive security features
Advanced monitoring and correlation
Recommended for production deployments

Enterprise Security (Score: 90-100)¶

Full security feature set enabled
Native keychain integration
Recommended for enterprise/compliance environments

🔧 Core Security Components¶

1. Audit Logging¶

Configuration:

audit_log_enabled: true
log_retention_days: 90  # Minimum 30 days, recommend 90+ for compliance

Hardening Steps: - Enable comprehensive audit logging for all security events - Set appropriate log retention period (90+ days for compliance) - Secure audit log directory with 0700 permissions - Implement log rotation and archival processes - Monitor audit log integrity with checksums

Production Requirements:

# Verify audit directory permissions
chmod 700 ~/.cloudworkstation/security/audit
chown $(whoami):$(whoami) ~/.cloudworkstation/security/audit

# Enable audit log monitoring
cws security config  # Verify audit_log_enabled: true

2. Security Monitoring¶

Configuration:

monitoring_enabled: true
monitor_interval: 30s
alert_threshold: MEDIUM

Hardening Steps: - Enable real-time security monitoring - Configure appropriate alert thresholds (MEDIUM for production) - Set monitoring interval to 30 seconds or less - Implement automated alerting to security team - Regular review of security dashboard and metrics

Production Commands:

# Check security monitoring status
cws security status
cws security dashboard

# Monitor security events
cws security correlations

3. Event Correlation Analysis¶

Configuration:

correlation_enabled: true
analysis_interval: 5m

Hardening Steps: - Enable advanced security event correlation - Configure analysis interval (5 minutes recommended) - Review correlation rules and attack patterns - Implement custom correlation rules for environment - Regular analysis of security correlations

4. Registry Security¶

Configuration:

registry_security_enabled: true
registry_url: "https://registry.cloudworkstation.io"

Hardening Steps: - Enable HMAC-SHA256 request signing - Configure certificate pinning for registry communication - Use secure registry endpoints (HTTPS only) - Regularly update pinned certificate fingerprints - Monitor registry communication for anomalies

5. Keychain Security¶

Hardening Steps: - Use native keychain providers when available: - macOS: Security framework with Keychain Services - Windows: Credential Manager with DPAPI - Linux: Secret Service with desktop keyring - Verify keychain provider security level - Regular keychain validation and diagnostics - Secure fallback configuration for unsupported platforms

Validation Commands:

# Check keychain status
cws security keychain

# Validate keychain provider
cws security health

🛡️ System Hardening¶

File System Security¶

# Secure CloudWorkstation directories
chmod 700 ~/.cloudworkstation
chmod 700 ~/.cloudworkstation/security
chmod 600 ~/.cloudworkstation/security/*.json

# Verify file permissions
find ~/.cloudworkstation -type f -exec chmod 600 {} \;
find ~/.cloudworkstation -type d -exec chmod 700 {} \;

Network Security¶

# Restrict daemon access (example with iptables)
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8947 -s 127.0.0.1 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8947 -j DROP

# Use TLS for all communications
export CWS_TLS_ENABLED=true
export CWS_TLS_CERT_PATH=/path/to/cert.pem
export CWS_TLS_KEY_PATH=/path/to/key.pem

Process Security¶

# Run daemon with limited privileges
systemctl edit cloudworkstation --force

Create systemd service configuration:

[Unit]
Description=CloudWorkstation Daemon
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=cloudworkstation
Group=cloudworkstation
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/cwsd -port 8947
Restart=always
RestartSec=5
PrivateTmp=true
NoNewPrivileges=true
ProtectSystem=strict
ProtectHome=true
ReadWritePaths=/opt/cloudworkstation

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

🔐 Production Deployment Checklist¶

Pre-Deployment Security Validation¶

# 1. Validate security configuration
cws security config
cws security health

# 2. Run comprehensive health check
cws security health

# 3. Verify all security components
cws security status

# 4. Check keychain provider
cws security keychain

# 5. Test security monitoring
cws security dashboard

Required Security Features for Production¶

Audit Logging: Enabled with 90+ day retention
Security Monitoring: Enabled with MEDIUM+ alert threshold
Health Checks: Enabled with 15-minute intervals
Registry Security: Enabled with certificate pinning
Native Keychain: Configured and validated
File Permissions: Properly secured (700/600)
Network Security: Restricted access configured
Process Security: Non-root execution with limited privileges

Security Score Requirements¶

Development: Score ≥ 50 (Standard Security)
Staging: Score ≥ 75 (Hardened Security)
Production: Score ≥ 90 (Enterprise Security)

📋 Compliance Considerations¶

NIST 800-171 (Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information)¶

Critical for research institutions handling federal contracts or CUI data

Access Control (AC)¶

✅ AC.1.001: Limit system access to authorized users
Native keychain integration with device binding
Multi-factor authentication support via keychain providers
Session-based access controls with tamper detection
✅ AC.1.002: Limit system access to authorized transactions
RESTful API with role-based access controls
Comprehensive audit logging of all system transactions
Request signing and authentication for all operations
✅ AC.2.005: Provide privacy and security notices
Security event notifications and alerting
Transparent security status reporting
Clear documentation of data handling practices

Audit and Accountability (AU)¶

✅ AU.2.041: Create audit records with required content
Comprehensive security audit logging system
Structured audit records with timestamps, user identification, event types
Configurable retention periods (90+ days for compliance)
✅ AU.2.042: Provide audit record generation capability
Real-time audit record generation for all security events
Automated correlation and analysis of audit events
Integration with external SIEM systems

Configuration Management (CM)¶

✅ CM.2.061: Establish configuration baselines
Template-based system configuration with inheritance
Version-controlled security configurations
Automated validation of security configuration compliance
✅ CM.2.062: Employ configuration change control
Template application with rollback capabilities
Change tracking and approval workflows
Security impact assessment for configuration changes

Identification and Authentication (IA)¶

✅ IA.2.076: Identify users uniquely
Device fingerprinting and binding for unique identification
Integration with institutional identity providers
Session management with user tracking
✅ IA.2.078: Use multifactor authentication
Native keychain integration supports MFA flows
Hardware-backed authentication on supported platforms
Fallback authentication methods with appropriate controls

System and Communications Protection (SC)¶

✅ SC.2.179: Use encryption to protect CUI
AES-256-GCM encryption for all sensitive data at rest
TLS 1.3 for all network communications
End-to-end encryption for invitation system
✅ SC.2.181: Use session authentication
Cryptographic session tokens with expiration
Session binding to device fingerprints
Automatic session invalidation on security events

System and Information Integrity (SI)¶

✅ SI.2.214: Monitor security events
Real-time security event monitoring and correlation
Behavioral analysis and anomaly detection
Automated threat response and alerting
✅ SI.2.216: Monitor communications for attacks
Network communication monitoring and analysis
Certificate pinning for secure communications
Intrusion detection and prevention capabilities

NIST 800-171 Configuration Example:

# NIST 800-171 Compliant Configuration
audit_log_enabled: true
log_retention_days: 2555  # 7 years for federal compliance
monitoring_enabled: true
correlation_enabled: true
registry_security_enabled: true
health_check_enabled: true
monitor_interval: 30s
analysis_interval: 5m
alert_threshold: MEDIUM

NIST 800-171 Production Checklist: - [ ] System Security Plan (SSP): Document CloudWorkstation security architecture - [ ] Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M): Address any identified gaps - [ ] Security Assessment: Independent validation of security controls - [ ] Continuous Monitoring: Ongoing security posture assessment - [ ] Incident Response Plan: Documented procedures for security events - [ ] Supply Chain Risk Management: Vendor security assessment

SOC 2 Type II¶

Enable comprehensive audit logging (90+ days retention)
Implement continuous security monitoring
Regular security health checks and validation
Documented incident response procedures

HIPAA¶

Enable all security features with maximum settings
Implement additional access controls and encryption
Extended audit log retention (7+ years)
Regular security assessments and penetration testing

Implement data protection by design and default
Enable audit logging for data access and processing
Implement privacy-preserving security monitoring
Data breach detection and notification procedures

🚨 Incident Response¶

Security Event Response¶

Detection: Automated alerting through security monitoring
Assessment: Review security dashboard and correlations
Containment: Isolate affected systems and instances
Investigation: Analyze audit logs and security events
Recovery: Restore systems and implement improvements
Lessons Learned: Update security configuration and procedures

Common Security Events¶

Event Type	Severity	Response
Tamper Detection	CRITICAL	Immediate isolation and investigation
Multiple Failed Logins	HIGH	Review access logs, potential lockout
Unusual Activity Hours	MEDIUM	Verify legitimacy, investigate if needed
Keychain Failures	HIGH	Check system integrity, restore if needed
Registry Communication Errors	MEDIUM	Verify network and certificate status

🔍 Monitoring and Alerting¶

Key Security Metrics¶

Security Score: Target ≥ 90 for production
Failed Authentication Rate: Target < 5%
Tamper Detection Events: Target = 0
System Health Status: Target = 100% OK
Audit Log Availability: Target = 100%

Alerting Integration¶

# Example: Integrate with external monitoring
export CWS_WEBHOOK_URL="https://monitoring.example.com/webhook"
export CWS_SLACK_WEBHOOK="https://hooks.slack.com/services/..."
export CWS_EMAIL_ALERTS="security@example.com"

📚 Additional Resources¶

🆘 Support and Troubleshooting¶

Security Support Channels¶

Security Issues: security@cloudworkstation.io
Documentation: https://docs.cloudworkstation.io/security
Community: https://github.com/cloudworkstation/community

Common Troubleshooting¶

# Debug security configuration
cws security status --verbose
cws security health --debug

# Check audit logs
tail -f ~/.cloudworkstation/security/audit/*.log

# Validate keychain
cws security keychain --validate

# Test security monitoring
cws security dashboard --refresh

📝 Security Hardening Summary¶

Following this guide ensures: - ✅ Enterprise-grade security with comprehensive protection - ✅ Compliance readiness for SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR requirements
- ✅ Operational security with monitoring, alerting, and incident response - ✅ Defense in depth with multiple security layers and controls - ✅ Audit compliance with complete security event logging and retention

Security Contact: For security questions or to report vulnerabilities, contact security@cloudworkstation.io

Last Updated: 2025-08-05 Version: 1.0 (Phase 4: Final Integration & Deployment)

CloudWorkstation Security Hardening Guide¶

Overview¶

🎯 Security Objectives¶

📊 Security Maturity Levels¶

Basic Security (Score: 0-49)¶

Standard Security (Score: 50-74)¶

Hardened Security (Score: 75-89)¶

Enterprise Security (Score: 90-100)¶

🔧 Core Security Components¶

1. Audit Logging¶

2. Security Monitoring¶

3. Event Correlation Analysis¶

4. Registry Security¶

5. Keychain Security¶

🛡️ System Hardening¶

File System Security¶

Network Security¶

Process Security¶

🔐 Production Deployment Checklist¶

Pre-Deployment Security Validation¶

Required Security Features for Production¶

Security Score Requirements¶

📋 Compliance Considerations¶

NIST 800-171 (Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information)¶

Access Control (AC)¶

Audit and Accountability (AU)¶

Configuration Management (CM)¶

Identification and Authentication (IA)¶

System and Communications Protection (SC)¶

System and Information Integrity (SI)¶

SOC 2 Type II¶

HIPAA¶

GDPR¶

🚨 Incident Response¶

Security Event Response¶

Common Security Events¶

🔍 Monitoring and Alerting¶

Key Security Metrics¶

Alerting Integration¶

📚 Additional Resources¶

🆘 Support and Troubleshooting¶

Security Support Channels¶

Common Troubleshooting¶

📝 Security Hardening Summary¶