Rule Packs Guide

Overview

CDK Nag provides multiple rule packs targeting different compliance frameworks and security standards. Each pack contains specific rules tailored to its compliance domain.

Available Rule Packs

1. AWS Solutions (AwsSolutions)

Purpose: AWS Foundational Security Best Practices
Import: import { AwsSolutionsChecks } from 'cdk-nag';
Scope: General AWS security best practices used in AWS Solutions Library

Key Focus Areas:

  • IAM permissions and policies
  • Network security (VPC, Security Groups)
  • Encryption at rest and in transit
  • Logging and monitoring
  • Service-specific security configurations

Common Rules:

  • AwsSolutions-IAM4: Prevents AWS managed policies
  • AwsSolutions-IAM5: Restricts wildcard permissions
  • AwsSolutions-SNS3: Requires SSL for SNS publishers
  • AwsSolutions-S1: Requires S3 access logging
  • AwsSolutions-EC23: Prevents overly permissive security groups

2. HIPAA Security

Purpose: Healthcare compliance requirements
Import: import { HipaaSecurityChecks } from 'cdk-nag';
Scope: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance

Key Focus Areas:

  • Data encryption requirements
  • Access controls for PHI (Protected Health Information)
  • Audit logging requirements
  • Network security for healthcare data

Usage Example:

// Healthcare applications
Aspects.of(app).add(new HipaaSecurityChecks());

3. NIST 800-53 Rev 4 & Rev 5

Purpose: Government security standards
Import: import { NIST80053R4Checks, NIST80053R5Checks } from 'cdk-nag';
Scope: National Institute of Standards and Technology security controls

Key Focus Areas:

  • Federal information system security
  • Risk assessment and management
  • Security control implementation
  • Continuous monitoring

Usage Example:

// Government/federal applications
Aspects.of(app).add(new NIST80053R5Checks());

4. PCI DSS 3.2.1

Purpose: Payment card industry standards
Import: import { PCIDSS321Checks } from 'cdk-nag';
Scope: Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard

Key Focus Areas:

  • Cardholder data protection
  • Network security requirements
  • Access control measures
  • Regular monitoring and testing

Usage Example:

// Payment processing applications
Aspects.of(app).add(new PCIDSS321Checks());

5. Serverless

Purpose: Serverless-specific security patterns
Import: import { ServerlessChecks } from 'cdk-nag';
Scope: Security best practices for serverless architectures

Key Focus Areas:

  • Lambda function security
  • API Gateway configuration
  • Event-driven architecture security
  • Serverless data protection

Rule Pack Selection Guide

Single Application Scenarios

General AWS Applications:

Aspects.of(app).add(new AwsSolutionsChecks());

Healthcare Applications:

Aspects.of(app).add(new AwsSolutionsChecks());
Aspects.of(app).add(new HipaaSecurityChecks());

Financial Services:

Aspects.of(app).add(new AwsSolutionsChecks());
Aspects.of(app).add(new PCIDSS321Checks());

Government/Federal:

Aspects.of(app).add(new AwsSolutionsChecks());
Aspects.of(app).add(new NIST80053R5Checks());

Serverless Applications:

Aspects.of(app).add(new AwsSolutionsChecks());
Aspects.of(app).add(new ServerlessChecks());

Multi-Environment Configurations

const environment = process.env.ENVIRONMENT || 'dev';
const complianceRequirements =
  process.env.COMPLIANCE_REQUIREMENTS?.split(',') || [];

// Always apply foundational security
Aspects.of(app).add(new AwsSolutionsChecks());

// Environment-specific compliance
if (environment === 'production') {
  if (complianceRequirements.includes('HIPAA')) {
    Aspects.of(app).add(new HipaaSecurityChecks());
  }

  if (complianceRequirements.includes('PCI')) {
    Aspects.of(app).add(new PCIDSS321Checks());
  }

  if (complianceRequirements.includes('NIST')) {
    Aspects.of(app).add(new NIST80053R5Checks());
  }
}

Rule Pack Compatibility

Complementary Packs

These packs work well together and provide layered security:

  • AwsSolutions + HIPAA: Healthcare applications
  • AwsSolutions + PCI DSS: Payment applications
  • AwsSolutions + NIST: Government applications
  • AwsSolutions + Serverless: Serverless applications

Rule Overlap Considerations

Some rules may overlap between packs. This is generally not problematic as:

  • Duplicate rule violations are deduplicated
  • Suppressions apply to all instances of a rule
  • Multiple packs provide comprehensive coverage

Performance Impact

Multiple rule packs increase synthesis time:

  • Single pack: Minimal impact
  • 2-3 packs: Moderate increase in synthesis time
  • 4+ packs: Noticeable synthesis time increase

Consider environment-specific application for production deployments.

Rule Severity Levels

Error Level Rules

  • Must be addressed or suppressed
  • Will fail CDK synthesis if not resolved
  • Examples: Encryption requirements, overly permissive access

Warning Level Rules

  • Recommendations that should be considered
  • Do not fail synthesis
  • Examples: Monitoring configurations, non-critical security enhancements

Rule Evolution and Versions

Version Compatibility

  • Rule packs evolve with CDK Nag versions
  • New rules may be added in minor versions
  • Deprecated rules are typically maintained for backward compatibility

Staying Current

  • Monitor CDK Nag releases for rule changes
  • Test new versions in non-production environments
  • Review and update suppressions when upgrading

Custom Rule Packs

For specialized compliance requirements, you can create custom rule packs:

import { NagPack, NagPackProps } from 'cdk-nag';

export class CustomComplianceChecks extends NagPack {
  constructor(props?: NagPackProps) {
    super(props);
    this.packName = 'CustomCompliance';
  }

  visit(node: IConstruct): void {
    // Implement custom rules
  }
}

Rule Documentation

Each rule pack maintains detailed documentation:

  • Rule IDs: Unique identifiers for each rule
  • Explanations: Why the rule exists and what it checks
  • Remediation: How to fix violations
  • Examples: Common scenarios and suppressions

Refer to the official RULES.md for complete rule listings and details.

Edit this page on GitHub