VPC & IAM Security Lab
Transform TaskFlow into an enterprise-grade secure cloud application! Design custom VPC network architecture with public/private subnet isolation, configure advanced routing with Internet Gateway and NAT, implement multi-tier security zones (frontend in public, database in private), create fine-grained IAM policies, and test security controls. Master production AWS security patterns used by platform engineers in 2025.
Lab Overview
🛠Lab from the Platform Engineering Bootcamp. Used in Week 10. Bootcamp landing page: https://academy.tekanaid.com/bootcamps/platform-engineering-bootcamp Parent course(s):
- Week 10: AWS Cloud Computing (slug: aws-cloud-computing)
Tasks 1-3 and 7 are standalone AWS VPC/IAM skill practice. Tasks 4-6 and 8 deploy the real TaskFlow backend, database, and frontend into the multi-tier VPC you build in this lab: Task 4 packages the images (built from the bootcamp's private canonical repo) as S3 artifacts and creates the deployment IAM role, Task 5 deploys the database tier (RDS in the dedicated database subnets), Task 6 launches the EC2 instances with that role attached (no GitHub credentials on the instances themselves), and Task 8 fronts the web tier with an Application Load Balancer so the frontend instance no longer needs a public IP.
This lab grew from 6 to 8 tasks to cover the full production pattern end to end (dedicated database tier, load-balanced frontend); expect ~3 hours rather than the shorter single-session labs elsewhere in this bootcamp.
Design and implement production-grade AWS network architecture and security using VPC and IAM. Create custom VPC with public and private subnets, configure routing with Internet Gateway and NAT Gateway, implement security zones for multi-tier applications, design IAM roles and policies following least-privilege principles, and test security policies comprehensively.
What You'll Learn
Design and create custom AWS VPC with CIDR block planning
Create public and private subnets across multiple availability zones
Configure Internet Gateway for public subnet internet access
Configure NAT Gateway for private subnet outbound internet access
Configure route tables for proper traffic routing between subnets
Package private application images as S3 artifacts and create an IAM instance profile for credential-free EC2 deployment
Deploy TaskFlow in multi-tier architecture (public frontend, private backend/database)
Verify a private, SSH-less instance's health using AWS Systems Manager Session Manager
Create IAM policies following least-privilege principle
Create IAM roles for different service access patterns
Test IAM policies with aws iam simulate-principal-policy commands
Apply 2025 best practices for defense in depth, network segmentation, and zero-trust principles
Prerequisites
Week 10 Lab 2: S3 Storage & ECR Registry Integration completed
TaskFlow deployed on AWS EC2 with S3 and ECR
Understanding of networking concepts (subnets, routing)
Basic IAM concepts (users, roles, policies)
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