Sold by: Citadel Security
Deployed on AWS
AWS Free Tier
This product has charges associated with it for hardening and maintenance. This Citadel VM is secured using 300+ open source security controls and validated using Citadel Audit.
Overview
This product has charges associated with it for hardening and maintenance. This Citadel Hardened VM is secured using 300+ security controls and validated using Citadel Audit. This AMI has been hardened by security professionals to meet the rigorous standards of the PCI DSS.
This AMI delivers a secure, stable, and high-performance environment, ideal for developing and running cloud and enterprise applications. Regularly updated and maintained, this Citadel VM stands at the forefront of reliability and efficiency.
Deploying this image, hardened with the latest open source security frameworks and verified by Citadel Audit, significantly enhances your operational security while reducing costs, time, and associated risks. Tailored to meet PCI compliance standards, it offers a robust foundation for securing sensitive data. However, we recommend customers conduct their own verification using their preferred tools to ensure full compliance.
We've meticulously configured our Citadel VM to incorporate the most effective security recommendations, ensuring maximum protection without compromising the technology's functionality or performance.
This is our recommended default Hardened AMI, backed by our commitment to providing continuous security and maintenance updates, ensuring your infrastructure remains secure and up-to-date with the latest standards.
Highlights
- Current and Consistent: Citadel's hardened images are kept up-to-date with the latest security patches and updates, ensuring you always have the most recent advancements in security and technology at your fingertips.
- Built on open source secure frameworks and validated by Citadel Audit, our solutions offer unparalleled security and reliability, widely accepted by governments and industries. Our community-driven approach safeguards critical infrastructure and sensitive data, proving our commitment to the highest cybersecurity standards. Essential for top-tier security defense.
Details
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Delivery method
Delivery option
64-bit (x86) Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
Latest version
Operating system
Rhel 9
Deployed on AWS
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Features and programs
Financing for AWS Marketplace purchases
AWS Marketplace now accepts line of credit payments through the PNC Vendor Finance program. This program is available to select AWS customers in the US, excluding NV, NC, ND, TN, & VT.
Pricing
Pricing is based on actual usage, with charges varying according to how much you consume. Subscriptions have no end date and may be canceled any time. Alternatively, you can pay upfront for a contract, which typically covers your anticipated usage for the contract duration. Any usage beyond contract will incur additional usage-based costs.
Additional AWS infrastructure costs may apply. Use the AWS Pricing Calculator to estimate your infrastructure costs.
If you are an AWS Free Tier customer with a free plan, you are eligible to subscribe to this offer. You can use free credits to cover the cost of eligible AWS infrastructure. See AWS Free Tier for more details. If you created an AWS account before July 15th, 2025, and qualify for the Legacy AWS Free Tier, Amazon EC2 charges for Micro instances are free for up to 750 hours per month. See Legacy AWS Free Tier for more details.
Dimension | Cost/hour |
|---|---|
t3.medium Recommended | $0.21 |
t2.micro | $0.14 |
t3.micro | $0.14 |
trn1.2xlarge | $0.32 |
m7i.4xlarge | $0.32 |
r7i.metal-48xl | $0.32 |
r6in.xlarge | $0.32 |
g5.16xlarge | $0.32 |
r3.2xlarge | $0.32 |
c6id.16xlarge | $0.32 |
Dimensions summary
You pay by the hour for the software running on your chosen Amazon EC2 instance. Each dimension maps to a specific instance type, so your rate depends on the instance size and family you select. Options span both x86_64 and ARM64 (Graviton) architectures, along with a range of sizes from small general-purpose types to large compute, memory, storage, and accelerated instances. Larger or specialized instances carry higher hourly rates. You add AWS infrastructure charges separately. There are no tiers or upfront commitments; you pay only for the hours you run.
Top-of-mind questions for buyers
The hourly rate covers the maintained, PCI-focused operating-system image running on your chosen instance. Your team still owns application security, cloud architecture, identity, networking, logging, evidence retention, and assessor validation. The image gives you a hardened OS baseline; it does not make your broader workload compliant.
The software fee meters running instance-hours. A stopped or powered-off instance does not accrue the hourly software charge. Note that AWS may still bill underlying infrastructure costs, such as storage, separately. You pay the Citadel software rate only for hours the instance actually runs.
Pick x86_64 for broad compatibility or ARM64 for Graviton-based instances. Match the architecture to your planned AWS instance family. Each dimension maps to one instance type, so confirm the exact architecture and version on the specific listing before you launch.
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Vendor refund policy
At present, Citadel does not provide refunds. Billing will be only for the actual duration of instance use. Just like other Citadel offerings, our primary objective is to ensure complete satisfaction for all our customers. Should you need further assistance, please reach out to our team directly at support@citadelelement.com .
Legal
Vendor terms and conditions
Upon subscribing to this product, you must acknowledge and agree to the terms and conditions outlined in the vendor's End User License Agreement (EULA) .
Content disclaimer
Vendors are responsible for their product descriptions and other product content. AWS does not warrant that vendors' product descriptions or other product content are accurate, complete, reliable, current, or error-free.
Delivery details
64-bit (x86) Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
An AMI is a virtual image that provides the information required to launch an instance. Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) instances are virtual servers on which you can run your applications and workloads, offering varying combinations of CPU, memory, storage, and networking resources. You can launch as many instances from as many different AMIs as you need.
Version release notes
Security patches and package updates (August 2026)
Additional details
Usage instructions
Connect over SSH using the key pair selected at launch. The default user is shown above. See the listing's usage instructions for full details.
Resources
Vendor resources
Support
Vendor support
Support is part of what you get with a Citadel image, and it comes from a US-based team that works on these builds every day. Email support@citadelpci.com with anything - choosing the right image, how the hardening behaves, patching and releases, evidence for a PCI DSS review, or a question you are not sure who else to ask. We read every message, and we would much rather you ask than guess. More about how we work with customers:
AWS infrastructure support
AWS Support is a one-on-one, fast-response support channel that is staffed 24x7x365 with experienced and technical support engineers. The service helps customers of all sizes and technical abilities to successfully utilize the products and features provided by Amazon Web Services.
Updated weekly
By Citadel Security
By Hanwei Software Technology
By Supported Images
Sentiment is AI generated from actual customer reviews on AWS and G2
Functionality
Ease of use
Customer service
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AI generated from product descriptions
Security Controls Implementation
Secured using 300+ open source security controls to meet PCI DSS standards
Security Validation Framework
Validated using Citadel Audit to verify security hardening and compliance
Patch Management
Regularly updated with latest security patches and updates to maintain current security posture
Open Source Security Frameworks
Built on open source secure frameworks for infrastructure hardening
Localization and Language Support
Complete Simplified Chinese localization for Windows Server 2022 Desktop Experience with UTC+8 timezone pre-configured
Pre-installed Development Tools
Python 3.12, Node.js LTS, Git, and VS Code pre-installed for immediate development without additional setup
System and Network Utilities
7-Zip, Notepad++, PowerShell 7, WinSCP, Wireshark, and Firefox pre-installed for system administration and network diagnostics
Advanced Security Features
Secured-core server architecture, HTTPS/TLS 1.3 support, and improved Azure hybrid integration capabilities
Graphical User Interface
Full Desktop Experience GUI environment with complete graphical interface for Windows Server 2022 operations
Advanced Threat Protection
Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection guards against malicious attacks and breaches to protect server and data security.
Container Orchestration Support
Built-in support for Windows Server containers and Kubernetes orchestration enables modern application deployment and management.
Predictive Analytics and Monitoring
System Insights provides built-in predictive analytics capabilities to proactively manage server health and optimize performance.
Hybrid Cloud Integration
Seamless integration of on-premises resources with Azure services to create unified hybrid cloud environments.
Distributed Storage System
Storage Spaces Direct feature builds reliable and highly available storage systems with improved performance and scalability.
Standard contract
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