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 delivers a secure, stable, and high-performance environment for developing and running cloud and enterprise applications. Regularly updated and maintained, this Citadel VM embodies the pinnacle of reliability for your operations.
By deploying an image hardened with the Citadel Audit, organizations can significantly enhance efficiency while reducing costs, time, and associated risks. This Citadel VM integrates a comprehensive set of security recommendations leading open-source industry standards, ensuring a robust defense layer without compromising the technology's functionality or utility.
Each VM includes comprehensive documentation and a detailed security report from Citadel Audit, offering insights into the security enhancements and best practices implemented.
This is the recommended default AMI by our security experts at Citadel. We are committed to providing continuous security and maintenance updates for all instances running, ensuring your operations are safeguarded with the latest security standards.
Highlights
- 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.
- Updated Quarterly
- Performance Optimized
Details
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Delivery method
Delivery option
64-bit (x86) Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
Latest version
Operating system
Ubuntu 20.04
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 | $0.32 |
t2.micro | $0.14 |
t3.micro | $0.14 |
c6a.16xlarge | $5.10 |
m6idn.12xlarge | $2.40 |
c7a.48xlarge | $5.10 |
r6idn.metal | $5.10 |
r5b.4xlarge | $2.40 |
i7ie.12xlarge | $2.40 |
r6id.4xlarge | $2.40 |
Dimensions summary
You pay by the hour for this hardened Ubuntu 20.04 image, with no upfront commitment. Pricing is not tiered by plan. Instead, you pick the EC2 instance type that fits your workload, and the hourly software fee is set per instance type. Hundreds of instance types are available, spanning general-purpose, compute, memory, storage, GPU, and high-memory families in both x86_64 and ARM64/Graviton architectures. Rates scale with instance size, so larger instances carry higher hourly fees. AWS infrastructure charges apply separately from this software fee. You run the image on your own AWS account.
Top-of-mind questions for buyers
Each rate is a per-hour software fee for running the hardened Ubuntu 20.04 image on one EC2 instance of that type. The fee covers the maintained, PCI-focused OS baseline. It does not cover the underlying AWS compute, which AWS bills separately at its own rate.
The software fee meters running time per instance. A fully stopped or powered-off instance does not accrue the hourly software fee. Underlying AWS storage charges may still apply while the instance is stopped. Charges resume when you start the instance again.
Pick x86_64 for broad application compatibility or ARM64/Graviton for Graviton-based instance families. Each carries its own per-hour software fee set by instance type. Confirm the architecture matches your planned instance family before launch, since availability varies by operating system.
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Vendor refund policy
No refunds are available but you can cancel your subscription at any time.
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
Monthly security + OS updates - June 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
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AI generated from product descriptions
Security Controls Implementation
Secured using 300+ open source security controls validated through Citadel Audit framework
Update Frequency
Quarterly security and maintenance updates applied to all instances
Performance Optimization
Performance optimized environment for developing and running cloud and enterprise applications
Security Documentation
Includes comprehensive security report and documentation detailing security enhancements and implemented best practices
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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