Sold by: Citadel Security
Deployed on AWS
AWS Free Tier
This product has charges associated with the pre-built security hardening and recurring maintenance. Deploy a Ubuntu 24.04 virtual machine with 300+ security controls already applied. Start secure. Stay secure. Save weeks of work.
Overview
This Ubuntu 24.04 image is a hardened virtual machine configured with over 300 security controls designed to protect cloud-based workloads from the start. Ideal for companies operating in regulated or sensitive environments, this image gives teams a secure and production-ready foundation out of the box.
Our hardened images are built using proprietary internal pipelines that automate and validate the implementation of critical security controls. Each control is carefully selected to reduce attack surface, enforce secure defaults, and help teams meet internal or external compliance expectations. No tools are pre-installed. The image is clean, consistent, and easy to integrate into any environment.
Use cases include deploying workloads in healthcare, finance, government, SaaS platforms, or any application where security is a priority. Default cloud OS images offer little to no security by default. Our hardened images save engineering teams weeks of effort, reduce risk from misconfiguration, and accelerate your ability to launch in secure environments. We are a US-based company with over four years of operation, trusted by enterprises and government agencies. All engineering and support work is performed by US-based employees.
Highlights
- Over 300 security controls are pre-applied to the base image to reduce vulnerabilities, enforce strong defaults, and simplify compliance. This saves teams weeks of manual effort and ensures consistency across deployments.
- Every image is built through our internal security pipeline and validated for integrity and reliability. You can deploy in minutes with confidence that your base operating system is secure and ready for production use.
- Backed by billions of compute hours and trusted by Fortune 500 and government teams. Our hardened images are the secure foundation for mission-critical workloads in regulated environments.
Details
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Delivery method
Delivery option
64-bit (x86) Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
Latest version
Operating system
Ubuntu 24.04
Deployed on AWS
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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 |
t3.micro | $0.14 |
t2.micro | $0.14 |
c6i.8xlarge | $2.40 |
m5d.2xlarge | $2.40 |
m6idn.metal | $5.10 |
r7iz.8xlarge | $2.40 |
r6idn.12xlarge | $2.40 |
trn1n.32xlarge | $5.10 |
g6.12xlarge | $2.40 |
Dimensions summary
You pay by the hour for this hardened Ubuntu 24.04 image. Each dimension maps to a specific AWS EC2 instance type, so your rate follows the instance you launch. The list spans small burstable sizes, general-purpose, compute-optimized, memory-optimized, storage, GPU, and bare-metal families across both x86_64 and ARM64/Graviton. Larger instances carry higher hourly rates than smaller ones in the same family. You select the size that fits your workload and pay only for the hours you run. This software fee is separate from the AWS infrastructure charges shown on each listing.
Top-of-mind questions for buyers
The hourly software fee meters running instance-hours. A fully stopped instance does not accrue the software charge. Stopped instances may still incur AWS storage fees for attached volumes, but that is separate from this software fee. You pay the software rate only while the instance runs.
You get a hardened Ubuntu 24.04 image configured around PCI DSS operating-system requirements, refreshed monthly with patches. Each dimension maps to one AWS EC2 instance size. The rate covers the maintained image and US-based product support. You still run and pay for the underlying AWS instance separately.
Billing works the same way for both architectures: an hourly rate tied to the specific instance type you launch. The image supports both x86_64 and ARM64/Graviton families. Your rate follows the instance you select, not the architecture itself. Confirm architecture availability on the specific listing before launch.
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Vendor refund policy
Refunds are not available. Billing will be assessed per the standard billing terms of the applicable cloud service provider.
Legal
Vendor terms and conditions
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Content disclaimer
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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.
Similar products
This product has charges associated with it for security hardening and compliance alignment. Madarson IT pre-hardened Ubuntu 24.04 LTS virtual desktop AMI with pre-configured GUI/RDP access, mapped to NIST CSF, PCI DSS, and HIPAA frameworks for production compliance.
This product has charges associated with the pre-built hardening to the CIS Benchmarks™ and recurring maintenance. The CIS Hardened Images® are hardened in accordance with the associated CIS Benchmarks, an industry best practice for secure configuration. Reduce cost, time, and risk by building your AWS solution with CIS AMIs.
Hardened Ubuntu 24.04 has been thoroughly hardened and secured following the rigorous Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG) guidelines. Please be aware that this product comes with associated charges for seller support, ensuring that you have access to dedicated assistance and resources when needed.
PCI Compliant / Hardened Ubuntu 24.04 has been thoroughly hardened and secured following the rigorous Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG) guidelines. Please be aware that this product comes with associated charges for seller support, ensuring that you have access to dedicated assistance and resources when needed.
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