Overview
This Amazon Linux 2023 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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Pricing
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Dimension | Cost/hour |
---|---|
t3a.medium Recommended | $0.105 |
t3.micro AWS Free Tier | $0.105 |
d3.xlarge | $0.175 |
c6a.32xlarge | $0.175 |
c7i.8xlarge | $0.175 |
i7ie.metal-48xl | $0.175 |
c7i.large | $0.175 |
c5ad.8xlarge | $0.175 |
m6in.32xlarge | $0.175 |
c6id.32xlarge | $0.175 |
Vendor refund policy
Billing will be assessed per the standard billing terms of the applicable cloud service provider. Refunds are not available.
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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
This is the initial release of the Amazon Linux 2023 hardened image. It includes 300+ security controls pre-applied to the operating system and all latest updates as of this build. No extra software is included.
Additional details
Usage instructions
- Launch the image inside your secure VPC.
- Scope access to trusted IPs only. Avoid exposing the instance directly to the internet.
- Use AWS Systems Manager Session Manager or connect via VPN if possible.
To connect via SSH: ssh ec2-user@<your-ec2-public-ip>.
Ensure port 22 is open in your security group and locked down to your IP.
No additional steps are required. The system is already fully hardened and ready to use.
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Support
Vendor support
Standard support is available via email during US business hours. To open a support ticket, contact support@citadelelement.com . We pride ourselves on timely SLA-based responses. Additional support for audit documentation or integration guidance is available upon request. All support is handled by US-based staff.
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.