No security alternate contact registered for the AWS account
- Severity
- Medium
- Service
- IAM
- Check ID
- SECURITY_CONTACT_NOT_SET
What this check finds
AWS allows designating a security alternate contact who is notified when AWS detects suspicious activity or compliance events. Without one, alerts go only to the root email address, which may not reach the security team promptly.
Passing looks like: Account security contact registered.
How to fix it
Set a security alternate contact.
AWS CLI
aws account put-alternate-contact --alternate-contact-type SECURITY --name "Security Team" --email security@example.com --phone-number "+1-555-555-5555" --title "Security Contact"
Names in capitals are placeholders for your own resource. Review a command before you run it.
AWS console
AWS account menu (top-right) → Account → Alternate contacts → Security → Edit.
Compliance controls it is evidence for
A failing result counts against these controls in KloudLytics; a passing one is evidence towards them. How compliance mapping works
| Framework | Controls |
|---|---|
| CIS AWS Foundations Benchmark v5.0.0 |
|
| NIST SP 800-53 Rev5 (Moderate) |
|
| NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 |
|
| ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A |
|
Checked on every scan
KloudLytics runs this check each time it scans a connected AWS account, through a read-only role, and lists every affected resource with its region. On Pro and Business a fix is written for the specific resource rather than the general case above. The exact access it needs
More IAM checks
- HighDeprecated or flawed AWS managed policy in use
- HighIAM role allows assumption from anywhere
- HighIAM role with admin privileges can be assumed by unexpected principals
- HighIAM role with s3 listing and get privileges can be assumed by unexpected principals
- HighIAM user access key has not been rotated in over 180 days
- HighIncorrect policy used to attempt to enforce MFA
- HighInline policy allows privilege escalation to admin
- HighPrincipal has an attached policy granting administrative access