AWS EC2 Encryption Disabled
Detects when Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) encryption by default is disabled in an AWS region. EBS encryption ensures that newly created volumes and snapshots are automatically protected with AWS Key Management…
Description
Detects when Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) encryption by default is disabled in an AWS region. EBS encryption ensures that newly created volumes and snapshots are automatically protected with AWS Key Management Service (KMS) keys. Disabling this setting introduces significant risk as all future volumes created in that region will be unencrypted by default, potentially exposing sensitive data at rest. Adversaries may disable encryption to weaken data protection before exfiltrating or tampering with EBS volumes or snapshots. This may be a step in preparation for data theft or ransomware-style attacks that depend on unencrypted volumes.
Detection logic
Its licence does not clear it for publishing here
Sunturai publishes a detection's own text where the licence it arrived under has been reviewed and permits it, and Elastic License 2.0 has not. The query as its source wrote it, its canonical form and the hash that pins this revision are in the workspace record.
Detection requirements
- Platform
- IaaSLinuxmacOSWindows
The rule states no platform. This is derived from the 2 ATT&CK techniques it maps to.
- Log source category
- event_index
Known benign triggers
- Disabling encryption may be done by a system or network administrator. Verify whether the user identity, user agent, and/or hostname should be making changes in your environment. Disabling encryption by unfamiliar users or hosts should be investigated. If known behavior is causing false positives, it can be exempted from the rule.
MITRE ATT&CK mappings
0 exclusive techniques.This is coverage no other published rule has; it is not this rule's total technique count.
References
| Reference | Cited by |
|---|---|
| awscli.amazonaws.com/v2/documentation/api/latest/reference/ec2/disable-ebs-encryption-by-default.html | Only this detection cites it |
| docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/APIReference/API_DisableEbsEncryptionByDefault.html | 2from 2 sources |
| docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/EBSEncryption.html | Only this detection cites it |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- bb9b13b2-1700-48a8-a750-b43b0a72ab69
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: Amazon Web ServicesData Source: AWSData Source: AWS CloudTrailDomain: CloudNoise: LowPerformance: NormalPlatform: AWSResources: Investigation GuideRule Type: Custom Query (KQL)Service: AWS EC2Tactic: Impact
Licence
- Published under
- Elastic License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Sep 20, 2026
- Version
- 3