Title

AWS re:Invent 2022 - Ubuntu and beyond: Securely managing open source on AWS (PRT049)

Summary

Carlos Bravo, Cloud Alliances Director at Canonical, discusses the integration of Ubuntu with AWS services and the importance of open source for innovation and inclusion.
Canonical coordinates with developers worldwide to package and test Ubuntu, making it freely available on various platforms, including AWS EC2 instances.
Since partnering with AWS in 2012, Canonical has co-engineered Ubuntu to optimize it for AWS, including optimized kernels and cloud-init integration.
Open source software, while widely used, often contains security vulnerabilities due to lack of updates. This issue is exacerbated in the container ecosystem, where containers are immutable and require rebuilding for updates.
Canonical offers Ubuntu Pro, which extends LTS support from 5 to 10 years and includes security support for a vast range of packages.
Ubuntu Pro is designed to address the challenges of open source software maintenance, security patch delivery, release cycle transparency, and extended support.
Canonical's relationship with AWS includes co-engineering, Graviton certification, and availability of Ubuntu Pro on the AWS Marketplace as a pay-as-you-go service.
AWS tools like Inspector and SSM Patch Manager are recommended for monitoring and applying security updates at scale.
Compliance with best practices and certifications, such as CIS and FedRAMP, is encouraged to ensure security.

The integration of Ubuntu with AWS services highlights the importance of a seamless user experience and the need for optimized performance on cloud platforms.
The prevalence of open source software in codebases underscores the critical role of regular updates and maintenance to mitigate security risks.
Canonical's approach to extending LTS support and providing security patches for a wide range of packages through Ubuntu Pro reflects a commitment to long-term stability and security for enterprise users.
The presentation emphasizes the importance of vendor support models, release cycle transparency, and planning for major version upgrades in managing open source software.
Canonical's collaboration with AWS, including Graviton certification and the availability of Ubuntu Pro on the AWS Marketplace, demonstrates a strong partnership aimed at delivering secure and efficient solutions for AWS customers.
The recommendation to use AWS Inspector and SSM Patch Manager for security updates aligns with best practices for maintaining cloud infrastructure and ensuring compliance with security standards.