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Using an ALB behind Amazon CloudFront and Using a Custom HTTP Header to Control Access

In this hands-on lab you will work on implementing a more secure web application architecture by leveraging the following AWS services to further restrict public access: Amazon CloudFront, Application Load Balancer (ALB), and Amazon EC2. You will work with the above services in order to implement a new CDN in front of an internet-facing ALB to improve performance. You will also leverage the ability to pass custom headers to the origin server (the ALB) to restrict access to the hosted web application. The ALB will only allow traffic that contains the secret HTTP header value, which allows you to drop all traffic that is sent directly to the ALB itself.

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Path Info

Level
Clock icon Advanced
Duration
Clock icon 45m
Published
Clock icon Feb 12, 2024

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Table of Contents

  1. Challenge

    Create the CloudFront Distribution

    Create a new CloudFront distribution, using the existing Application Load Balancer (ALB) as the origin server.

    Once the distribution is deployed, test that you can access the web application through it.

  2. Challenge

    Update the CloudFront Distribution to Contain the HTTP Header

    After verified to be working, you now need to edit the distribution to add a custom header to all origin server calls. Below is the information:

    • Header Name: x-Custom-Header
    • Header Value: random string of your choice

    NOTE: Be sure to copy the Header Value for later

  3. Challenge

    Update the ALB Listener Rules

    Add a new rule to the ALB listener to restrict access to calls that only contain the X-Custom-Secret HTTP header with the correct header value that you set previously.

    Ensure this rule is processed first!

A Cloud Guru - Labs - Using an ALB behind Amazon CloudFront and Using a Custom HTTP Header to Control Access
Author
A Cloud Guru

The Cloud Content team comprises subject matter experts hyper focused on services offered by the leading cloud vendors (AWS, GCP, and Azure), as well as cloud-related technologies such as Linux and DevOps. The team is thrilled to share their knowledge to help you build modern tech solutions from the ground up, secure and optimize your environments, and so much more!

What's a lab?

Hands-on Labs are real environments created by industry experts to help you learn. These environments help you gain knowledge and experience, practice without compromising your system, test without risk, destroy without fear, and let you learn from your mistakes. Hands-on Labs: practice your skills before delivering in the real world.

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We will provide the credentials and environment necessary for you to practice right within your browser.

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Follow along with the author’s guided walkthrough and build something new in your provided environment!

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