EC2 Instance Connect is a feature provided by AWS that simplifies the process of securely accessing your EC2 instances using SSH. It offers a browser-based SSH experience directly from the AWS Management Console or the AWS CLI, eliminating the need to manage SSH keys manually or set up SSH agents.
Here’s how EC2 Instance Connect works:
- Simplified SSH Access: With EC2 Instance Connect, you can easily establish SSH connections to your EC2 instances directly from the AWS Management Console or through the AWS CLI, without needing to manage SSH keys or configure SSH agents on your local machine.
- Instance-Level Access Control: EC2 Instance Connect integrates with AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), allowing you to control access to your instances at the instance level. You can define IAM policies that specify which users or roles are authorized to connect to specific instances.
- No External Agents Required: Unlike traditional SSH access methods, EC2 Instance Connect doesn’t require you to install or manage any external SSH agents on your local machine. You can initiate SSH connections directly from the AWS Management Console or CLI.
- Auditability and Logging: EC2 Instance Connect provides detailed audit logs, allowing you to monitor SSH access to your instances and track who accessed them, when, and from where. This enhances security and compliance by providing visibility into SSH access activities.
- Built-in Key Management: EC2 Instance Connect handles the generation and management of temporary SSH keys for each SSH session, ensuring that keys are rotated regularly and minimizing the risk associated with long-lived SSH keys.
Overall, EC2 Instance Connect simplifies and enhances the security of SSH access to your EC2 instances in the AWS cloud, providing a convenient and secure way to manage your instances without the overhead of managing SSH keys and agents manually.