NASA case study

Learn how Cloudaware helped NASA attain complete cloud visibility and secure cloud infrastructure.

About NASA

NASA is one of the largest users of Amazon Web Services (AWS). Across 30+ projects and laboratories, teams run 5,000+ EC2 instances and rely on nearly all AWS services to support mission-critical work.

Challenges

Scale was the hard part. Not “can AWS do it?” — but “can we secure it the same way, everywhere, every day?”

NASA needed a consistent approach for securing a vast, fast-changing cloud environment. Limited visibility into multi-cloud assets made that harder. With many users and programs operating in parallel, security had to be repeatable — the kind that prevents exposure before it turns into a headline. The team needed to detect and respond to threats, validate compliance requirements, and keep governance tight without slowing teams down.

Solutions

To solve for consistency and visibility, NASA partnered with Cloudaware, an AWS management and security solutions provider. Cloudaware delivered the operational coverage NASA needed through:

• Cloudaware CMDB: Continuous discovery and a detailed inventory of cloud assets — giving NASA clear visibility into what exists, where it runs, and how large the environment really is.
  
• Cloudaware IT Compliance: Compliance verification to help ensure NASA’s cloud environment aligned with relevant standards such as HIPAA, PCI, and FISMA.
• Cloudaware Incident Management: Threat monitoring and response workflows to detect and mitigate security threats, including insider threats and advanced persistent threats.
  
• Automated change detection and management to identify and respond to non-compliant changes in the cloud infrastructure.
• Cloudaware Vulnerability Management: Integrations with tools like Nessus and WhiteHat to consolidate vulnerability data and support a more complete view of risk.

Implementation

Cloudaware was deployed across NASA’s AWS environment over a 6-month period. The rollout included:

• Deploying the CMDB module to enable comprehensive discovery and maintain an up-to-date inventory of cloud resources — including EC2 instances, services, and assets across NASA’s 30+ projects.
• Integrating Cloudaware with NASA’s existing security and IT management tooling.
• Configuring custom policies and workflows to match NASA’s security requirements.
• Training NASA’s IT and security teams to use Cloudaware in day-to-day operations.
• Ongoing monitoring, optimization, and continuous improvements based on feedback.

Results

After implementation, NASA strengthened cloud governance and improved security outcomes, including:

Testimonial

"Cloudaware has been a game-changer for securing our cloud infrastructure. The CMDB platform gives us complete visibility and control, allowing us to quickly detect and respond to threats while ensuring our cloud environment remains compliant. The team has been a true partner in helping us navigate the unique security challenges of the public cloud."

Linda Cureton, Chief Information Officer, NASA

Conclusion

NASA improved security and compliance by shifting from ad hoc controls to a proactive, process-driven approach — backed by continuous visibility and automated change oversight.

If your organization is facing similar challenges in securing public cloud infrastructure, explore how Cloudaware can help. Contact us today to schedule a demo and learn more about our solutions.