AWS Artifact
AWS Artifact provides on-demand access to AWS security and compliance reports. Download SOC, PCI, ISO, FedRAMP, and HIPAA attestations.
What is Artifact? (Simple Explanation)
Artifact is an AWS service in the Security category. AWS Artifact provides on-demand access to AWS security and compliance reports.
When Would You Use Artifact?
- Compliance audit preparation
- Vendor risk assessments
- Internal GRC reporting
- Due diligence for third-party reviews
Who Uses Artifact?
From startups to enterprises, Artifact powers:
What Makes Artifact Powerful
Artifact Pricing & Free Tier
Core security services (IAM, KMS, CloudTrail, Shield Standard) are always free. Advanced features (GuardDuty, WAF, Shield Advanced) have per-usage pricing.
Artifact Best Practices
- 1Enable MFA on all IAM users and root account
- 2Never use root account for daily tasks — create IAM users with least privilege
- 3Enable CloudTrail across all regions with log file validation
- 4Rotate access keys every 90 days and never commit them to source control
- 5Use IAM roles for EC2/Lambda/ECS instead of long-term access keys
Getting Started with Artifact in 5 Minutes
- 1Open the AWS Console and navigate to Artifact
- 2Review the default settings — most security services are pre-configured with best-practice defaults
- 3Define your policies, rules, or detection scope based on your environment
- 4Enable logging to CloudTrail and set up alerts to SNS for critical findings
Artifact CLI Quick Reference
2 production-ready commands. Full CLI Library (225+ services) →
aws artifact helpView all Artifact CLI v2 commands and subcommandsaws artifact describe-artifact --helpView options for describing Artifact resourcesPros & Cons of Artifact
Pros
- Download AWS SOC 1/2/3, PCI DSS, ISO, FedRAMP reports
- NDA-based access to confidential documents
- Automatic notification for updated reports
- AWS compliance artifact agreements
Cons
- ✕Proper IAM policy design has a steep learning curve — overly permissive policies are common
- ✕Root account is a single point of failure if MFA is lost
- ✕CloudTrail logs can become expensive at scale without lifecycle management
Artifact vs Alternatives
Artifact vs Audit Manager
Choose Artifact for Compliance audit preparation and Vendor risk assessments. It excels at download aws soc 1/2/3, pci dss, iso, fedramp reports.
Choose Audit Manager as an alternative when your requirements differ. Each service in the Security category serves different architectural patterns.
Services That Work with Artifact
Artifact is rarely used alone. It is typically combined with:
Compliance & Security
How AWS Artifact fits into major compliance standards. Browse all 41 frameworks →
Artifact configuration is audited by CIS Benchmarks v1.5–v3.0 for secure cloud defaults.
NIST 800-53Artifact access controls, encryption, and audit logging map to NIST 800-53 AC, SC, and AU control families.
PCI DSS 4.0Artifact encryption, access control, and logging support PCI DSS for cardholder data environments.
SOC 2Artifact security, availability, and confidentiality controls evaluated under SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria.
ISO 27001Artifact configuration and monitoring controls map to ISO 27001 Annex A information security management.
Frequently Asked Questions About Artifact
What is AWS Artifact?
AWS Artifact provides on-demand access to AWS security and compliance reports. Download SOC, PCI, ISO, FedRAMP, and HIPAA attestations.
What is Artifact used for?
Artifact is commonly used for: Compliance audit preparation; Vendor risk assessments; Internal GRC reporting; Due diligence for third-party reviews. It's a core service in the security category of AWS.
Is Artifact free?
Core security services (IAM, KMS, CloudTrail, Shield Standard) are always free. Advanced features (GuardDuty, WAF, Shield Advanced) have per-usage pricing.
What are the key features of Artifact?
Artifact's most important capabilities include: Download AWS SOC 1/2/3, PCI DSS, ISO, FedRAMP reports. NDA-based access to confidential documents. Automatic notification for updated reports. AWS compliance artifact agreements. Each of these is designed to help teams compliance audit preparation.
How does Artifact compare to alternatives?
Artifact competes with both AWS-native alternatives (Audit Manager, Organizations, IAM) and third-party equivalents. The right choice depends on your specific requirements for scalability, cost, and operational overhead. See the comparisons section below for detailed guidance.
Which compliance frameworks apply to Artifact?
CIS AWS v3.0: Artifact configuration is audited by CIS Benchmarks v1.5–v3.0 for secure cloud defaults. NIST 800-53: Artifact access controls, encryption, and audit logging map to NIST 800-53 AC, SC, and AU control families. PCI DSS 4.0: Artifact encryption, access control, and logging support PCI DSS for cardholder data environments. SOC 2: Artifact security, availability, and confidentiality controls evaluated under SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria. ISO 27001: Artifact configuration and monitoring controls map to ISO 27001 Annex A information security management.
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