Day 4: Configuring CloudFront and Securing Your Website with HTTPS

Recap of Day 3

Yesterday, we laid the groundwork by creating a secure AWS environment and setting up an S3 bucket to host the static files for the LimitlessAO Power Solutions website. We also enabled static website hosting, providing a temporary endpoint URL for accessing the site. Today, we’ll take it a step further by integrating CloudFront, a Content Delivery Network (CDN), to ensure fast and reliable delivery of website content worldwide. Additionally, we’ll configure an SSL certificate using AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) to secure the website with HTTPS.

Why CloudFront and HTTPS?

CloudFront enhances the performance and reliability of your website by caching content across a global network of edge locations. This minimizes latency for users regardless of their location. Adding HTTPS with an SSL certificate ensures encrypted communication between your website and its visitors, boosting both security and trust.

Step-by-Step Implementation

Step 1: Configure CloudFront

• Go to the CloudFront Management Console.
• Click Create Distribution and select Web Distribution.
• Set the following configuration:
• Origin Domain Name: Select your S3 bucket from the dropdown list.
• Origin Access Control (OAC): Create an OAC to restrict direct access to your S3 bucket.

• Viewer Protocol Policy: Select Redirect HTTP to HTTPS to enforce secure connections.

• Cache Behavior: Leave the defaults or customize based on your caching needs.
• Save the configuration and wait for the distribution to deploy (this might take a few minutes).

Step 2: Restrict Public Access to the S3 Bucket

• Once CloudFront is set up, we need to ensure that the S3 bucket cannot be accessed directly:
• Go to the Permissions tab of your S3 bucket.
• Edit the Bucket Policy to allow only access from CloudFront using the OAC created earlier.
• Save the changes.

Step 3: Configure HTTPS with ACM

• Navigate to the AWS Certificate Manager.
• Request a public certificate:
• Enter your domain name (e.g., www.limitlessao-website.com).
• Choose DNS Validation for a straightforward process.
• After requesting the certificate, ACM will provide a CNAME record to add to your DNS configuration.
• Use Route 53 (or your DNS provider) to create a CNAME record for validation.
• Once validated, the certificate status will change to Issued.

Step 4: Associate the SSL Certificate with CloudFront

• Go back to your CloudFront distribution settings.
• Edit the SSL Certificate section under the Distribution Settings:
• Select Custom SSL Certificate and choose the certificate issued by ACM.
• Save the configuration and allow the distribution to update.

"Security is not just a feature—it’s the foundation for trust in the digital world."

What’s Next?
With CloudFront and HTTPS in place, the website is optimized for performance and secured for its users. Tomorrow, we’ll integrate Route 53 to map your custom domain to the CloudFront distribution, completing the migration process.

Stay tuned!
LimitlessAO