Technical Architecture Guide
AWS Cloud Infrastructure
Building a Secure, Auditable Cloud Data Lake for Regulated Environments
When dealing with sensitive data like electronic health records or financial information, your data architecture isn't just a tech decision. It's a legal, operational, and reputational one. This guide outlines how to design secure, scalable cloud storage using AWS's multi-account architecture tailored for high-privacy data.
What We're Solving
Most cloud storage setups are built for speed, not scrutiny. They might store the right data, but they don't answer key questions:
Access Tracking
Who accessed sensitive data and when?
Tamper-Proof Logs
Are audit logs protected and accessible during reviews?
System Isolation
Is the system protected from internal mistakes or overreach?
Auditable by design
When the stakes are high, Jinka implements a multi-account, cloud-native architecture that makes compliance a natural outcome of the system, not a patchwork add-on.
Core Design: Four-Account Structure
At Jinka, we use a four-account model when deploying secure infrastructure in AWS. Each account has a distinct role and responsibility.
Management Account
The Management Account is where the deployment happens. It contains the automation code and sets the permissions and security policies that govern the other accounts.
Data Account
The Data Account is responsible for storing the actual sensitive data. This data lives in S3 buckets, which are cloud-based folders used to store and retrieve files. These buckets are encrypted, access is tightly controlled, and public access is completely blocked.
Audit Account
The Audit Account runs tools like AWS Config and AWS Audit Manager. These tools continuously monitor your infrastructure and collect evidence to help demonstrate compliance. Jinka configures these services to align with major standards such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation, 2016), and SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2). While GDPR support is based on manual controls, Audit Manager allows easy customization and automation.
Log Archive Account
The Log Archive Account is the most restricted. It collects logs from the other three accounts, including logs about user activity, infrastructure changes, and compliance checks. These logs are made immutable, meaning they can't be edited or deleted, even by internal teams. This is done to meet regulatory requirements, like in banking where records must be preserved.
This setup ensures that access is segmented, activity is monitored, and nothing critical can be quietly changed or lost.
Implementation Process
Our systematic approach ensures every security and compliance requirement is addressed:
Why This Matters
This isn't just a matter of hosting files. It's the foundation for:
Regulatory Compliance
Meeting standards for HIPAA, GDPR, SOC 2, and ISO 27001
Audit Readiness
Enabling secure reviews and audits with complete traceability
Trust Building
Demonstrating security commitment to customers and partners
Risk Mitigation
Preventing data breaches and unauthorized access
Why Jinka
We don't just spin up storage and call it secure. We build infrastructure for companies that can't afford to get it wrong. Our engineers understand what's at stake and design cloud systems that meet enterprise-grade expectations.
If you're planning a new system or upgrading an old one, and compliance isn't optional, talk to us. We'll help you get it right the first time.
If compliance isn't optional, let's talk.
We'll help you get it right the first time. Our team specializes in building secure, compliant cloud infrastructure for regulated industries.
