TCP #44: Your Amazon Inspector Bill Is Likely 30-50% Higher Than Necessary

The exact AWS Inspector configuration you should use to reduce costs while maintaining security

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Are you wasting thousands on Amazon Inspector scans you don't need?

Most AWS customers overpay 30-50% for security scans, running costly comprehensive assessments across all environments regardless of risk profile.

In this newsletter issue, I share the exact configuration, tiered scanning strategy, ready-to-deploy templates, and implementation schedule to optimize your Inspector costs starting today.

Source: Unsplash

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AWS Cloud Inspector Costs Scale Out of Control: Why it Matters?

AWS Cloud Inspector provides automated security assessments for EC2, Lambda, and container workloads.

While it’s a powerful tool for detecting vulnerabilities, many startups are blindsided by its unpredictable pricing model as they grow.

Here’s why startups struggle with AWS Cloud Inspector costs:

• Per-Scan Pricing Scales Exponentially – Cloud Inspector charges per host and Lambda function scans. As startups scale their infrastructure, scans multiply without warning, leading to AWS bill shocks.

• No Visibility into Cost Drivers - Unlike EC2 or S3, Cloud Inspector does not have built-in cost tracking per scan, making predicting and optimizing spending difficult. Startups only realize the problem when the bill arrives.

• Security vs. Cost Tradeoff – Reducing scans to save costs exposes the company to security risks, but frequent scans become unsustainable financially. Startups are forced to choose between security and budget.

Understanding Amazon Inspector Pricing

Cost Structure

EC2 Instances: $0.30 per instance/month

Container Images: $0.10 per scan

Lambda Functions: $0.10 per function/month

Assessment Rules Packages

Each rules package adds to your overall assessment cost. Optimize by selecting only what you need:

• Network Reachability

• Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures

• Center for Internet Security (CIS) Benchmarks

• Security Best Practices

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Step-by-Step Optimization Guide

1. Audit Your Current Inspector Setup