Our People
Our people help make your data safer. Every AWS employee, whether they work at a data center or not, is trained to think security first -- that’s our culture. Protecting your data is as important to us as it is to you. Scroll down to read the stories of a few of our employees who work hard to secure our data centers.
Charles
To walk through the doors of a Seattle data center, you’ll need to talk to Charles. When he started working at Amazon in 2006, he first protected people, places, and items in fulfillment centers.
Now, Charles secures data centers and says his work at AWS is the most personal. “I ask new guards, ‘what are you protecting?’ Some say servers. But then I ask them, ‘Does your mother shop online? Your sister? Brother? Because that’s who we’re protecting at this data center – we’re protecting our loved ones’ personal information.’” That mindset is motivation and makes the stakes very real to the guards who are on the front lines protecting physical access to AWS data centers.
Charles began his Amazon career as a security officer protecting the company’s original headquarters at the PacMed Center. Now, with dozens of direct reports the scope of his job has drastically changed. What has stayed the same is his dedication to customers and to finding solutions to emerging security threats. "I’m always thinking how do I make this better. Every day is different; it’s not the same mundane thing. There’s always a new challenge."
Jennifer
When movie night is made even better because of a perfect streaming experience, it’s probably due to an AWS Edge Network location. Edge facilities are home to a smaller collection of servers. They are the intermediary between large data centers and customers, supporting services that make the AWS Cloud faster. Jennifer is responsible for maintaining physical security at dozens of Edge locations in the U.S. and Canada. The former Army servicewoman has worked for Amazon since 2006. “I started out in customer service, and each of my prior roles had to do with integrity and trust—doing the right thing, even when no one is looking. "Those principles are still key to Jennifer’s success at AWS. Now, she ensures Edge facilities meet our strict security guidelines for Edge facilities. “I truly care about people and protecting customer trust."
Adina
AWS hires and develops security experts with different backgrounds who bring their unique perspective to defending our data centers. With professional experience in the intelligence community, Adina embodies our multi-disciplinary approach. “I’m not a security engineer, but I know how to protect people, facilities, and information so engineers can do their jobs.”
Adina’s background as a federal law enforcement and security officer influences high-level security strategy, and granular aspects of security execution. “My work day can be very different, some days I may be getting scrappy at a construction site evaluating a build. Other days, I’m strategizing about our holistic approach to security.”
That holistic approach includes helping design and build spaces that host classified data. “We embed controls into the build process.” Once a facility is completed, it’s assessed to ensure AWS is meeting requirements. “There are multiple layers of security at our data centers to keep information safe.”