Prerequisites

• Valid Credit or Debit Card.
• Frequently Used Email Address.
• Password Manager (Recommended)

Network Topology

(Click to zoom)

Overview

Create AWS Account

Go to https://aws.amazon.com/

Enter your:

• Email address (this becomes your root user)

• Password

• Account Name (e.g., “ProjectSecurity-Labs”)

Choose your account type:

• Personal (for most homelabs and learning)

Verify email using the code sent by AWS.

Enter payment info – a debit/credit card is required, but AWS Free Tier credits apply automatically.

Identity verification:

• You’ll receive a text or call for verification.

Select support plan:

• Choose the Basic (Free) plan for now.

Once signed in, you’ll see the AWS Management Console.

Setup Billing Invoice

In the AWS Console, open Billing & Cost Management.

Go to Billing Preferences → check:

• ✅ “Receive Billing Alerts”

• ✅ “Receive Free Tier Usage Alerts”

Click Save preferences.

Setup Budget

Go to the Budgets section in the Billing dashboard.

Click Create budget → Cost budget.

Set:

• Name: Monthly-Lab-Budget

• Period: Monthly

Budget amount: $20 (or your comfort level)

Leave the default Alert thresholds.

Choose email notification recipients.

Create the budget.

If your AWS bill reaches 85% or above, you will recieve an email. Or if your forcasted budget is expected to hit or exceed your set budget.