Specify an idle session timeout value - AWS Systems Manager
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Specify an idle session timeout value

Session Manager, a tool in AWS Systems Manager, allows you to specify the amount of time to allow a user to be inactive before the system ends a session. By default, sessions time out after 20 minutes of inactivity. You can modify this setting to specify that a session times out between 1 and 60 minutes of inactivity. Some professional computing security agencies recommend setting idle session timeouts to a maximum of 15 minutes.

Understanding idle timeout behavior

The idle session timeout timer resets when Session Manager receives client-side inputs. These inputs include, but are not limited to:

  • Keyboard input in the terminal

  • Terminal or browser window resize events

  • Session reconnection (ResumeSession), which can occur due to network interruptions, browser tab management, or WebSocket disconnections

Because these events reset the idle timer, a session might remain active longer than the configured timeout period even without direct terminal commands.

Enforcing strict session limits

If your security requirements mandate strict session duration limits regardless of activity, use the Maximum session duration setting in addition to idle timeout. For more information, see Specify maximum session duration.

To allow idle session timeout (console)

  1. Open the AWS Systems Manager console at https://eusc-de-east-1.console.amazonaws-eusc.eu/systems-manager/.

  2. In the navigation pane, choose Session Manager.

  3. Choose the Preferences tab, and then choose Edit.

  4. Specify the amount of time to allow a user to be inactive before a session ends in the minutes field under Idle session timeout.

  5. Choose Save.