The AWS EC2 Launch Unusual EC2 Instances detection rule identifies potentially malicious activities involving the deployment of EC2 instances with atypical characteristics relative to established business needs and configurations. By monitoring AWS CloudTrail logs, the rule triggers alerts on instances deployed under unusual criteria, which may diverge from standard operational patterns or established instance profiles. This is particularly critical for organizations relying on defined EC2 instance types for consistency and security. The detection method leverages a list of what constitutes unusual instance types, with pre-defined logic to assess deviations against normal deployment behaviors. When a suspected instance is launched, security analysts are advised to follow up to determine legitimacy, ensuring that all deployments align with organizational protocols and determining the context of the action taken by the actor responsible for the launch. This rule is relevant for detecting early stages of potential security breaches or configuration violations, making proactive security management essential.