diff --git a/aws-template-dev.sh b/aws-template-dev.sh
index a250d440..9db06c0b 100644
--- a/aws-template-dev.sh
+++ b/aws-template-dev.sh
@@ -16,9 +16,15 @@ ps -auxc | grep ssh-agent
 eval $(ssh-agent)
 cd /var/www/html
 
-echo "github private key" > github
-chmod go-rw github
-echo "github public key" > github.pub
+if [ -z "${GITHUB_DEPLOY_KEY_PATH:-}" ]; then
+  echo "Set GITHUB_DEPLOY_KEY_PATH to a readable deploy key file before cloning private repositories." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+install -m 600 "$GITHUB_DEPLOY_KEY_PATH" github
+if [ -n "${GITHUB_DEPLOY_PUBLIC_KEY_PATH:-}" ]; then
+  install -m 644 "$GITHUB_DEPLOY_PUBLIC_KEY_PATH" github.pub
+fi
 ssh-add github
 ssh-keyscan github.com/ >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts
 apt install -y git
@@ -460,4 +466,4 @@ a2enmod headers
 systemctl restart apache2
 
 #install new cron file
-crontab /var/www/html/studenthub/cron/cronlist
\ No newline at end of file
+crontab /var/www/html/studenthub/cron/cronlist
diff --git a/aws-template-docker.sh b/aws-template-docker.sh
index fae31927..fe2ec61f 100644
--- a/aws-template-docker.sh
+++ b/aws-template-docker.sh
@@ -19,10 +19,16 @@ sudo mkdir -p /var/www/html
 sudo chmod 2775 /var/www
 cd /var/www/html
 
-echo "github private key" > ~/.ssh/github
-chmod go-rw ~/.ssh/github
-echo "github public key" > ~/.ssh/github.pub
-sudo chmod a+r ~/.ssh/github
+if [ -z "${GITHUB_DEPLOY_KEY_PATH:-}" ]; then
+  echo "Set GITHUB_DEPLOY_KEY_PATH to a readable deploy key file before cloning private repositories." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+mkdir -p ~/.ssh
+install -m 600 "$GITHUB_DEPLOY_KEY_PATH" ~/.ssh/github
+if [ -n "${GITHUB_DEPLOY_PUBLIC_KEY_PATH:-}" ]; then
+  install -m 644 "$GITHUB_DEPLOY_PUBLIC_KEY_PATH" ~/.ssh/github.pub
+fi
 ssh-add ~/.ssh/github
 ssh-keyscan github.com >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts
 apt install -y git
@@ -50,10 +56,14 @@ docker-compose -f docker-compose-prod.yml -p studenthub-prod-server up -d
 #rm -rf awscliv2.zip aws
 
 # Authenticate Docker to Amazon ECR
-#aws ecr get-login-password --region eu-west-2 | sudo docker login --username AWS --password-stdin 438663597141.dkr.ecr.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com
+#AWS_ECR_REGION="${AWS_ECR_REGION:-eu-west-2}"
+#AWS_ECR_REGISTRY="${AWS_ECR_ACCOUNT_ID}.dkr.ecr.${AWS_ECR_REGION}.amazonaws.com"
+#AWS_ECR_IMAGE="${AWS_ECR_IMAGE:-studenthub/backend-prod}"
+#AWS_ECR_TAG="${AWS_ECR_TAG:-latest}"
+#aws ecr get-login-password --region "$AWS_ECR_REGION" | sudo docker login --username AWS --password-stdin "$AWS_ECR_REGISTRY"
 
 # Pull the Docker image from ECR
-#sudo docker pull 438663597141.dkr.ecr.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/studenthub/backend-prod
+#sudo docker pull "$AWS_ECR_REGISTRY/$AWS_ECR_IMAGE:$AWS_ECR_TAG"
 
 # Run the Docker container
-#sudo docker run -d -p 80:80 --name studenthub-backend-prod 438663597141.dkr.ecr.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/studenthub/backend-prod
+#sudo docker run -d -p 80:80 --name studenthub-backend-prod "$AWS_ECR_REGISTRY/$AWS_ECR_IMAGE:$AWS_ECR_TAG"
diff --git a/aws-template.sh b/aws-template.sh
index 90c8d47d..d6b189c5 100644
--- a/aws-template.sh
+++ b/aws-template.sh
@@ -16,9 +16,15 @@ ps -auxc | grep ssh-agent
 eval $(ssh-agent)
 cd /var/www/html
 
-echo "github private key" > github
-chmod go-rw github
-echo "github public key" > github.pub
+if [ -z "${GITHUB_DEPLOY_KEY_PATH:-}" ]; then
+  echo "Set GITHUB_DEPLOY_KEY_PATH to a readable deploy key file before cloning private repositories." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+install -m 600 "$GITHUB_DEPLOY_KEY_PATH" github
+if [ -n "${GITHUB_DEPLOY_PUBLIC_KEY_PATH:-}" ]; then
+  install -m 644 "$GITHUB_DEPLOY_PUBLIC_KEY_PATH" github.pub
+fi
 ssh-add github
 ssh-keyscan github.com/ >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts
 apt install -y git
@@ -460,4 +466,4 @@ a2enmod headers
 systemctl restart apache2
 
 #install new cron file
-crontab /var/www/html/studenthub/cron/cronlist
\ No newline at end of file
+crontab /var/www/html/studenthub/cron/cronlist
diff --git a/docs/demo/studenthub-55-aws-template-hardening-demo.webm b/docs/demo/studenthub-55-aws-template-hardening-demo.webm
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f0980f00
Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/demo/studenthub-55-aws-template-hardening-demo.webm differ
diff --git a/docs/security/aws-deployment-template-hardening.md b/docs/security/aws-deployment-template-hardening.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..26839019
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/security/aws-deployment-template-hardening.md
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+# AWS Deployment Template Hardening
+
+The legacy `aws-template*.sh` helpers are public repository bootstrap scripts. They must not contain inline private-key placeholders or account-specific ECR registry URLs.
+
+## Required Inputs
+
+Set these values in the operator shell before running a template:
+
+```sh
+export GITHUB_DEPLOY_KEY_PATH=/secure/path/to/deploy-key
+export GITHUB_DEPLOY_PUBLIC_KEY_PATH=/secure/path/to/deploy-key.pub
+```
+
+For the optional ECR commands in `aws-template-docker.sh`, set the registry target explicitly:
+
+```sh
+export AWS_ECR_ACCOUNT_ID=123456789012
+export AWS_ECR_REGION=eu-west-2
+export AWS_ECR_IMAGE=studenthub/backend-prod
+export AWS_ECR_TAG=latest
+```
+
+`GITHUB_DEPLOY_KEY_PATH` is copied with mode `600` into the temporary deploy location used by the script. Do not paste private key material into the script or commit generated key files.
+
+## Local Regression Check
+
+Run:
+
+```sh
+python3 scripts/check-aws-template-hardening.py
+```
+
+The check fails if the deployment templates reintroduce inline GitHub key writes or account-specific ECR registry literals.
diff --git a/scripts/check-aws-template-hardening.py b/scripts/check-aws-template-hardening.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b7ab8858
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/check-aws-template-hardening.py
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Regression checks for legacy AWS deployment template hardening."""
+
+from pathlib import Path
+import re
+import sys
+
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+TEMPLATE_FILES = [
+    ROOT / "aws-template.sh",
+    ROOT / "aws-template-dev.sh",
+    ROOT / "aws-template-docker.sh",
+]
+
+FORBIDDEN_PATTERNS = {
+    r'echo\s+"github private key"\s*>': "inline private-key placeholder write",
+    r'echo\s+"github public key"\s*>': "inline public-key placeholder write",
+    r"\b\d{12}\.dkr\.ecr\.[a-z0-9-]+\.amazonaws\.com\b": "hard-coded ECR registry",
+}
+
+REQUIRED_PATTERNS = {
+    "GITHUB_DEPLOY_KEY_PATH": "deploy key path is required from the environment",
+    "install -m 600": "private deploy key is installed with restrictive permissions",
+}
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    failures = []
+
+    for template in TEMPLATE_FILES:
+        text = template.read_text()
+
+        for pattern, description in FORBIDDEN_PATTERNS.items():
+            if re.search(pattern, text):
+                failures.append(f"{template.name}: found {description}")
+
+        for pattern, description in REQUIRED_PATTERNS.items():
+            if pattern not in text:
+                failures.append(f"{template.name}: missing {description}")
+
+    docker_template = (ROOT / "aws-template-docker.sh").read_text()
+    for required in ("AWS_ECR_ACCOUNT_ID", "AWS_ECR_REGION", "AWS_ECR_REGISTRY", "AWS_ECR_IMAGE"):
+        if required not in docker_template:
+            failures.append(f"aws-template-docker.sh: missing {required} ECR variable")
+
+    if failures:
+        for failure in failures:
+            print(failure, file=sys.stderr)
+        return 1
+
+    print("AWS deployment templates use env-driven deploy keys and ECR registry references.")
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    raise SystemExit(main())