If you wish to allow BLAST searches via a web browser, then you will need to enable HTTP access when you configure your instance and provide authentication (please see Running Web BLAST and Common URL API). By default, the AMI enables these, so please read on.

In allowing HTTP access, it is very important that you configure your security group/network firewall properly. If this is not restricted appropriately, anyone with knowledge of your public DNS may perform remote searches on your instance, see all the BLAST results for remote searches or delete the results. If possible, you should configure the security group/network firewall of your instance to allow HTTP access only from a specific set of IP’s (e.g. your lab’s network). You should also only share the public DNS of your instance with people who have your permission to use it.

As a security precaution, the BLAST AMI by default blocks all ports but 22 (for ssh) and 80 (for HTTP access).