A security assessment that simulates cyber attacks on an organization's cloud infrastructure and applications to uncover vulnerabilities before malicious actors exploit them, cloud penetration testing focuses on the customer's responsibilities within the shared responsibility model of cloud security, testing elements like misconfigured services, weak access controls, insecure data storage, and vulnerable API endpoints. This enables organizations to understand their specific cloud security posture and ensure the effectiveness of their security controls on platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP.
Keep reading to understand the variables unique to cloud penetration testing, their advantages, and how organizations can perform and leverage a cloud penetration test for a maximized and comprehensive cloud security stance.
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Traditional penetration testing is focused on on-premise infrastructure such as servers and networks. Cloud penetration testing, on the other hand, identifies and tests vulnerabilities in cloud-hosted environments. With the testing ground being so different, the methodology has to shift as well.
Cloud penetration testing won’t have as wide a scope as traditional approaches. There are limitations in place from the cloud providers, and as such, the control of the test is also be more limited. A traditional pen test falls under the complete control of the organization that runs the systems and hardware under assessment. Cloud pen tests operate under a Shared Responsibility Model in which control is split between the cloud provider and customer.
The core purpose of cloud penetration testing is to use a simulated cyber-attack to find and expose weak points in cloud-based systems, configurations, and applications so that those areas can be addressed and strengthened. This is also underpinned by a commitment to security validation and bringing cloud operations in line with compliance requirements.
The intention of these tests is to make cloud activity safer. Remediation and a path forward are as important to the process as the initial testing and exploitation.
Here’s a quick overview of the differences and similarities of these two types of security testing:
Cloud penetration testing improves the overall security position of an organization that uses the cloud. Here’s a closer look at why that is, and what the added benefits are:
As mentioned, cloud penetration testing usually takes place under the shared responsibility model. There are some components that the provider will always retain control over, and thus, cloud users won’t be able to test. Other aspects do fall within the scope of the customer, and in fact is often their responsibility to test. The service level agreement (SLA) will outline these parameters, as well as how frequently pen testing can occur.
The general rule of thumb is that the cloud customer can test the security in the cloud, but not the security of the cloud infrastructure itself. Making sure that both the provider and customer hold up their ends of the responsibility model is vital for keeping these platforms safe.
Cloud penetration testing methods are often distinguished by how much prior knowledge the ethical hacking team enters the test with. Here’s a breakdown:
There are usually five key areas that cloud penetration tests will cover:
Covering all these bases ensures the thoroughness of the test and better security by the end of the process.
Cloud penetration tests generally follow the same structure:
The testing experts will assess an organization’s cloud security needs, their risks, cloud SLAs, and what most needs attention in a pen test. This ensures that the test is shaped to suit the organization at hand.
The above information is combined with relevant methodologies to formulate a cloud penetration test that exploits potential vulnerabilities and assesses how well an organization’s systems hold up. Testers will monitor how quickly threats are identified, the efficacy of response plans, and the overall state of cloud security.
Testers will review the test and its outcomes, recommend updates to patch security issues, and then perform a follow-up assessment to ensure that remediation has done the intended job of securing the cloud system.
Here are the key methodologies that cloud penetration tests tend to use:
The most common threat cloud penetration tests can address and improve are:
Finding hidden threats and bolstering cloud security only happens if penetration tests are performed properly. Here’s how to make sure that happens:
Prescient Security is a renowned leader in multi-framework compliance auditing, security assessments, and penetration testing, eliminating compliance gaps and enabling a fortified security stance for organizations. Our Penetration Testing services rigorously challenge the security measures of an organization, uncovering hidden vulnerabilities and strengthening digital assets with comprehensive coverage.