Cloud Penetration vs Conventional Penetration Testing
Traditional methods for penetration testing don’t work in the cloud and focus only on processes that work in on-premise environments. Cloud penetration testing also requires special skills and knowledge that aren’t needed for regular penetration testing. For example, cloud penetration testing would look at the security of cloud-specific configurations, cloud system passwords, cloud applications and encryption, APIs, databases and storage access. The Shared Responsibility Model also affects cloud penetration testing; this model shows who is responsible for which parts of the cloud infrastructure, platform and software.
Purposes of Cloud Penetration Testing
Cloud penetration testing is meant to identify what a cloud system’s strengths and weaknesses are, in order to be made more secure overall. Testing for holes in the cloud helps to:
- Determine risks, vulnerabilities and gaps
- Identify the impact of exploitable vulnerabilities
- Figure out how to use any access you get through exploitation
- Give clear, actionable information about how to fix things
- Give the best way to stay in the public eye
Benefits of Cloud Penetration Testing
Cloud penetration testing helps companies improve their cloud security as a whole, avoid security breaches and meet regulations. Also, organizations will better understand their cloud assets – such as how hard it is to break into the current cloud security (and whether there are any holes).
Types and Methods
During cloud penetration testing, problems with attacks, breaches, operation and recovery will be looked at. There are several types of cloud penetration testing such as:
- Black Box Penetration Testing – An attack simulation where the cloud penetration testers don’t know anything about your cloud systems, nor have access to them.
- Grey Box Penetration Testing – Cloud penetration testers know only a small amount about users and systems and may be able to do only a small amount of administration.
- White Box Penetration Testing – Cloud penetration testers are given access to cloud systems at the admin or root level.
Cloud penetration testing may include a Cloud Configuration Review.
Cloud Penetration Testing Scope
When security experts do cloud penetration testing, they usually look at three areas: the cloud perimeter; internal cloud environments; and the management, administration and development infrastructure for the cloud that’s located on-premise.
Testing for holes in the cloud is often done in three steps: evaluation, exploitation and remediation.
- Evaluation – Experts in cloud penetration testing discover cloud security needs, existing cloud service level agreements (SLAs), risks and possible vulnerabilities.
- Exploitation – During the second stage, testing experts combine the information from the first stage with any relevant penetration testing methods which focus on exploitable vulnerabilities. This focus will look at how well your cloud environment can handle attacks, how broad your security monitoring is, and how well your detection tools work.
- Remediation Verification – Cloud penetration testers do a follow-up assessment to ensure the remediation and mitigation steps from the exploitation phase have been done correctly. This also lets the testers ensure that the customer’s security is in line with best practices in the industry.
The Most Common Cloud Security Risks
Cloud penetration testing can help stop the most common security threats to the cloud, which are:
- Shared Services/Technology Concerns
- Misconfigurations
- Inappropriate Use or Abuse of Cloud Services
- Data Breaches
- Insecure Interfaces and APIs
- Malware/Ransomware
- Weak Access Management
- Vulnerabilities
- Weak Identities and Credentials
- Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)
- Insider Threats
- Supply Chain Compromises
For more information on cloud penetration testing, visit cyberhunter.solutions or call us at (833) 292-4868 today.