Cloud Penetration Testing: A Comprehensive Guide | CyberHunter

What Is Cloud Penetration Testing?

Cloud penetration testing (also known as cloud pentesting, cloud computing penetration testing, or a cloud pentest) is an evaluation performed to measure the amount of resistance the security on these systems provides against prospective adversaries (and to uncover exploitable weaknesses). In a cloud penetration test, security experts mimic an authorized cyberattack on the cloud assets of a client.

The security of internal cloud networks, virtual machines hosted in the cloud, external cloud services, and cloud settings can be evaluated during cloud penetration testing. Additionally, it may check user permissions, access restrictions and hosted services. On a system hosted by a cloud provider such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Microsoft Azure, cloud penetration testing is often utilized.

Why Is Cloud Penetration Testing Performed?

The primary objective is to identify security flaws in your cloud service before hackers do. Several manual and automated tools can be utilized, depending on the type of cloud service and the cloud service provider. As you do not control the cloud infrastructure/platform/software as an entity, but rather as a service, executing cloud penetration testing presents several legal and technological issues.

Most Common Cloud Vulnerabilities

Several vulnerabilities can lead to cloud account compromise. Mentioning all of them is beyond the scope of this article; thus, only the most notable are discussed below:

1. Insecure APIs

In cloud services, APIs are commonly used to transfer information across apps. However, unsecured APIs can result in a massive data leak. Using HTTP methods such as PUT, POST, and DELETE inappropriately in APIs may sometimes enable hackers to install malware on your server (or delete data). Inadequate access control and a lack of input sanitization are also the leading reasons for hacked APIs which can be discovered through cloud penetration testing.

2. Server Misconfigurations

Today, cloud service misconfigurations represent the most prevalent cloud vulnerability (misconfigured S3 Buckets, in particular ). The most infamous example was the Capital One data breach, which compromised the information of about 100 million Americans and 6 million Canadians. Incorrect permissions, failure to encrypt data, and failure to differentiate between private and public data are the most frequent cloud server misconfigurations.

3. Weak Qualifications

Using weak or common passwords can render cloud accounts susceptible to brute force assaults; the attacker may use automated guessing techniques to access your account using these credentials. The outcomes can be catastrophic, leading to an account takeover. Because individuals often repeat passwords and use passwords which are simple to remember, these assaults are very popular. Nonetheless, this can be confirmed by cloud penetration testing.

4. Outdated Software

Outdated software exposes serious security flaws which might endanger cloud services. Most software manufacturers do not implement a simplified updating mechanism or consumers prevent automatic updates – this renders cloud services obsolete, which cybercriminals may detect using automated scanners. As a consequence, several cloud services using obsolete software are affected.

5. Insecure Coding Techniques

Most firms attempt to construct their cloud infrastructure as economically as possible. Due to poor development methods, such software often has SQLi, XSS and CSRF problems. The 10 most prevalent are classified as “OWASP's top 10 vulnerabilities”. These vulnerabilities are the underlying cause of most hacked cloud web services.

Next Steps

Before beginning the cloud penetration testing process, it is vital to understand the breadth of your cloud services and assets; the shared responsibility model; and how to approach cloud penetration testing in light of your organization's risks and responsibilities. Consider dealing with a cloud security firm which specializes in cloud penetration testing. This is because cloud penetration testing requires an expert degree of knowledge and experience. Schedule a consultation with one of CyberHunter's security specialists to establish your cloud penetration testing requirements now.

For more information on penetration testing, visit cyberhunter.solutions online or call us at (833) CYBHUNT today.