Cloud Vulnerability Scanning can be defined as a process of identifying security risks in Cloud-based applications and infrastructure. Cloud Vulnerability Scanning is usually performed by specialized security tools that are designed to automatically identify common vulnerabilities, such as SQL injection flaws and cross-site scripting (XSS) issues.
Why do it?
The Cloud has become a popular target for attackers due to the fact that many organizations store sensitive data in the Cloud. It’s critical to scan Cloud-based applications and infrastructure for flaws on a regular basis in order to safeguard this information. Cloud Vulnerability Scanning can help organizations identify security risks before attackers have a chance to exploit them.
Approaches
There are three main approaches to Cloud Vulnerability Scanning: black-box testing and white-box testing. White-box testing is a form of examination in which the source code and internal structure of the application are not accessible to testers. White-box testing is an approach where testers have complete access to the source code and internal structure of the application. Gray-box testing is a type of assessment where testers have partial access to the source code or internal structure of the application.
Access Management
Improper ID and Access Management in the Cloud is the act of disregarding security when selecting cloud services. Poor access management can result in a variety of security problems, including data loss and theft, security breaches, and the loss of business-critical data and information.
Inadequate account access management is a lack of monitoring over changes to an account, including those made by system administrators.
For example, if a user is given access to a resource and then quits or gets terminated, that access should be revoked as soon as possible.
Storage Buckets
Many cloud storage buckets are filled with valuable information. If you’ve misconfigured your storage bucket, it might be possible to access the data via a simple search query. There are several cloud services to select from, each with its own set of terms and conditions.
One such phrase is that most suppliers allow you to create a public bucket. Anyone with an internet connection and a simple search query can discover your bucket. As a result, you or your company may have critical information exposed and available to anybody who is interested enough to look for it.
MFA
MFA is a necessary mechanism for every business-level cloud deployment these days to ensure that only authorized users have access to their cloud resources. MFA is an excellent technique to make sure that even if your cloud infrastructure is hacked, your most sensitive data stays safe.
Not all businesses, on the other hand, are employing multi-factor authentication in an appropriate manner. It’s crucial to note that MFA is not a one-size-fits-all answer. This may make the process of implementing MFA time-consuming and susceptible to security mistakes.
Challenges
- Lack of Information: The first challenge is the lack of information. In a Cloud environment, you are usually dealing with a lot of abstractions. This implies that you may not have all of the knowledge needed to grasp the system completely. For example, you might not know where the physical servers are located or how the network is configured.
- Resource Sharing: The second challenge is resource sharing. In a Cloud environment, multiple customers share the same physical resources (e.g., servers, storage, and networking). This might make it difficult to isolate your testing environment from other Cloud tenants.
- Policy restrictions: The third challenge is policy restrictions. Many Cloud providers have strict policies that restrict what types of tests can be performed on their systems. For example, some providers do not allow penetration testing or other types of security testing.