Cloud Network Penetration Testing
In the rapidly growing world of cloud computing, cloud network penetration testing has emerged as an important exercise. We offer a specialised pen testing service tailored for cloud environments, addressing unique vulnerabilities and threats.
Understanding Cloud Network Penetration Testing
Cloud network penetration testing is a specialised service, designed to address the unique complexities of cloud environments.
Cloud network penetration testing involves testing the security of both external and internally facing parts of cloud-based systems. It simulates cyber-attacks to identify vulnerabilities in cloud infrastructures, including aspects like data storage, applications, and services hosted in the cloud. The primary objectives are:
- Identifying cloud-specific vulnerabilities: Uncovering weaknesses unique to cloud environments, such as misconfigured storage containers or inadequate access controls.
- Assessing data security: Ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data stored in the cloud.
- Evaluating compliance and governance: Checking adherence to cloud-specific regulations and best practices.
Differences from Traditional Penetration Testing
Cloud penetration testing distinguishes itself from traditional network testing in several ways:
- Complexity of cloud environments: Cloud systems often have more intricate architectures, including hybrid and multi-cloud setups.
- Shared responsibility model: In cloud environments, security responsibilities are often shared between the cloud provider and the client, necessitating a tailored testing approach.
- Dynamic nature of cloud services: Cloud services are more dynamic and scalable, requiring a more flexible and continuously evolving testing strategy.
The Importance of Cloud Penetration Testing
As organisations increasingly migrate to cloud-based solutions, the need for rigorous cloud penetration testing becomes even more important to ensure the safety of their information.
Cloud environments, while offering scalability and flexibility, also introduce a unique set of security challenges. These include risks associated with multi-tenancy, the complexity of cloud service models, and the continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline. Additionally, cloud infrastructures are often targeted for their vast stores of data, making them attractive to cyber attackers.
Cloud penetration testing plays a critical role in identifying and mitigating cloud-specific vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. It ensures that:
- Cloud configurations are secure: Verifying that cloud services and storage are correctly configured to prevent unauthorised access.
- Compliance with regulations: Ensuring that cloud deployments comply with relevant data protection and privacy regulations.
- Resilience against evolving threats: Continuously testing and updating security measures to protect against evolving cyber threats in cloud environments.
Our Approach to Cloud Pen Testing
At Samurai Security, we understand the intricacies of cloud environments and tailor our pen testing services to meet these unique challenges. We employ a sophisticated methodology and in-house developed techniques to offer a comprehensive test that you can rely on.
Our Methodology
Our cloud penetration testing methodology is designed to provide a comprehensive and detailed analysis of your cloud infrastructure’s security. Our approach includes:
- Cloud-specific assessment: Initially, we conduct a thorough assessment of your cloud environment, understanding its architecture, the services used, and the data flow.
- Customised testing strategy: We develop a customised testing plan that specifically addresses the vulnerabilities and risks associated with your cloud model, whether it’s IaaS, PaaS, or SaaS.
- Realistic attack simulations: We conduct realistic cyber-attack simulations to identify potential breach points in your cloud setup.
- Utilisation of advanced tools: Employing the latest tools and techniques that are specifically designed for cloud penetration testing.
Techniques Used
In our cloud pen tests, we employ a range of targeted techniques, including:
- Misconfiguration checks: Identifying and rectifying misconfigurations in cloud storage and services, a common source of vulnerabilities.
- Identity and Access Management (IAM) evaluation: Ensuring that IAM policies are robust and effectively prevent unauthorized access.
- Web/API security testing: Assessing the security of Web Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), which are often crucial in cloud services.
Tailoring for Different Cloud Models
Recognising that each cloud service model has its unique security considerations, we tailor our penetration tests for:
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Focusing on network and virtual machine vulnerabilities.
- Platform as a Service (PaaS): Assessing the security of development platforms and associated databases.
- Software as a Service (SaaS): Evaluating application-level security and data protection measures.
Our refined approach ensures that your cloud infrastructure, irrespective of its model, is rigorously tested and secured against potential cyber threats.
Why Samurai Security?
Our team at Samurai Security is comprised of CREST-certified experts who specialise in cloud security. This expertise allows us to navigate complex cloud environments and understand the complexities of various cloud architectures so we can navigate them efficiently to uncover hidden vulnerabilities.
We pride ourselves on continuous research and development to stay ahead of emerging threats. Our professionals are not only continuously updated with the latest cloud security threats and trends, but help discover and publicise these vulnerabilities. This means your defences are always a step ahead.
Our Approach
01
Scoping
At Samurai Security, we believe that accurate scoping is the foundation of every successful penetration testing project. That’s why we start by gathering as much information as possible about the system in question. If additional information is needed, we will invite you to complete a scoping document or schedule a scoping call to discuss the requirements in more detail.
Our in-depth scoping document helps us accurately scope your penetration testing assessment. It gathers key information regarding the systems in scope of the assessment. If you prefer, we can fill out this document on a scoping meeting instead.
After completing the scoping document, we peer-review it to ensure accuracy and completeness. If additional information is required, we’ll request a scoping meeting.
In this scoping meeting, we’ll request a screenshare demonstration of the systems in scope, discuss any additional testing requirements and expected outcomes, giving both teams the opportunity to ask and answer questions on the scope and testing approach. Once the scoping has been completed, we conduct a final peer-review process and then share the finalised scope of testing with both parties in the form of a proposal.
02
Project Agreement
We will provide you with a formal proposal that will include the scope of works, methodology of testing, project timelines, client requirements and commercials.Â
In most cases, project timelines will have been agreed in the proposal. However, if timelines have not yet been agreed, Samurai will provide a number of available dates when testing can be conducted. The client will have an opportunity to agree with the proposed dates, or request different dates.
Based on the availability from both teams, we will then formally book in the project and share the final project timelines with all parties. Once the project timelines are agreed, best efforts must be made by both parties to ensure the timelines are adhered to.
Once the project timelines have been confirmed, both teams will work together to gather the technical requirements for penetration testing, these will be covered in the proposal and typically include:
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Availability of dedicated point of contact
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Written permission to conduct Penetration Testing
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Adding our IP address to allow lists on relevant systems
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Agree on the full technical scope of the assessment
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Ensure necessary backups have been made prior to testing
03
Conducting Penetration Testing
We approach penetration testing projects in line with the industry standards such as the OWASP testing methodology, and combine this with our own testing methodology which has been built up from years of experience conducting penetration tests.
We follow a high-level approach:
- Reconnaissance
- System Mapping
- Vulnerability discovery & potential exploitation
To ensure limited impact to operations and critical systems, we will communicate with the client before conducting any extensive scans or running a malicious exploit. We will not conduct any Denial of Service (DOS) attacks unless requested. All of the tools used by Samurai technical team are tested in the lab environment for accuracy and behaviour before they are used in client engagements.
Throughout the assessment, the client will need to be available in order to answer any technical questions and to enable access to the systems in scope. The technical consultants will contact the client immediately if any Critical or High level vulnerability is found.
At the end of each working day, a summary of the testing findings will be sent to the client. If required, meetings are offered to provide context around these findings on the day. Finally, a full email summary of all the findings from the penetration test is sent on the last day testing.
Outputs
01
Report
Our comprehensive report includes:
Scope of Assessment:
We provide a detailed list of the systems, applications, and network components that were tested during the engagement. This helps clients to understand the areas where potential security issues were identified.
Methodology of Penetration Testing:
We provide an overview of our high-level testing methodology and the specific tools and techniques used during the engagement. This helps clients to understand the approach we took and the testing techniques we employed.
Comprehensive risk findings:
This section presents a succinct and concise summary of the key findings, including those that require immediate action, persistent problems, and other general findings.
Findings and Vulnerabilities:
We provide a comprehensive list of all vulnerabilities discovered during the testing, including their severity rating and the likelihood of exploitation. This information helps clients to understand the potential impact of the vulnerabilities and the risks associated with them.
Remediation Actions:
We provide actionable recommendations for remediation of the discovered vulnerabilities, including prioritisation based on severity. This helps clients to understand the steps they need to take to address the identified security issues.
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Technical Meeting
After every engagement, we offer a focused meeting to discuss the assessment and its outcomes. This allows the business and risk owners to ask specific questions and ensure that all parties understand the context of the risks, as well as their likelihood and impact of successful exploitation. The potential mitigation steps will be discussed, allowing for the implementation of robust measures and an understanding of the effort required.
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Remediation Plan
A formal document outlining the agreed plan to remediate vulnerabilities, including deadlines and assigned responsibilities for tracking progress. This information presented in a GANTT view provides visibility to the management team and ensures that all necessary actions have been taken to safeguard the business.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is cloud network penetration testing?
Cloud network penetration testing is the process of testing the security of a cloud infrastructure to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access to data or disrupt the operation of the cloud services.
Why is cloud network penetration testing important?
Cloud network penetration testing is important because it helps to identify vulnerabilities in a cloud infrastructure that could be exploited by attackers. By identifying these vulnerabilities, businesses can take steps to improve their security posture and prevent potential security breaches.
What are some benefits of cloud network penetration testing?
Some benefits of cloud network penetration testing include identifying and addressing security vulnerabilities, improving security controls, meeting compliance requirements, and reducing the risk of a data breach.
How often should cloud network penetration testing be performed?
Cloud network penetration testing should be performed regularly, ideally at least once a year or whenever there are major changes to the cloud infrastructure. Regular testing helps to ensure that the cloud infrastructure remains secure and protected against potential attacks.
What does a cloud network penetration testing report include?
A cloud network penetration testing report typically includes a summary of the testing methodology, findings of the test, recommendations for addressing vulnerabilities, and a detailed breakdown of vulnerabilities and their severity levels. The report also includes a remediation plan outlining the steps needed to address identified vulnerabilities.
Who should perform cloud network penetration testing?
Cloud network penetration testing should be performed by experienced cybersecurity professionals who have the knowledge and skills needed to identify and address vulnerabilities in a cloud infrastructure. It is important to work with a reputable cybersecurity company that has experience with cloud network penetration testing.
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