Cloud Security Configuration Review

Many cloud environments are not appropriately configured or use hardened images, and therefore allow unauthorised access. There is an assumption that cloud environments are secure by default; they are not. It is now common to see news stories of cloud environments being compromised by attackers exploiting misconfigurations and vulnerabilities in Containers,  WAF’s  and  Web  Services  run  on  platforms  such as Azure, AWS and GCP, ultimately allowing them to gain unauthorised access to sensitive information.

“Experts agree that by the year 2020, the average cost of a data security breach for a major business would be over $150 million.”

Juniper Research Ltd. 2019

Now more than ever, it is important to understand how misconfiguration, weaknesses in hardening of images and insufficient cloud security controls can impact your  organisation’s reputation and operational efficiency.

To address the aforementioned issues, Valkyrie (and Cyber Partners) offers a comprehensive Cloud Security Configuration Review that provides an overview of the current security posture of your cloud estate. Examples of assets in scope include AWS, Azure and GCP services and their contents, and Microsoft Office 365. This can however include any cloud assets, ultimately delivering a holistic overview of your current cloud security maturity, and the required remediation actions to reduce your organisation’s risk.

We deliver this across three domains:

1. Cloud threat modelling

2. Cloud Security Controls review

3. Cloud configuration review

Cloud Threat Modelling:  Valkyrie will  review  the  threat  landscape  in  the  cloud,  undertaking  a  high  level of threat modelling exercise to understand the specific attack vectors facing organisations utlising cloud services.

This will include:

1. Threat Actor Identification
2. Attack Vector Validation
3. Target (asset) Mapping
4. Attack Scenario Modelling (Apps, Servers, Data Assets)

Cloud Security Controls Review:  Using the information gathered during the high-level threat modelling exercise, Valkyrie GRC consultants will undertake a Cloud Security Controls Review. This exercise will address each asset’s current control set and policies to understand where potential technical and procedural issues exist. This will be scoped on a per asset basis, allowing us to address each environment and service with the appropriate tools andknowledge, ultimately allowing for an appropriate, comprehensive, and detailed remediation report.

The domains to be reviewed include (but are not limited to):

1. Cloud Security Architecture
2. Cloud Technical Security Controls
3. Hardening and Baselining
4. Data Security & Information Life Cycle Management
5. Access and Identity Management
6. Encryption and Key Management
7. Threat and Vulnerability Management
8. Security Incident Management, E-Discovery & Cloud Forensics
9. Application and Interface security
10. Governance and Compliance in the Cloud
11. Logging and monitoring

Cloud Configuration Review:  This technical review focuses on ensuring that the cloud account, alongside theresources hosted within the account are configured securely. This review is conducted by our team of expert ethical hackers who have vast experience in issues found within GCP, AWS and Azure.

The service will uncover and demonstrate misconfigurations such as:

1. Insecure user authentication
2. Improper user management
3. Lack of proper encryption
4. Insecure update configuration
5. Lack of sufficient traffic filtering
6. Insufficient monitoring of resources
7. Lack of proper key and secret rotation
8. Account configurations not in line with best practice standards observed on the internet

In summary, our Cloud Security Configuration Review provides organisations with a 360° approach to understanding how their cloud environments are exposed, where technical and procedural controls are insufficient, and clear technical validation of how attackers can exploit configuration issues and ultimately gain unauthorised access to informational assets. The recommendations from the Cloud Security Configuration Review provide a clear defined roadmap to improve overall maturity and security and provide peace of mind that your cloud assets pose limited risk to your organisation.

Get in touch today to discuss how Valkyrie can help you secure your cloud assets