Cloud Security and Cloud Services Penetration Testing Service

What Is Cloud Security and Cloud Services Penetration Testing?

Cloud computing lets organisations run their applications, data and workloads on platforms that are more flexible, more scalable and highly available. Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and other providers now make up a substantial part of corporate infrastructure.

Cloud security assessment and cloud penetration testing is a comprehensive security assessment of the servers, virtual networks, identity management infrastructure, storage services, container platforms and cloud-based applications running in a cloud environment.

Testing covers more than internet-facing systems. IAM (Identity and Access Management) policy, virtual network (VPC/VNet) configuration, storage services, Kubernetes clusters, container infrastructure, serverless services, APIs, security groups and provider-specific security configuration are all analysed using genuine attacker techniques.

SecureSys cloud security tests are conducted in line with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), NIST SP 800-53, CIS Benchmarks, MITRE ATT&CK, OWASP Cloud Security, Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) and ISO/IEC 27017.

Why Should You Run a Cloud Security Test?

Misconfiguration and flawed access policy have made cloud environments a prime target. Storage left open, users granted more rights than they need, badly configured security groups or weak IAM policy all lead to data breaches and compromised systems.

Cloud security testing surfaces the following risks before an attacker finds them:

• IAM misconfiguration
• Unauthorised access
• Publicly exposed storage services
• Credential leakage
• Incorrect security group rules
• Kubernetes vulnerabilities
• Container escape risk
• API vulnerabilities
• Poor network segmentation
• Data leakage
• Abuse of cloud services
• Gaps in regulatory compliance

What Is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is the infrastructure model that delivers computing resources as a service over the internet. Organisations can consume processing power, storage, database, network and security services without investing in physical hardware.

The principal service models:

IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)

• Virtual machines
• Storage services
• Virtual networks
• Firewalls
• Load balancers

PaaS (Platform as a Service)

• Web application platforms
• Database services
• API platforms
• Application services

SaaS (Software as a Service)

• Microsoft 365
• Google Workspace
• Salesforce
• ServiceNow
• Dynamics 365

Amazon Web Services (AWS) Security Testing

AWS is one of the most widely used cloud platforms in the world. Misconfiguration, over-privileged IAM users, publicly readable S3 buckets and incorrect network security rules have all caused serious breaches.

SecureSys AWS security testing analyses not only internet-facing systems but the security architecture of the AWS account itself.

AWS services tested

• Amazon EC2
• Amazon S3
• Amazon RDS
• Amazon EKS
• Amazon ECS
• AWS Lambda
• Amazon API Gateway
• Amazon CloudFront
• Amazon Route 53
• AWS IAM
• AWS Organizations
• AWS Secrets Manager
• AWS Systems Manager
• Amazon VPC
• AWS WAF
• AWS Shield

Microsoft Azure Security Testing

Azure is one of the most widely adopted platforms for enterprise applications and hybrid cloud architectures.

Misconfigured access policy, exposed storage accounts, errors in Azure Active Directory (Microsoft Entra ID) configuration and weak RBAC policy all create critical risk.

Azure Services Tested

• Azure Virtual Machine
• Azure Storage
• Azure SQL
• Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
• Azure Functions
• Azure App Service
• Azure Key Vault
• Microsoft Entra ID
• Azure Virtual Network
• Azure Firewall
• Azure Front Door
• Azure Security Center
• Azure Defender
• Azure API Management

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Security Testing

GCP is widely used in modern applications for its scalable infrastructure and container technology.

SecureSys GCP security testing covers services including:

• Google Compute Engine
• Google Cloud Storage
• Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)
• Cloud Functions
• Cloud Run
• Cloud SQL
• Identity and Access Management (IAM)
• VPC
• Cloud Armor
• Secret Manager

IAM (Identity and Access Management) Security

Identity and access management is the foundation of cloud security.

Misconfigured IAM policy lets an attacker reach administrative rights or sensitive data.

SecureSys performs the following checks.

• Least privilege analysis
• IAM policy review
• IAM role analysis
• Cross-account access
• Service account analysis
• MFA controls
• Root account security
• Temporary credential analysis
• Access key management

Cloud IAM Privilege Escalation

Exploiting IAM misconfiguration to escalate privilege is among the most common attacker techniques in a cloud environment.

SecureSys testing evaluates the following scenarios.

• IAM policy abuse
• AssumeRole abuse
• PassRole permissions
• Service account permissions
• Azure RBAC escalation
• GCP IAM escalation
• Cross-account trust
• Conditional policy bypass

S3 Bucket and Blob Storage Security

Cloud storage is one of the most frequent sources of data leakage.

Misconfigured storage can become publicly readable, exposing sensitive data to anyone.

Services analysed:

AWS

• S3 buckets
• Bucket policy
• Bucket ACL
• Public access
• Encryption

Azure

• Blob storage
• Storage accounts
• SAS tokens
• Storage firewall

GCP

• Cloud Storage buckets
• IAM bucket policy
• Public object access

Kubernetes (K8s) Security Testing

Kubernetes is the most widely used orchestration platform for container-based applications.

A misconfigured cluster can lead to compromise of the entire application infrastructure.

SecureSys testing analyses:

• Kubernetes API server
• RBAC
• Pod security
• Admission controllers
• Namespace security
• Network policy
• Secret management
• etcd security
• Node security
• Kubelet security

Docker and Container Security

Container technology speeds up deployment, but misconfiguration introduces serious risk.

The principal controls tested:

• Docker daemon
• Docker socket
• Container escape
• Image security
• Registry security
• Runtime security
• Container privileges
• Root container analysis
• Image vulnerability assessment

Serverless Security

Applications running on serverless architectures carry risks different from traditional server security.

SecureSys assesses the following services.

• AWS Lambda
• Azure Functions
• Google Cloud Functions
• Cloud Run

Areas analysed:

• IAM permissions
• Environment variables
• Secret management
• API security
• Event trigger analysis
• Logging
• Runtime security

Cloud Network Security

When the cloud network architecture is misconfigured, moving between systems becomes far easier for an attacker.

The principal components analysed:

• AWS VPC
• Azure VNet
• GCP VPC
• Route tables
• Network ACLs
• Private subnets
• Public subnets
• VPN gateways
• Transit gateways
• Peering

Security group and firewall analysis

Security group and firewall rules are among the most critical configurations in cloud security.

SecureSys testing checks:

• Security groups
• NSG (Azure)
• Firewall rules
• Network ACLs
• Inbound rules
• Outbound rules
• Any/any policy
• Public exposure

Cloud Configuration Review (CIS Benchmarks)

A cloud security assessment examines configuration standards as well as technical attacks.

SecureSys performs checks against:

• CIS AWS Benchmark
• CIS Azure Benchmark
• CIS GCP Benchmark
• CIS Kubernetes Benchmark
• CIS Docker Benchmark

Kubernetes RBAC and Secrets Security

When Role-Based Access Control is misconfigured in a Kubernetes cluster, users or service accounts end up with more privilege than they need.

Areas tested:

• Cluster admin
• Role bindings
• Cluster roles
• Service accounts
• Secret management
• ConfigMaps
• Kubernetes secrets
• Token security

DevSecOps and CI/CD Pipeline Security

Integrating security into the software development lifecycle is critical in modern engineering.

SecureSys can assess the following platforms.

• GitHub Actions
• GitLab CI/CD
• Azure DevOps
• Jenkins
• ArgoCD
• Terraform
• Ansible

Areas analysed:

• Secret management
• Pipeline security
• Code signing
• Artifact security
• Authorisation
• Supply chain security

Cloud Logging and Monitoring

Correctly configured logging and monitoring is essential to detecting security events early in a cloud environment.

Services assessed:

• AWS CloudTrail
• Amazon CloudWatch
• Azure Monitor
• Microsoft Sentinel
• GCP Cloud Logging
• Security Hub
• Defender for Cloud

MITRE ATT&CK for Cloud

SecureSys cloud security tests are carried out with reference to the MITRE ATT&CK framework.

The principal techniques assessed:

• Initial access
• Credential access
• Privilege escalation
• Discovery
• Lateral movement
• Collection
• Exfiltration
• Defence evasion
• Persistence
• Impact

This means we analyse not only configuration errors but the complete attack chains an adversary could use in a cloud environment.

How the Cloud Security Testing Process Works

SecureSys cloud security tests are performed in line with the security policies of the cloud provider, without affecting operational continuity, and using controlled test scenarios. The engagement is planned to assess the security posture of the cloud infrastructure, identify misconfiguration, and verify risk using genuine attacker techniques.

1. Scoping and Planning

The first stage establishes the scope of the cloud environment. Which subscriptions, accounts, regions, virtual networks, applications and services will be assessed is planned together with the client.

This stage defines:

• Cloud accounts (AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Subscription and organisation structures
• Services to be tested
• Application and API inventory
• Critical systems
• Authorised users
• Test schedule
• Authorisation process

2. Building the Cloud Inventory

Every resource in the cloud environment is analysed to build the inventory the assessment rests on.

The principal components examined:

• Virtual machines
• Container platforms
• Kubernetes clusters
• Storage services
• Databases
• API gateways
• Serverless services
• Virtual networks
• Security groups
• Load balancers
• DNS services

3. IAM and Identity Management Analysis

Identity and access management is among the most critical components of cloud security. Users, roles, service accounts and access policies are analysed in detail.

The principal controls assessed:

• IAM users
• IAM roles
• RBAC policy
• MFA configuration
• Service accounts
• API keys
• Access key management
• Least privilege
• Privilege escalation risk

4. Review of Network and Security Configuration

The cloud network architecture and security configuration are assessed to identify internet-facing services, misconfigured security groups and weak segmentation.

The principal areas examined:

• VPC / VNet design
• Security group rules
• Network ACLs
• Firewall policy
• Public and private subnet design
• VPN and hybrid cloud connections
• Load balancer configuration
• DNS and routing

5. Security Assessment of Storage Services

Analysis of cloud storage services checks data access policy and misconfiguration.

Services tested:

• Amazon S3
• Azure Blob Storage
• Google Cloud Storage
• File storage
• Snapshots and backups
• Encryption
• Public access controls
• Bucket and container policy

6. Kubernetes and Container Security Analysis

Container-based applications and Kubernetes clusters are assessed thoroughly.

Areas analysed:

• Kubernetes RBAC
• Pod security
• Network policies
• Container image security
• Secret management
• Service account permissions
• Admission controllers
• Runtime security
• Container escape risk

7. Testing API and Serverless Services

API services and serverless architectures running in the cloud are tested with real attack scenarios.

The principal areas assessed:

• REST API security
• API gateway configuration
• OAuth and JWT controls
• AWS Lambda
• Azure Functions
• Google Cloud Functions
• Event trigger design
• Secret and environment variable security

8. Review Against CIS Benchmarks

The cloud infrastructure is assessed for conformity with international security standards.

The principal reference standards:

• CIS AWS Foundations Benchmark
• CIS Microsoft Azure Benchmark
• CIS Google Cloud Benchmark
• CIS Kubernetes Benchmark
• CIS Docker Benchmark

Misconfigurations and security gaps are reported in detail.

9. Simulating Attack Scenarios with MITRE ATT&CK Techniques

Controlled attack scenarios based on real adversary behaviour are executed, and the effectiveness of the security controls is verified.

Techniques assessed:

• Initial access
• Privilege escalation
• Credential access
• Discovery
• Lateral movement
• Persistence
• Defence evasion
• Collection
• Exfiltration
• Impact

10. Risk Assessment

All findings are evaluated for their technical and operational impact.

Each finding is classified by:

• Risk level
• Impact analysis
• Likelihood
• Effect on business continuity
• Data security risk
• Priority

11. Technical and Executive Reporting

Comprehensive reports are prepared for both the technical team and senior management.

Executive Report

• Overall security posture
• Critical risks
• Business impact analysis
• Priority areas for improvement
• Executive summary

Technical Report

• Vulnerabilities identified
• Affected cloud services
• Proof of concept evidence
• Risk assessment
• CVSS scores
• Remediation recommendations
• Secure configuration guidance

12. Remediation and Retest

Once the reported findings have been addressed, verification testing is carried out on request.

The retest:

• Verifies the improvements made.
• Re-tests the effectiveness of the security controls.
• Confirms the vulnerabilities have been closed.
• Reports the current security posture.

Why SecureSys?

Cloud security is not a matter of testing internet-facing virtual machines. A genuine assessment requires identity and access management (IAM), network architecture, storage services, container platforms, Kubernetes clusters, DevSecOps processes and provider-specific security configuration to be analysed together.

At SecureSys we carry out comprehensive security assessments across multi-cloud and hybrid environments, principally AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform. Our testing follows international standards including MITRE ATT&CK, CIS Benchmarks, the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), NIST and ISO/IEC 27017, and sets out not only the vulnerabilities that exist but the attack paths they open up.

The SecureSys Difference

• Expert penetration testing under TSE TS 13638
• Security assessments across AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform
• IAM, RBAC and privilege escalation analysis
• Kubernetes, Docker and container security expertise
• Cloud configuration review and CIS Benchmark assessment
• DevSecOps and CI/CD pipeline security testing
• Attack scenarios referenced against MITRE ATT&CK
• Comprehensive reporting at both technical and executive level
• Risk prioritisation, actionable remediation guidance and retest support

Request a proposal today.