Cloud Penetration Testing
Securing Your Cloud Infrastructure with White Knight Labs
As organizations increasingly migrate to the cloud, the need for robust security measures grows ever more critical. While cloud service providers (CSPs) like AWS, Azure, and GCP offer built-in security features, the flexibility and complexity of cloud environments introduce unique vulnerabilities that can leave your systems exposed. White Knight Labs specializes in identifying and mitigating these risks through comprehensive cloud penetration testing services.
Our cloud penetration testing is tailored to the specific nuances of each CSP, ensuring that your cloud environment—whether it’s a public, private, or hybrid cloud—is thoroughly assessed for potential threats. We test not only for common vulnerabilities but also for configuration and implementation flaws that may be overlooked in standard security reviews. Whether you’re utilizing AWS, Azure, GCP, or a custom cloud platform, White Knight Labs has the expertise to secure your cloud infrastructure.
Why Choose White Knight Labs for Cloud Penetration Testing?
CSP-Specific Expertise
We specialize in penetration testing across major cloud platforms, including AWS, Azure, GCP, and custom cloud solutions. Our services are designed to address the unique security challenges of each environment.
Comprehensive Cloud Security Offerings
In addition to penetration testing, we offer cloud security reviews, cloud infrastructure testing, CIS benchmark reviews, and other cloud-specific assessments. For Azure environments, we also provide Office 365 security reviews, ensuring that your entire Microsoft ecosystem is secure.
Cloud Penetration Testing Services
Identify Cloud Security Risks
Penetration testing in the cloud is inherently different from traditional infrastructure testing. Each cloud service provider (CSP) brings its own set of security considerations. While CSPs implement their own security measures, the flexibility they offer can lead to configuration errors and other vulnerabilities. White Knight Labs’ cloud penetration testing services are designed to uncover these hidden risks, providing you with a clear understanding of your cloud environment’s security posture.
Traditional Infrastructure vs. Cloud Penetration Testing
On-premises infrastructure and cloud environments differ significantly, particularly in areas such as configuration management and identity and access management (IAM). The cloud architecture is built on powerful APIs and deeply integrated services, which require a specialized approach to security testing. White Knight Labs’ security engineers are skilled in testing a range of cloud-specific vulnerabilities, including:
- Lack of multi-factor authentication
- Excessive permissions and overprivileged accounts
- Manipulation of customer data in Azure Cosmos databases
- EC2 instance and application exploitation
- Compromising AWS IAM keys
- Testing S3 bucket configurations and permissions
- Establishing private cloud access through Lambda backdoor functions
- Obfuscating CloudTrail logs to cover attack traces
Benefits of Cloud Penetration Testing
Performing cloud penetration testing offers numerous benefits, including:
Increased Technical Assurance
Gain confidence in the security of your cloud environment by identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
Better Understanding of Your Attack Surface
Understand what services and systems are exposed to the public and how effectively they are secured.
Detailed Reporting and Recommendations
Receive a comprehensive report detailing any security misconfigurations along with actionable recommendations for improving your cloud security posture.
CSP-Specific Penetration Testing
When conducting a cloud assessment, White Knight Labs operates with a whitebox, audit-style approach. Clients provide secured access to their cloud management console, allowing our assessment team to view specific implementation details that would be inaccessible to attackers. This method ensures a thorough and effective evaluation of your cloud infrastructure.
The more access White Knight Labs is granted, the more effective the penetration test will be, allowing us to uncover deeper, more complex vulnerabilities.
Additional Cloud Security Services
In addition to cloud penetration testing, White Knight Labs offers a range of cloud security services, including:
Cloud Security Reviews
Comprehensive assessments of your cloud environment to identify security gaps and recommend improvements.
Cloud Infrastructure Testing
In-depth testing of your cloud infrastructure to ensure robust security controls are in place.
CIS Benchmark Reviews
Evaluation of your cloud environment against industry-standard CIS benchmarks to ensure compliance and best practices.
Office 365 Security Reviews (for Azure Clients)
Specialized assessments that focus on securing your Office 365 environment as part of your broader Azure security strategy.
Insider Threat Assessments
We conduct targeted assessments to simulate insider threats, where we attempt to escalate privileges from a low-level user in Azure to gain Global Administrator access. Similar engagements are available for AWS and GCP, where we test the ability to elevate privileges within your cloud environment and secure against internal threats.
Cloud Security Assessment Methodology
At White Knight Labs, our cloud security assessment methodology is designed to provide a comprehensive evaluation of your cloud environment, ensuring robust security controls, compliance with industry standards, and the identification of potential risks. Our approach is tailored to address various cloud security needs, including cloud security reviews, cloud infrastructure testing, CIS benchmark evaluations, and specialized Office 365 security assessments for Azure clients.
Scope Definition and Planning
We begin by collaborating with your team to define the scope of the assessment, focusing on the specific cloud services, infrastructure, and security areas that require evaluation. This includes determining the relevant cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP, etc.) and any specific compliance requirements, such as CIS benchmarks.
Information Gathering and Configuration Review
Our team conducts a detailed review of your cloud environment, gathering information on architecture, configurations, access controls, and security policies. This step is crucial for understanding the current state of your cloud environment and identifying potential vulnerabilities or misconfigurations.
Security Gap and Risk Assessment
We perform a thorough analysis to identify security gaps, vulnerabilities, and risks within your cloud environment. This includes evaluating your infrastructure against industry best practices, such as CIS benchmarks, and assessing the security of your Office 365 environment (for Azure clients). We also consider factors like network segmentation, data protection, and access control policies.
Vulnerability Testing and Exploitation
Where applicable, we conduct in-depth testing of your cloud infrastructure to identify and exploit potential vulnerabilities. This step is critical for understanding the real-world impact of identified security gaps and for validating the effectiveness of your existing security controls.
Reporting and Remediation Recommendations
We compile a comprehensive report that details our findings, including identified vulnerabilities, compliance gaps, and areas for improvement. The report also provides actionable recommendations to help you address these issues, enhance your security posture, and ensure compliance with industry standards.
Post-Assessment Support
After the assessment, White Knight Labs offers ongoing support to help you implement recommended security improvements and maintain a robust security posture. This includes re-testing and verifying that remediation efforts have effectively addressed identified vulnerabilities.
Cloud Security Testing FAQ
Yes, as long as you own those cloud resources. Cloud services fall into two categories:
User-Operated Services: These are cloud offerings primarily created and configured by the users themselves, such as EC2 instances. These can be thoroughly tested, with few restrictions, except for denial of service (DoS) and related disruptions to business continuity.
Vendor-Operated Services: These are cloud offerings owned and operated by the vendor, such as Gmail, Dropbox, Salesforce, or AWS services like CloudFront. Testing focuses on the implementation and configuration, rather than the infrastructure itself, which is owned by the provider.
Misconfigurations, permissions issues, and implementation flaws can make individual instances vulnerable to compromise. However, penetration testing on these platforms doesn’t involve attacking the cloud provider infrastructure itself.
No, the main CSPs no longer require prior approval for a pentest.
For detailed penetration testing policies for each CSP, see below:
White Knight Labs can test a wide range of cloud environments, including public, private, and hybrid clouds. We specialize in major cloud service providers such as AWS, Azure, GCP, and custom cloud platforms. Our testing can cover Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS) environments.
In a whitebox cloud penetration test, our team has full access to your cloud environment’s architecture and configuration details. This allows for a thorough and comprehensive assessment.
In a blackbox test, we simulate an external attacker with limited information, focusing on identifying vulnerabilities that could be exploited by someone without insider knowledge.
It is recommended to perform cloud penetration testing at least annually, or whenever there are significant changes to your cloud environment, such as new deployments, major updates, or changes in your security policies. Regular testing ensures that any new vulnerabilities are identified and mitigated promptly.
White Knight Labs strictly adheres to the penetration testing guidelines and rules of engagement set by each cloud service provider. Before beginning any test, we review the CSP’s policies to ensure our testing methods are compliant, thereby preventing any disruptions to your cloud services.
Yes, after the completion of a cloud penetration test, White Knight Labs provides detailed remediation recommendations. We can also assist with implementing these recommendations to help you strengthen your cloud security posture.
You will receive a comprehensive report that includes an executive summary, detailed technical findings, risk ratings, and actionable remediation recommendations. The report also comes with evidence of findings such as screenshots and, if requested, a CSV file for easy tracking and integration into your issue management systems.
Without regular cloud penetration testing, your organization may remain unaware of critical vulnerabilities within your cloud environment. These unaddressed vulnerabilities could lead to data breaches, unauthorized access, and other security incidents that may compromise sensitive data and disrupt business operations.
Call to Action
Download Sample Cloud Penetration Test Report
Explore a sample report to understand the depth and quality of our cloud-based penetration testing assessments.
Download Service Brief
Learn more about our cloud security services, including cloud infrastructure testing, CIS benchmark reviews, and cloud configuration assessments.
Contact Us
Schedule a consultation to discuss how our cloud security services can help you secure your cloud environment and improve your overall security posture.
Sleep Better at Night
RISK REDUCTION
At White Knight Labs, our risk reduction strategy melds unparalleled technical acumen with a client-focused approach to deliver targeted, cost-effective, and accessible solutions that fortify your organization against the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape.
BUSINESS INTEGRITY
We leverage our cybersecurity expertise to safeguard your business integrity, ensuring you operate securely, move forward confidently, and build trust in an interconnected digital world.
DATA PROTECTION
At White Knight Labs, we deploy cutting-edge cybersecurity measures and personalized strategies to offer unwavering data protection, reinforcing our commitment to preserving your company’s invaluable digital assets.
Let’s Chat
Strengthen your digital stronghold.
Reach out to us today and discover the potential of bespoke cybersecurity solutions designed to reduce your business risk.
