Effortless Cloud Security: A Beginner’s Checklist for a Safer Cloud Environment

In the past few years, the world has embraced a new era of AI, introducing an array of security tools that leverage advanced technologies to automate deployments, conduct real-time scanning, agentless scanning and monitor user behavior for unusual activity. Despite these innovations, security incidents and attacks from malicious threat actors remain prevalent. Why is this the case? The answer lies in “misconfiguration.” When misconfigurations occur in the cloud, the consequences can be dire.

What Is Cloud Misconfiguration and How Does It Happen?

Cloud misconfiguration refers to any insecure settings or configurations within a cloud environment. For instance, creating an IAM user without enforcing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), allowing root or admin accounts to bypass MFA, or failing to configure a load balancer to mitigate high-traffic spam attacks or denial-of-service attacks are all examples of misconfigurations.

Misconfiguration often occurs for sever al reasons:

1. Overconfidence in Expertise: Many individuals assume they are cloud experts simply because they find it easy to use. While cloud platforms can be user-friendly, they still require a comprehensive understanding of security practices.
2. Misplaced Reliance on Application Security: It’s crucial to remember that merely identifying vulnerabilities in code will not resolve misconfigured cloud settings. Application security is just one piece of the puzzle.
3. Pressure for Speed and Manual Processes: The need to innovate quickly can lead to shortcuts in security protocols. Relying on manual processes can create deviations from automated security systems, resulting in potential gaps in protection.

What Does a Misconfiguration Lo ok Like?

Many cloud breaches occur when the basics of cloud security are neglected, often due to what can be described as “overconfidence in expertise.” Organizations sometimes over-engineer solutions and overlook the fact that many problems can be resolved with straightforward fixes.

Consider the scenario where a new cloud environment is created without implementing essential and basic security measures:

• Single Sign-On (SSO) Users: Users are still relying on usernames and passwords to log in to their cloud accounts.
• No Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): MFA is not enforced for user logins.
• Lack of Cloud Security Policy Restrictions: Most cloud providers offer options to enforce security policies, such as disabling external IP addresses on cloud resources, preventing the use of insecure protocols like IMDSv1, and restricting internet access to critical ports like SSH, RDP, and various database ports.
• Insecure Identity and Access Management (IAM): Users have overly permissive roles that grant excess access beyond what is necessary for their tasks.

In the above example, we highlight two critical pillars of cloud security: identity and access management, as well as cloud security policies. Strengthening these pillars can significantly reduce vulnerability to attacks in your cloud environment.

Imagine a scenario lacking all the above-mentioned measures. The consequences of such misconfigurations could include:

A non-SSO user accessing the system with just a username and password, coupled with no MFA, could create additional users, access keys, and resources. Without enforced cloud security policies, this user may be able to create a new network completely exposed to the internet, allowing public access through SSH or RDP. Let’s analyze the potential risks involved:

1. Non-SSO User with Username and Password and No MFA: This situation invites brute-force attacks on your cloud environment. A successful brute-force attack can grant attackers access to your cloud infrastructure, jeopardizing sensitive data and resources.
2. Over-Permissive Access: If a user has permissions to create other users and generate access keys, it opens the door to significant security risks. Programmatic keys should be managed carefully; they should have resource-specific access rather than wildcard permissions and always be stored securely in a secret manager or vault.
3. Absence of Cloud Security Policies: By allowing users to create networks that are entirely open to the internet, you make your environment vulnerable to various attacks and exploits associated with SSH and RDP. This lack of restriction exposes your cloud resources to all existing vulnerabilities.

Mitigati on: Cloud Security Fundamentals

Effective mitigation starts with the basics. While embracing new technologies to secure cloud environments is essential, the mitigation techniques discussed below focus on foundational principles that can help establish a secure cloud environment.

As we’ve seen, breach prevention begins at the most fundamental level. Let’s explore the two critical pillars and how they can fortify your cloud environment:

1. Root or Admin Users: In many cloud environments, the root or administrator user holds unparalleled access and should be treated as the most critical account. The credentials for this user must be securely stored in a vault or secrets manager, and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) should be implemented to enhance security for this account.
2. Secure Identity and Access Management: Although advanced access management strategies like Just-In-Time (JIT) access are now available, it’s vital to focus on foundational practices. A new cloud environment should never permit human IAM users to operate solely with usernames and passwords. Instead, all human users should utilize Single Sign-On (SSO) to enhance security.
3. Restrict Over-Permissive Permissions and Ensure Secure Access Key Management: Users should receive access strictly based on resource-specific needs, and wildcard permissions should be avoided for all human IAM and programmatic IAM users. DevOps or cloud administrators should oversee the generation of access keys for programmatic users, ensuring access is tightly controlled, and that keys are stored securely in a secrets manager, thus eliminating hardcoding practices. It’s also important to establish a process for regularly rotating keys and credentials, though that could be a topic for another discussion.
4. Enforcing Cloud Security Policies from Day One:

• Prohibit External Addresses: No external IP addresses should be allowed on cloud resources. Instead, create a secure, routable network accessible through a VPN.
• Control Firewall Management: Firewall rules should only be managed by designated cloud administrators. Policies must be enforced to prevent overly permissive internet access to security groups and firewall configurations.
• Disable Insecure Protocols: Protocols such as IMDSv1 should be disabled to reduce vulnerabilities.
• Prevent Accidental Exposure: Implement policies that block accidental exposure of storage objects and buckets.

In conclusion, establishing a secure cloud environment begins with a focus on fundamental principles like secure identity and access management, appropriate permissions, and strict policy enforcement. While these measures cannot guarantee complete security, they address basic issues and can prevent many attacks. By prioritizing these strategies, organizations can significantly reduce vulnerabilities and enhance their overall cloud security posture, laying the groundwork for a resilient, secure cloud infrastructure.

Ranjan Kathuria has over nine years of experience in the security industry, where he has played a key role in developing and mentoring security engineers for recent employers. Currently, he serves as a Cloud Security Architect at a data security company, where his focus is on safeguarding the cloud environment. Additionally, he is recognized as a top-tier security researcher for HubSpot and Quora’s Bug Bounty Programs on Bugcrowd, contributing to the enhancement of security measures on these platforms.