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Cloud Security 2 min read
Cloud Security: Protecting AWS, Azure, and GCP Environments
Comprehensive guide to securing your cloud infrastructure across major cloud providers.
S
Security Team
Cloud Security Specialist
November 5, 2024
As organizations migrate to the cloud, securing these environments becomes paramount. Each major cloud provider—AWS, Azure, and GCP—offers unique security features and challenges.
The Shared Responsibility Model
Understanding the shared responsibility model is crucial:
- Cloud Provider Responsibility: Physical security, infrastructure, hypervisor
- Customer Responsibility: Data, access management, application security, configurations
AWS Security Best Practices
Identity and Access Management (IAM)
- Enable MFA for all users, especially root account
- Follow the principle of least privilege
- Use IAM roles instead of long-term credentials
- Regularly rotate access keys
Network Security
- Use VPCs with proper subnet segmentation
- Implement Security Groups and NACLs
- Enable VPC Flow Logs
- Use AWS PrivateLink for service access
Data Protection
- Enable S3 bucket encryption
- Use AWS KMS for key management
- Enable versioning and MFA delete
- Block public access by default
Azure Security Best Practices
Azure Active Directory
- Enable Conditional Access policies
- Implement Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
- Use managed identities for Azure resources
- Enable Azure AD Identity Protection
Network Security
- Use Azure Firewall or NVAs
- Implement Network Security Groups
- Enable Azure DDoS Protection
- Use Private Endpoints for PaaS services
Monitoring
- Enable Azure Security Center
- Use Azure Sentinel for SIEM
- Configure Azure Monitor alerts
- Enable diagnostic logging
GCP Security Best Practices
Identity Management
- Use Cloud Identity for user management
- Implement Organization Policies
- Use service accounts with minimal permissions
- Enable 2-Step Verification
Network Security
- Use VPC Service Controls
- Implement firewall rules
- Enable Cloud Armor for DDoS protection
- Use Private Google Access
Data Security
- Enable Cloud KMS for encryption
- Use Cloud DLP for sensitive data
- Implement VPC Service Controls
- Enable Access Transparency logs
Common Cloud Security Mistakes
- Overly permissive IAM policies
- Publicly exposed storage buckets
- Unencrypted data at rest
- Missing logging and monitoring
- Hardcoded credentials in code
- Neglecting security group rules
Cloud Security Assessment
Regular security assessments should include:
- Configuration review against CIS benchmarks
- IAM policy analysis
- Network architecture review
- Data encryption verification
- Logging and monitoring validation
- Penetration testing
Conclusion
Cloud security requires continuous attention and expertise across multiple domains. At CyberSecify, we provide comprehensive cloud security assessments to help you identify misconfigurations and vulnerabilities in your cloud environments.
Tags: Cloud Security AWS Azure GCP Infrastructure