A typical penetration test and a pen-test performed on the cloud environment is almost the same. After moving your company’s critical data to the cloud, you need to ensure that it is secure. However, in hybrid cloud environments, where data is stored locally while other is in the cloud, security needs to be assessed, regardless of where it is stored. Penetration testing company aim at identifying weaknesses that could compromise security and lead to a data breach. On the other hand, when a company stores sensitive customer information like financial or health records, they are not only responsible for protecting their data but also need to ensure that all of the outsourcing spaces follow proper security protocol.
How is a Typical Pen-Test Performed?
Penetration testing starts with a phase where an ethical hacker spends time to gather the information that will help him to plan his simulated attack. Then his main focus revolves around gaining access to a system, for which he required a number of pen-testing tools. These tools include software designed to produce brute-force attacks or SQL injections. There is also certain hardware designed for pen testing like small boxes that a tester can plug into a computer on the network to provide remote access to it. Additionally, a pen-tester may also use social engineering techniques to identify vulnerabilities. For instance, they send phishing emails to employees to distinguishing themselves as delivery people in order to gain access to the building. The pen-tester closes the test by covering their tracks, which means removing any hardware and performing all the necessary steps to avoid detection and leave the system as they found it.
After a Pen Test
Once a pen test is complete, the ethical hacker shares his findings with the company’s security team. They can use this information to implement security upgrades to find any vulnerabilities found during the test. These include rate limiting, DDoS mitigation, etc.
Performing Pen-Testing on Cloud Environment
Understanding Policies of the Cloud Service Provider
Public clouds have different policies related to penetration testing. In most cases, it is essential to notify the provider that you have performed a test and it restricts what your own team can do during the pen test. If you have an app that runs on a public cloud and needs to pen test it, you need to do some research regarding the process of the cloud service provider. If you fail to follow the process, it is more likely that you will be in trouble. For instance, a pentest may resemble a DDoS attack, and can also result in shutting down your account. Cloud providers monitor their infrastructure regularly. They have automated procedures that shut down the system without a prior warning as it perceives a DDoS attack.
Creating a Proper Pen-Testing Plan
If you plan to do a cloud app pen test, you need to create a pen-testing plan first. The pen testing team should agree with the plan, and each area of the plan should be followed. Any exceptions are also a part of the results, such as an app admin seeing the pen test occurring and preventing access for the pen-testing team.
Selecting Pen Testing Tools
We know that there are a number of pen-testing tools available in the market and a penetration testing company has access to the best tools. While pen testing cloud apps with on-premises tools are one of the popular approaches, experts have also developed cloud-based pen testing tools that can be more cost-effective for a project. In addition, they require less hardware. It is a cloud pen-testing tool, that can simulate an actual attack.
Conclusion
Penetration testing is no longer just an option for organizations. In order to improve their security posture, they need to test their cloud-based apps and that the data is secure enough to allow the maximum amount of user access with fewer risks. So we can see how penetration testing company can help organizations in pen testing on the cloud without many troubles. Thanks to the cloud-based pen testing tools that can make the process less tiresome and ensure cost-effectiveness. This is how many businesses can keep their cloud-based apps safe from malicious attacks and ensure a sense of security. Improved customer data security may also promote business growth and help business owners achieve their security goals.