aws security penetration testing

Millions of businesses worldwide use Amazon Web Services (AWS) to build and deploy different types of applications. Being a leading cloud platform, AWS provides various cloud computing services including cloud storage, databases, and various data analytics and AI applications, along with multiple deployment and automation services. As a result, the security of AWS services is now a top priority and AWS penetration testing is leading the way. The most recent AWS breach occurred in May 2022 when a security company discovered over 6.5 terabytes of exposed data on servers belonging to Pegasus Airlines. According to an official report by Amazon, cybercrime damage costs are expected to reach $10.5 trillion in 2025. In this blog, we will learn about AWS penetration testing, why it is important for businesses, and its different aspects. Because AWS is a third-party data center, penetration testers need to follow specific instructions and comply with AWS restrictions. What is AWS Penetration Testing? AWS penetration testing is the process of simulating real-world cyberattacks on an AWS infrastructure to find vulnerabilities in its security measures. Penetration testers or pentesters use techniques that real hackers use to exploit security flaws present in the AWS platform. The result of AWS pretesting is a report that includes the vulnerabilities found during the process, their severity of impact, and steps to fix them. Penetration testing on AWS should be performed regularly to ensure your security measures are strong enough to protect the sensitive data and information stored in it. Why AWS Penetration Testing is Important for Businesses Cloud environments are quite complex, and several security issues can be difficult to detect using standard cloud security measures. Here are a few reasons why AWS penetration testing matters and why every business should perform it: Neglecting Client’s Share of Responsibility Model AWS uses a shared responsibility model where the cloud customers are responsible for securing their workloads and data. In most cases, organizations have poor security measures over their security responsibilities in the cloud. Hence, penetration testing is needed to find any weaknesses present and take necessary steps to prevent unauthorized access. Missing Authentication, Permissions, or Network Segmentation Many AWS resources do not have multi-factor authentication, proper network segmentation (using AWS security groups), or provide excessive permissions. Penetration testing helps to identify these security gaps in a large cloud deployment. In addition to that, it also helps to categorize and remediate these security gaps. Compliance Requirements Organizations that are under compliance standards like PCI DSS, HIPPA, SOC 2, etc. must ensure that their AWS resources meet these requirements. For this, it is mandatory to perform internal audits of cloud assets, including penetration testing. Looking for a top penetration testing provider for your AWS environment? Qualysec has the best testers who use the latest tools and techniques to find different ways that can hamper your business. Contact us now! Talk to our Cybersecurity Expert to discuss your specific needs and how we can help your business. Schedule a Call AWS Shared Responsibility Model AWS security testing follows a shared responsibility model. Amazon distinguishes between two types of security: Security of the Cloud (Amazon’s Responsibility) This refers to the security of the AWS cloud platform itself, including all AWS services and the cloud platform. Amazon is responsible for securing the cloud platform and regularly conducts tests with internal or external security engineers. Customers are not allowed to perform penetration testing on this aspect of cloud security. Security in the Cloud (Customer’s Responsibility) This refers to the security of resources or assets deployed by an organization on the AWS platform. These responsibilities lie with the company or resource owner, who must ensure that applications, assets, and systems are securely configured. Generally, organizations are allowed to conduct penetration testing to verify these aspects of a secure deployment. What is Allowed to Test in AWS? Amazon allows customers to perform penetration testing on AWS assets. However, there are certain terms and conditions on what you can and cannot test across the platforms.   Here’s what is allowed in AWS penetration testing: A Detailed Summary: You can conduct these security tests remotely on AWS assets, locally on virtualized assets, or between AWS assets. What is Not Allowed to Test in AWS? AWS allows you to conduct security assessments like penetration testing to check your security measures. However, AWS also ensures that these tests do not affect other AWS users or the quality of the AWS services.   Here’s what is NOT allowed in AWS penetration testing: Customers are responsible for verifying and validating that any security test performed by the customer or someone on their behalf follows these policies. Those who violate this policy will be held responsible for any damages to AWS or AWS customers caused by their security testing activities. Prerequisites for AWS Penetration Testing Define the following aspects before you conduct penetration testing on AWS assets: How to Perform AWS Penetration Testing Performing AWS penetration testing requires careful planning and execution. However, it is equally important to ensure thorough security assessments with minimal disruptions. Here are the basic steps of performing penetration testing on AWS: Step 1: Get Appropriate Authorization Before conducting any security testing, get written permission from the AWS account owner or organization. This may require you to contact AWS support (if you are seeking to test non-approved services) or follow your organization’s specific security policies. Step 2: Define Scope and Goals Define which systems, applications, and AWS services you need to test. Consider any compliance rules or confidential data that needs protection. In addition to that, learn more about how to prepare for a penetration test. Step 3: Set Up Testing Environment Make a separate testing environment in AWS, which is different from the production environment to prevent accidental disruptions. This may include setting up virtual machines, networks, and security groups exclusively for the pen test. Step 4: Understand the Attack Surface Gather as much information as you can about the AWS environment you are going to test. This involves identifying services, subnets, instances,