Azure penetration testing methodology

Azure penetration testing is the process of securing data and applications in Microsoft’s Azure environment from various cyber threats. With nearly 1 billion people using Microsoft Azure, it is one of the most versatile public cloud computing solutions. Organizations use Azure for data storage, scalability, and business operations. As a result, attackers target the Azure environment to gain unauthorized access for cyberattacks. To give you a perspective, in October 2022, Microsoft’s Azure Blob Storage services had a misconfiguration that exposed the personal data of more than 548,000 users. However, by performing Azure pentesting, organizations can detect vulnerabilities that can lead to such severe data breaches. In this blog, you are going to learn more about Azure penetration testing, how it works, major security vulnerabilities in Azure, and what you are allowed to test. If you use Microsoft Azure services in some form or another, this comprehensive guide is going to help you a lot. What is Azure Penetration Testing? Microsoft Azure penetration testing, or Azure pentesting involves simulating real attacks to find security vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit for data breaches and other cyberattacks. Organizations can employ third-party security firms with penetration testers to hack their own cloud environment before a real attacker does. As a result, it helps them find out where the security flaws lie and fix them immediately. Pen testers (also called “ethical hackers”) are cybersecurity professionals who are experts in coding skills and vulnerability testing. Azure penetration testing should be done regularly (1- 2 times a year) to secure the data and applications in the cloud completely. As of now, 68% of organizations globally are performing Azure cloud penetration testing to secure their data and resources. Why Azure Penetration Testing is Important? Azure comes with a wide range of security features. Microsoft also ensures that users strictly adhere to their compliance needs and undergo regular security audits. However, due to the shared responsibility model (which we will talk about in a bit), users also have some responsibility to maintain the cloud’s security. Azure services provide a platform to create virtual storage, networks, and applications, but in the end, it is the user that owns them. For this reason, organizations need to conduct Azure pentesting, so that their resources are safe from attackers. Azure Penetration Testing Benefits 1. Identify Cloud Vulnerabilities Penetration testing helps in identifying both common and cloud-specific vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers for unauthorized access. For example, misconfigurations, lack of visibility, poor access management, etc. Pen testing also provides recommendations to remediate these vulnerabilities, which is an extra advantage. 2. Protect Sensitive Data Cloud computing platforms like Azure store huge user-sensitive data like addresses, personal details, financial details, etc. The main reason attackers invade the cloud is to steal this data for their profit. By actively mitigating security vulnerabilities, you can protect this data and save yourself from embarrassment. 3. Meet Compliance Needs Many regions and industries have strict rules to protect user data, such as GDPR in Europe, CCPA in America, and HIPAA for the healthcare industry. Organizations operating in the cloud that store user data must have necessary security measures to comply with these rules and avoid legal problems and fines. Penetration testing is a major part of meeting this requirement. 4. Build Customer Trust No customer is going to trust and use your service if there is a case of data breach. By conducting Azure penetration testing, you can show your commitment to data security. As a result, it builds the trust of existing customers as well as attract new ones. 5. Protect Intellectual Property These days companies tend to store much of their intellectual properties on the cloud, you know, for better security. These intellectual properties can be trade secrets, designs, images, documents, etc. One cyberattack and all of these are gone. So, Azure security testing helps discover those vulnerabilities that can lead to intellectual property theft. 7 Major Security Threats in Microsoft Azure   Microsoft Azure is a widely used cloud computing platform and just like every other cloud-based service, Azure is also prone to several security threats, such as: 1. Access Token Abuse and Leakage An access token key is like a digital key that grants access to your Cloud account. It allows users or applications to access specific resources within the environment. Attackers steal and exploit these keys to impersonate legitimate users. As a result, they can steal data, manipulate financial transactions, or conduct other malicious activities within the cloud. 2. Lateral Movement from Compromised Workloads Once an attacker breaches a vulnerable system, also known as a “compromised workload”, they can use it as a stepping stone to move laterally across the cloud infrastructure. This lateral movement can lead to exploiting weaknesses in security measures and user permissions. They may steal local credentials or use the compromised account to move toward servers containing sensitive data. 3. Compromised Third-Party Partners with Privileged Permissions Companies often rely on third-party services/APIs that can be integrated into Azure, which grants them access to internal systems and data. However, if these APIs are compromised, it can directly affect the Azure environment. Attackers can exploit the API vulnerabilities to gain access to the Azure infrastructure and steal data. 4. Credentials Theft Your credentials are the ones used to access your Azure account. Once these are stolen, the attackers can log in as you and conduct as many malicious acts as they please. Weak passwords and lack of multi-factor authentication are prime reasons for credential theft. 5. Reconnaissance with Search Engines Attackers can use search engines to gather information about your Azure account. This may involve searching for publicly accessible cloud storage buckets with poor access controls, misconfigured cloud resources, or previously leaked data breaches that might contain credentials. By exploiting these findings, attackers can identify weaknesses in the Azure infrastructure and tailor their attacks accordingly. 6. Data Collection by Blob Hunting Cloud storage often contains huge amounts of data without proper configurations or encryption mechanisms. “Blob hunting” refers to using specialized