The Need for Security Monitoring in Cloud Infrastructure

Intro

At this point, moving to the cloud has long since become the default option for any business in need of flexibility and scalability. Despite that, too many companies seem to live with the delusion that cloud platforms are "secure by default" because providers manage the technical stack and physical security. Reality is quite different: the majority of cloud mishaps happen due to human errors, misconfigurations, or a lack of appropriate access control.

In such an environment, regular security assessments become crucial. The cloud is dynamic, and one mistake in the configuration may give an opening to the attacker.

Common risks and vulnerabilities in cloud infrastructure

In the cloud, many security incidents come from misconfigurations or poorly defined access controls. These faults typically go unreported, although they provide weak places that attackers can simply exploit.

The most common risks include:

• Open or misconfigured cloud resources (S3 buckets, storage services, functions);
• Inadequately stated or excessive IAM permissions that permit privilege escalation;
• Internet-accessible public endpoints and unprotected APIs;
• Weak network segmentation and inappropriate security group rules;
• Poorly managed CI/CD pipelines and automated deployments;
• Integrations with external services that may bring their own vulnerabilities;
• Misassigned roles, lost resources, and unintentional configuration modifications are examples of human mistake.

One of the biggest issues with cloud threats is that they often remain unseen for a long period. Because attackers frequently employ legitimate access methods, it is significantly more difficult to identify breaches.

Using pentesting to evaluate the security of cloud infrastructure

The aforementioned typical hazards make it clear that adequate security testing is necessary. A cloud penetration test is one of the best methods for assessing your cloud environment.

In essence, a penetration test service is a controlled simulation of actual attacks that illustrates how readily an attacker could exploit flaws or misconfigurations in your cloud services.

Cloud pentests, in contrast to traditional pentests, concentrate on access architectures, security rules, service interactions, and how particular settings impact an attacker's ability to move vertically or horizontally inside the system.

Because they are unable to decipher context, role relationships, or the reasoning behind your cloud architecture, automated scanners are not very useful in this situation. Expert analysis is the only way to identify actual vulnerabilities, take business logic into account, and evaluate the possible consequences of such vulnerabilities.

What businesses gain from cloud pentesting

Cloud pentesting offers visibility into actual risks, not just technical weaknesses. It uncovers shared services misconfigurations, permission overprovisioning, segmentation gaps, exposed resources, and possible paths of lateral movement.

Finally, it helps organizations regain control of their cloud environment and aligns their security posture with real-world threats.

When is a cloud pentest appropriate?

Security checks shouldn’t be something you do only after an incident.

1. Before expanding your infrastructure, introducing new services, or switching to a different cloud stack, it is worthwhile to schedule a cloud pentest.
2. Additionally, it's crucial after upgrading automation workflows, adding new integrations, or making big configuration changes because these are the times when inadvertent errors most frequently happen.
3. Before going through external audits like ISO 27001 or SOC 2, where cloud security is one of the primary evaluation criteria, a pentest is required.
4. Additionally, you should think about it if you see any signs of a possible breach, such as strange logs or compromised passwords.

Regular pentesting is a crucial feature of mature cybersecurity hygiene - it helps avoid hazards from developing over time.

Is it worth investing in a pentest?

Regular security testing often costs far less than even a minor cloud incident. Compromised access, data leaks, or downtime can lead to financial losses, penalties, and reputational damage that may linger for years. Add hidden costs-including incident-response work, legal support, and follow-up audits-and the price of a pentest is a small, cost-effective investment.

In conclusion

Cloud infrastructure provides velocity, scalability, and competitive advantages, but it requires a responsible attitude to security. One of the efficient ways of determining whether your cloud configuration is truly as safe as you expect it to be is through pentesting.

Bringing in outside specialists guarantees objectivity, avoids "familiarity blindness" that teams so often have, and offers deep technical expertise, which is difficult to maintain in-house.

Datami is a reliable cybersecurity partner that has on board qualified specialists, practical knowledge, and up-to-date testing techniques. You can learn more about their services at: https://datami.ee/services/pentest/cloud-penetration-testing/.

Datami pentests reduce the risks in cloud environments and prevent events that will cost much more than preventive security ever would.