Overview
Most of the web applications are moving to cloud technology. While this enhances the appliaction functionality, it also introduces security issues. Since everything is virtual in case of a cloud hosting, it is difficult to gain fine grain control of the "data at rest" and "data in transit".
Cloud computing technology offers three basic models of implementation.. Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS). Securing cloud environments is a sweeping proposition that touches on the topics of virtualization security, access control, data protection and a host of other areas.
Some Facts
Valency Networks possesses years of security experience ranging from corporate networks to recent customers requiring cloud computing security. Unlike most other security consultancy offerings, in case of cloud security the approach is purely from design perspective.
We deep dive into the cloud architecture, and identify various attack vectors which range from network layer of cloud design, to the cloud aware applications running on virtual data centers or virtual development centers. Cloud security also includes that of web authentication portals which call the cloud service providers API calls. Customers of Valency Networks involve us right from design phase, to the implementation phase.
Most of the applications these days are hosted in the Cloud. Security is one of the major problems for applications. Cloud security testing has become a new service model where the security-as-a-service providers perform on-demand application security testing in the cloud.
The main objective of Cloud security is to stop any threat or malware from accessing, stealing or manipulating any of our private data. It identifies the threats in the system and measures its potential vulnerabilities and risks. It also helps developers in fixing those problems through coding. The cloud security testing is applicable for large application base, applications with low to medium risk and organizations with a strict budget & time restrictions.
Cloud Security Testing gives the feasibility to host the security testing tools on the Cloud for testing. With this process, tools on the Cloud can test the applications. In the traditional testing, one needs to have on-premise tools and infrastructure. Since Cloud-based testing techniques, make the process faster, and cost-effective, enterprises these days are adopting Cloud Security Testing.
The whole cloud testing is segregated into four main categories
Types of Cloud Testing | Task Performed |
SaaS or Cloud-oriented Testing | This type of testing is usually performed by cloud or SaaS vendors. The primary objective is to assure the quality of the provided service functions offered in a cloud or a SaaS program. Testing performed in this environment is integration, functional, security, unit, system function validation and Regression Testing as well as performance and scalability evaluation. |
Online based application testing on a cloud | Online application vendors perform this testing that checks performance and Functional Testing of the cloud-based services. When applications are connected with legacy systems, the quality of the connectivity between the legacy system and under test application on a cloud is validated. |
Cloud-based application testing over clouds | To check the quality of a cloud-based application across different clouds this type of testing is performed. |
Test Scenarios | Test case |
Performance Testing | Failure due to one user action on the cloud should not affect other users performance Manual or automatic scaling should not cause any disruption On all types of devices, the performance of the application should remain the same Overbooking at supplier end should not hamper the application performance |
Security Testing | An only authorized customer should get access to data
Data must be encrypted well Data must be deleted completely if it is not in use by a client Data should be accessible with insufficient encryption Administration on suppliers end should not access the customers' data Check for various security settings like firewall, VPN, Anti-virus etc. |
Functional testing | Valid input should give the expected results Service should integrate properly with other applications A system should display customer account type when successfully login to the cloud When a customer chose to switch to other services the running service should close automatically |
Interoperability & Compatibility Testing | Validate the compatibility requirements of the application under test system Check browser compatibility in a cloud environment Identify the Defect that might arise while connecting to a cloud Any incomplete data on the cloud should not be transferred Verify that application works across a different platform of cloud Test application on the in-house environment and then deploy it on a cloud environment |
Network Testing | Test protocol responsible for cloud connectivity Check for data integrity while transferring data Check for proper network connectivity Check if packets are being dropped by a firewall on either side |
Load and Stress Testing | Check for services when multiple users access the cloud services Identify the Defect responsible for hardware or environment failure Check whether system fails under increasing specific load Check how a system changes over time under a certain load |
Cloud Application Penetration Tesing
To manage cloud security in today's world, you need a solution that helps you address threats to enterprise data and infrastructure, including the major trends you are up against.
Changing attackers and threats:
Threats are no longer the purview of isolated hackers looking for personal fame. More and more, organized crime is driving well-resourced, sophisticated, targeted attacks for financial gain.
Consumerization
of IT
As mobile devices and technologies continue to proliferate, employees want to use personally owned devices to access enterprise applications, data, and cloud services.
Evolving architecture technologies
With the growth of virtualization and the use of public clouds, perimeters and their controls within the data center are in flux, and data is no longer easily constrained or physically isolated and protected.
Dynamic and challenging regulatory environment
Organizations and their IT departments often face ongoing burdens of legal and regulatory compliance with increasingly prescriptive demands and high penalties for noncompliance or breaches.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) provides an easy-to-manage cloud platform to store your digital assets, host servers and more. Its simple client interface in tandem with extensive documentation makes it a popular choice amongst developers to host their applications.
Amazon also has many settings for security controls including firewalls to block incoming and outgoing traffic and different identity and access management (IAM) accounts with varying levels of privileges. However, misconfigurations in your web application can allow an attacker to pivot into your cloud and exfiltrate both company and consumer data.In the past, developers used hard-coded passwords to access different services, such as MySQL or FTP, to retrieve client data.
We know that security is job one in the cloud and how important it is that you find accurate and timely information about Azure security. One of the best reasons to use Azure for your applications and services is to take advantage of its wide array of security tools and capabilities. These tools and capabilities help make it possible to create secure solutions on the secure Azure platform.
Microsoft Azure provides confidentiality, integrity, and availability of customer data, while also enabling transparent accountability. To help you better understand the collection of security controls implemented within Microsoft Azure from both the customer's and Microsoft operations' perspectives, this white paper, "Introduction to Azure Security", is written to provide a comprehensive look at the security available with Microsoft Azure.
Software as a Service (SaaS) is a software deployment model where applications are remotely hosted by the application or service provider and made available to customers on demand, over the Internet. Enterprises can take advantage of the SaaS model to reduce the IT costs associated with traditional on-premise applications like hardware, patch management, upgrades, etc. On demand licensing can help customers adopt the "pay-as-you-go/grow" model to reduce their up-front expenses for IT purchases.
SaaS lets software vendors control and limit use, prohibits copies and distribution, and facilitates the control of all derivative versions of their software. SaaS centralized control often allows the vendor to establish an ongoing revenue stream with multiple businesses [tenants] and users. The tenants are provided a protected sandbox view of the application that is isolated from other tenants. Each tenant can tune the metadata of the application to provide a customized look and feel for its users.
Cloud App Security is a critical component. It's a comprehensive solution that can help your organization as you move to take full advantage of the promise of cloud applications, but keep you in control, through improved visibility into activity. It also helps increase the protection of critical data across cloud applications. With tools that help uncover shadow IT, assess risk, enforce policies, investigate activities, and stop threats, your organization can more safely move to the cloud while maintaining control of critical data.
What Our Customers Say?
Valency Networks is a very techie company, focusing on a continuous improvement in service quality. Our customers like us exactly for that and that helps us keep our quality to the best extent.