What are Amazon Web Services?
Amazon Web Services Cloud (AWS) is a cloud hosting service that offers over 90 different services. These services include computing and storage, content delivery, security management, network infrastructure, and physical hosting facility for tenant organizations. The wide range of these services typically falls into Infrastructure (IaaS), Platform (PaaS), or Software as a service (SaaS).
Cloud services let organizations and individuals rapidly, reliably, and flexibly expand web service requirements. Also, you don’t have to take care of the maintenance or first costs connected with network-linked hardware.
Companies should evaluate their compliance obligations, risks of cyberattacks, and how to mitigate them before migrating to AWS. A quick way of identifying security vulnerabilities in a cloud environment is through penetration testing.
Aardwolf Security utilise CREST accredited penetration testers for secure cloud configuration reviews, we collectively have decades of experience performing web application security testing and website security testing, get in touch today for a free quote.
Cloud Configuration Review
What is AWS Penetration Testing?
AWS Penetration Testing is the process of identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in Amazon Web Services (AWS) environments. AWS penetration tests can help organizations secure their cloud-based infrastructure and applications and prevent data breaches.
By identifying and addressing potential security weaknesses, organizations can reduce the risk of data breaches and other cybersecurity incidents. AWS pentesting can be performed by internal security teams or by third-party vendors.
What are the benefits of AWS Penetration Testing?
There are many benefits to performing AWS Penetration Testing, including the following:
- AWS Penetration Testing can help to identify potential security vulnerabilities within your AWS environment before they are exploited.
- By conducting regular penetration tests, you can ensure that your AWS environment is constantly evolving and improving to stay ahead of potential threats.
- AWS Penetration Testing can also help you assess the effectiveness of your current security controls and identify any areas where improvement is needed.
- By engaging in AWS Penetration Testing regularly, you can help to ensure that your AWS environment remains secure and compliant with industry best practices.
- AWS Penetration Testing can also provide valuable insights into the overall security posture of your organization and help you develop a more comprehensive security strategy.
Which Penetration Tests are allowed to be performed on AWS?
AWS allows penetration testing under specific conditions. Penetration tests must be conducted by an authorized third party and approved by AWS in advance. Additionally, penetration tests may only be conducted against test environments and must not adversely impact production systems or data.
Pentest can be performed on AWS services like Amazon S3, Amazon EC2, Amazon Glacier, and more. However, before penetration testing can be conducted, AWS customers must submit a request through the AWS Penetration Testing Request Form. This form allows customers to describe their planned tests, and it also requires them to agree to specific terms and conditions.
There are a few different types of penetration tests that can be performed in AWS:
Infrastructure testing: This type of penetration test focuses on the underlying infrastructure of an AWS environment, such as the network, servers, and storage. The goal is to identify any weaknesses that could be exploited by an attacker.
Application testing: This type of penetration test focuses on the application itself, such as the code and configuration. The goal is to identify any weaknesses that could be exploited by an attacker.
Data leakage testing: This type of penetration test focuses on identifying any sensitive data that may be leaked from an AWS environment. The goal is to prevent an attacker from gaining access to this data.
Security misconfiguration testing: This type of penetration test focuses on identifying any security settings that are not adequately configured in an AWS environment. The goal is to prevent an attacker from exploiting these vulnerabilities.
Which type of pentest cannot be carried out in AWS?
There are a few types of penetration tests that cannot be conducted in AWS. These include:
External network penetration testing: This type of test would require access to the external network, which is not possible in AWS.
Wireless network penetration testing: Similar to external network testing, this type of test would also require access to the external network, which is not possible in AWS.
Physical security testing: This type of test would require access to the physical environment, which is not possible in AWS.
Social engineering: This type of test would require access to people, which is not possible in AWS.
What are the steps of AWS Penetration Testing?
There are seven main steps in a typical penetration test of an AWS cloud environment:
Information gathering: In this phase, the pentester will gather as much information about the target environment as possible. This includes information about the network architecture, applications and systems running, and security controls in place.
Threat modelling: The tester will identify potential threats and vulnerabilities that could be exploited in the target environment.
Attack planning: In this step, the pentester will plan how to best exploit the identified vulnerabilities. This includes determining the type of pentest a tester would like conducted (e.g. black box, white box, grey box).
Obtaining approvals: Before conducting the test, you must obtain written approval from the client and any other third parties involved. To do so:
- Complete a penetration test request form
- Inform AWS of the dates testing will occur
- Indicate to AWS the IP Address range scan or penetration testing will come from as well as the IP address range being tested (scope)
Execution: In this stage, the tester will launch the planned attacks and attempt to gain access to the target systems.
Post-exploitation: In this phase, the pentester will gather information about the system that was accessed and try to maintain access for future use.
Reporting: In this step, the tester will generate a report detailing the findings of the penetration test. This report will be used to help improve the security of the AWS environment.
How do AWS Cloud Testing Services Work?
Aardwolf Security is a leader in AWS Penetration Testing, providing a comprehensive service that covers all seven steps of the penetration testing process. Our experienced CREST certified penetration testers have a proven track record of identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in AWS environments.
Aardwolf Security employs a range of AWS-specific tests, including the following:
AWS Configuration Tests: Checking for common misconfigurations that could lead to security vulnerabilities.
AWS IAM Tests: Verifying Identity and Access Management (IAM) roles and permissions to ensure that the least privileged access is configured correctly.
AWS S3 Bucket Permissions Tests: Testing for public read/write permissions on S3 buckets that could lead to data leakage.
AWS Security Group and Network ACL Tests: Checking for rule misconfigurations that could allow unauthorized access to systems or data.
AWS Cloud Trail Logging Tests: Validating that CloudTrail is appropriately configured and logging all required events.
AWS Lambda Function Security Tests: Analyzing Lambda function code for potential security vulnerabilities.
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store Tests: Checking for unencrypted Secrets Manager parameters that could be accessed by unauthorized users.
AWS Cloud Formation Stack Security Tests: Validating cloud formation templates for potential security issues.
AWS Elasticsearch Service Domain Security Tests: Analyzing Elasticsearch domains for unencrypted data and other potential security risks.
AWS Relational Database Service (RDS) Security Tests: Checking for RDS instances that are publicly accessible or have weak passwords.
AWS Redshift Cluster Security Tests: Identifying Redshift clusters that are publicly accessible or have weak passwords.
Why organisations should utilise AWS security reviews?
Organizations are turning to AWS to become more agile and reduce time to market. Whether developing a cloud-native application or migrating to an existing one, Aardwolf Security can help you increase innovation, reliability, and efficiency without sacrificing security. Our penetration testing allows security teams to find and eliminate business-critical vulnerabilities through exploratory risk analysis and business logic testing.
How long does it take to perform an AWS configuration review?
There are numerous factors that influence the scoping of an AWS secure configuration review, such as:
- Number of services
- Number of hosts within the services
- Size of organisation
How much is an AWS penetration test?
An AWS configuration review cost is calculated by the number of days a penetration tester will take to fulfil the agreed scope. The number of days can be determined by filling out our penetration testing scoping form or messaging us through our contact form to arrange a scoping call with one of our senior penetration testers.
What are the deliverables following an AWS configuration review?
Following completion of an AWS configuration review, the security consultants will produce a custom report that highlights any issues identified, their risk levels and recommendations regarding how to remedy them.