here are a few questions to consider if you’re in the market for an cloud security assessment.
What cloud service providers (CSPs) do you use ?
If you are about specific vulnerabilities (e.g., OWASP Top 10), regulatory compliance (e.g., GDPR, PCI DSS), or general security hygiene, knowing the CSP you use (e.g. AWS, Azure, GCP) would help us tailor the scope of the test.
What type of cloud environment are you using?
There are a few types of cloud services available: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (Iaas), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), and hybrid/multi-cloud. The type your business uses would impact the scope of the assessment, and what elements (e.g. infrastructure, applications or data) are under your control and need testing.
What are the critical assets or workloads hosted in the cloud?
Identifying critical workloads (e.g., databases, applications, customer data) would help us focus the assessment on the most sensitive and essential areas that require heightened security.
How are users authenticated and managed within your cloud environment (e.g., IAM, SSO, MFA)?
Understanding how user identities are managed and authenticated is essential for evaluating risks related to access control, privilege escalation, and account compromise.
Do you have any specific compliance or regulatory requirements for your cloud environment (e.g., PCI DSS, GDPR, HIPAA)?
Compliance with industry regulations may dictate specific controls that need to be assessed (e.g., data encryption, logging, and access control), ensuring the assessment aligns with legal and regulatory obligations.
What is your current cloud security posture, and have you experienced any previous incidents?
Understanding whether your cloud environment where security controls have already been implemented or experienced breaches would help us gauge potential vulnerabilities and past mitigation efforts.
What third-party services or APIs are integrated into your cloud environment?
Third-party services, APIs, and integrations can introduce vulnerabilities if not properly secured. This question helps assess external dependencies that may impact the overall security posture.
How do you manage cloud infrastructure configuration and security (e.g., security groups, firewalls, encryption)?
Misconfigured cloud infrastructure is one of the leading causes of cloud security breaches. Understanding how the you handles security configurations, such as firewalls and encryption, helps assess the risk of misconfigurations.
Do you have a formal cloud governance policy or framework in place?
Cloud governance ensures that security policies are followed across cloud environments, covering areas such as data privacy, compliance, and operational procedures. If no formal governance is in place, the assessment may reveal gaps in oversight.
What logging and monitoring systems do you have in place for cloud security (e.g., CloudTrail, Azure Monitor)?
Logging and monitoring are critical for detecting security incidents in the cloud. Understanding your monitoring tools and processes helps assess your ability to detect, respond to, and remediate security events in real time.
Bonus Questions
Do you use automation tools for cloud management (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation, Ansible)?
Knowing whether your business uses automation tools would help us determine how infrastructure is managed, and whether security is embedded in automation processes like infrastructure as code (IaC).
What are your primary concerns or areas of focus in your cloud environment?
Having an idea of your primary concerns would help us prioritize the assessment according to your specific concerns (e.g., data leakage, insider threats, or regulatory compliance).