Cloud misconfigurations can occur at various layers within cloud infrastructure and take different forms. Below are some common examples of these misconfigurations.
1. Identity and Access Management (IAM) Misconfiguration
IAM misconfigurations often cause unauthorized access and data breach issues.
- If an individual or a group has more permissions than required, they can exploit them with unauthorized actions, causing data leaks or system compromises.
- To protect systems from unauthorized access, ensure that you implement multifactor authentication (MFA) as an additional layer of protection beyond passwords.
2. Data Storage Configuration
Sensitive information can be exposed as a result of misconfiguration.
- Misconfiguration of cloud storage buckets can lead to sensitive data exposure by setting the bucket access to public instead of private, making the bucket accessible to the public.
- Data at rest or in transit can easily be intercepted or accessed by unauthorized users if there’s a misconfiguration in encryption.
3. Networking Configuration
Network misconfigurations allow attackers to discover entry points to the organization’s internal systems.
- Open ports and insecure APIs might allow unauthorized access to internal systems.
- Inadequate firewall settings allow traffic that helps attackers succeed or restrict the traffic that the system needs for operational purposes.
4. Misconfigured Logging and Monitoring
Proper logging and monitoring are important for understanding when something goes wrong since it’s impossible to guarantee that nothing unexpected will happen.
- Disabled or insufficient logging restricts the ability to track what users are doing.
- Ineffective monitoring and alerting can slow your awareness of threats.
Failing to enable proper logging and monitoring (e.g., CloudTrail, CloudWatch, GuardDuty) means that suspicious activities or configuration changes go unnoticed. Without visibility, security teams cannot detect breaches or respond quickly.
5. Default Security Group Rules