Cloud Penetration Testing

URM can perform a range of pen testing against your organisation’s cloud environment, including external unauthenticated penetration testing through to security configuration reviews.

What is Cloud Penetration Testing?

Cloud penetration testing is the process of determining the security posture of an environment hosted by a cloud service provider.  Like other types of penetration testing, a cloud penetration test involves a tester mimicking the approach of a threat actor by identifying and attempting to exploit vulnerabilities which exist within the cloud environment being tested, in order to inform security improvements and prevent a malicious attack occurring.  

In addition to our on-premise penetration testing services, URM delivers cloud penetration testing covering all types of deployments including:

• AWS penetration testing along with other Cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
• Cloud deployment models such as individually managed virtual machines (e.g., AWS EC2), automated deployments and configuration (e.g., puppet, chef or terraform), cloud services (e.g., Azure App Service, AWS Lambda) or container solutions (Kubernetes and Docker).

If the cloud infrastructure is also integrated into existing on-premise infrastructure, then URM can combine this with internal penetration testing.

Benefits of Cloud Pen Testing

Identify vulnerabilities

Identify vulnerabilities in your organisation’s cloud infrastructure that could be exploited by a genuine threat actor and determine the effectiveness of existing security controls.  

Protect sensitive information

Prevent your organisation’s sensitive information being lost or compromised by an attacker; with reliance on cloud services becoming increasingly ubiquitous across the business landscape, ensuring that the information stored in these environments is secure has never been more important.

Improve cyber security strategy  

Use the outputs of the test to inform improvements to your organisation’s cyber security strategy, therefore enhancing your overall security posture.

Our Cloud Penetration Testing Process

URM employs industry-standard methodologies across all the penetration testing we perform.  

Scope

Before the penetration test is performed, URM’s tester will work collaboratively with you to define an effective and appropriate scope which meets your objectives.  

Information gathering and reconnaissance  

URM’s expert will amass as much information as possible about your cloud applications and infrastructure, mimicking the approach of a genuine attacker.  

Vulnerability identification and analysis

URM’s tester will discover the vulnerabilities that pose a threat to your organisation’s cloud environment and develop an exploitation strategy, both manually and using the latest automated tools.

Exploitation

Having discovered the vulnerabilities that are present in your cloud environment, the penetration tester will work to exploit these to provide you with intelligence on how an attacker could do the same.  

Reporting and debriefing  

URM’s penetration tester will document their findings in a report and arrange a debrief meeting with you.  Here, they will offer advice on how to remediate the vulnerabilities they have identified and successfully exploited.  

Retest  

To assist with the remediation process, URM will provide a free retest within 30 days of the initial assessment of any critical or high-risk vulnerabilities identified.

Why Choose URM Consulting for Cloud Pen Testing?

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URM’s large team of industry-leading penetration testing experts will help you identify and remediate vulnerabilities in your organisation’s cloud environment.  Our testers can guide  you through the entire penetration testing process, providing support during each phase of the project.  Meanwhile, our status as a CREST-accredited organisation means you can leverage our pen testing services with the assurance that all of the policies and processes which underpin our testing have been subject to independent assessment.  URM is also set apart by the holistic approach which informs our pen testing.  With extensive experience as a provider of governance, risk and compliance consultancy, we can combine our investigations into the technological aspects of your security posture with a range of policy, process and training solutions to address weaknesses in your organisation’s security.