Cloud Vulnerability Scanning | A Guide To Securing Your Cloud Environment

In today’s world, where cloud computing is on the rise, securing our cloud systems from potential threats and vulnerabilities has become more critical than ever.

Data breaches are becoming all too common, and they often happen due to software bugs, configuration errors, or poor access control management. With the increasing size of cloud environments, it has become nearly impossible for humans to manually scan and oversee every detail for system threats. Moreover, human errors also contribute significantly to cloud security breaches.

So, what are organizations doing to address this issue? How are they enhancing their security measures? According to Markets and Markets, the cloud security market size is predicted to surpass $77 billion by 2026, rising from $41 billion in 2022.

Understanding Cloud Vulnerability Scanning

Cloud vulnerability scanning involves the use of automated tools to identify and evaluate security weaknesses and flaws in a cloud environment. These tools scan the cloud infrastructure and applications, searching for potential vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and loopholes that cyber attackers may exploit.

It is a critical component of cloud security, ensuring that organizations can maintain the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of their data and resources within their cloud ecosystem.

Types of Vulnerability Scans

1. Network-based scans: Network-based vulnerability scanners are designed to identify potential security threats and vulnerable systems within wired or wireless networks. They can detect unknown or unauthorized devices and perimeter points, such as unauthorized remote access servers or insecure connections to the business. Network-based scans play a vital role in maintaining network security.
2. Host-based scans: Host-based vulnerability scanners focus on identifying vulnerabilities in servers, workstations, or other network hosts. These scanners offer greater visibility into the patch history and configuration settings of scanned systems. They can also provide insights into the potential damage that insiders and outsiders can cause once they gain some level of access to a system.
3. Web application scans: Applications vulnerability scanners specialize in identifying known software vulnerabilities and incorrect configurations in web or network applications. They test websites for potential attacks like cross-site scripting, where malicious data is injected into applications to manipulate trusted data by users.
4. Database scans: Database scanners detect vulnerabilities in databases, protecting them from malicious attacks. They search for weak points that could allow attackers to manipulate data servers, sensitive information, or gain access to other parts of the network. Risk and vulnerability assessment may be mandatory for compliance with regulations, such as the HIPAA security rule, which mandates healthcare organizations and their associates to perform periodic risk assessments.
5. Port scans: Port scanners are tools used to identify open ports on network servers. They do this by sending connection requests to various ports and analyzing the responses. Malicious actors may also employ these scanners to identify open ports and deliver malware or ransomware. Identifying and addressing open port vulnerabilities before attackers exploit them is crucial in vulnerability assessment, as attackers can gain unauthorized access to systems through these vulnerabilities.

Vulnerability Scanning as Part of Vulnerability Management

While vulnerability scanning is an essential part of vulnerability management, it is not sufficient on its own. Scanning merely reports on the vulnerabilities found without going further.

To effectively manage vulnerabilities, organizations must prioritize them based on their impact on the business and include them in their remediation plan. Here are some key considerations:

1. Understand the criticality: Evaluate the potential impact of a vulnerability on the business, such as data theft, system downtime, or regulatory penalties. Prioritize the remediation process accordingly.
2. Assess ease of exploitation: Determine the likelihood of a successful attack by assessing the ease of exploitation. Look for known exploits or publicly available tools that could automate the attack.
3. Evaluate existing security controls: Consider the effectiveness of existing security controls, such as firewalls, access controls, or intrusion detection systems. Identify any gaps that need to be addressed to reduce the risk of exploiting vulnerabilities.

Essential Features of a Vulnerability Scanner

To effectively perform its job, a vulnerability scanner must possess certain essential features:

1. Coverage capabilities: A scanner should have a wide range of vulnerability coverage, both in terms of breadth and depth. It should identify potential system threats comprehensively. The scanner should also provide scanning with credentials and be customizable to include or exclude specific pages from the scanning process. Advanced scanning with plugins, feeds, and intelligence from manual security assessments can further enhance the scanning process.
2. Support for leading cloud providers: A vulnerability scanner must support multiple cloud environments, including popular providers like GCP, AWS, and Azure. By supporting these providers, the scanner can provide a comprehensive view of vulnerabilities across all cloud-based systems, ensuring no critical vulnerabilities are overlooked.
3. Asset discovery: Automated asset discovery is a critical feature of any reliable vulnerability scanner. It enables the scanner to automatically search for IT assets on the network, making it easy to identify new or previously unknown assets. This feature is particularly valuable for identifying and securing unpatched IoT devices that end users may bring onto the network, as these devices can pose a significant threat if left unchecked. By automating asset discovery, organizations can ensure they are aware of all the assets on their network and take necessary steps to secure them.
4. CI/CD integration: CI/CD integration is crucial for vulnerability scanners to detect and address vulnerabilities in real-time. Integrating the scanning process into continuous integration and deployment pipelines allows for automated scanning at every phase. This integration helps developers and security teams identify and remediate vulnerabilities early in the development process, preventing issues from escalating. Overall, CI/CD integration enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of vulnerability management efforts.
5. User-friendly interface and customizable dashboards: A vulnerability scanner should have a user-friendly interface, along with customizable dashboards. These features make it easier for security teams to visualize and understand scan results, prioritize vulnerabilities, and take necessary remediation actions. An intuitive interface improves the efficiency and effectiveness of vulnerability management efforts.
6. Compliance-specific scans: Compliance-specific scans are crucial for companies that must meet regulatory requirements and standards. These scans are designed to identify vulnerabilities that could compromise data, such as personally identifiable information (PII). Compliance-specific scans help organizations comply with regulations like HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and GDPR, mitigating the risk of fines, legal action, damaged reputation, and sanctions.
7. Detailed reporting and remediation support: Detailed reporting provides comprehensive information about detected vulnerabilities, including their root causes. An effective scanner should also offer support for remediation, enabling organizations to track their progress over time through actionable intelligence. Detailed reporting helps measure the effectiveness of security measures and improve overall cloud security posture, allowing organizations to proactively protect their cloud-based systems.

Best Practices for Cloud Vulnerability Scanning

To ensure an effective vulnerability scanning process, consider the following best practices:

1. Scan regularly: Conduct regular vulnerability scans to identify new vulnerabilities and maintain the system’s security. Determine the frequency of scans based on your network architecture and the potential impact of devices on the network.
2. Assign owners: Assign an asset owner to each critical asset responsible for patching the device/service and establishing accountability.
3. Document all scans: Schedule scans according to an approved timetable and thoroughly document them. Reports should be readable by both technical and non-technical management.
4. Keep software updated: Ensure that all the latest security patches are installed to address known vulnerabilities.
5. Follow a risk-based approach: Prioritize vulnerabilities based on their severity and potential impact on the system.
6. Collaborate with security teams: Foster collaboration between security teams and organizational leaders to ensure alignment and a shared understanding of security goals.
7. Establish a remediation process: Assign priorities and timeframes for addressing each vulnerability. Document the remediation steps to provide clarity and maintain an organized approach.

Summary

To sum it up, vulnerability scanning is a crucial aspect of cloud security. It helps identify potential threats and vulnerabilities within the cloud environment. When selecting a suitable scanning tool, it is essential to look for features that meet the organization’s specific needs. The ideal scanner should provide comprehensive coverage, real-time scanning, and automated remediation capabilities. At CD Cloud Logix, we follow the best practice of deploying vulnerability scanners in all our projects. We firmly believe that properly implemented vulnerability scanners play a significant role in enhancing cloud and data security. If you want to learn more about cloud vulnerability scanning, reach out to us at [email protected].