Cloud Security Assessment: AWS, GCP & Azure Checklist
10 min read
Cloud Security Assessment Framework
Cloud infrastructure introduces unique security challenges. Misconfigurations — not sophisticated attacks — cause most cloud breaches. This checklist covers the critical controls for AWS, GCP, and Azure.
Identity & Access Management (IAM)
- Enable MFA for all human users (non-negotiable)
- Use service accounts with minimal permissions for applications
- Implement least-privilege access — audit permissions quarterly
- Remove unused accounts and access keys
- Use role-based access control (RBAC) instead of individual permissions
- Set up automated alerts for privilege escalation events
Network Security
- Use VPCs/VNets with proper subnet segmentation
- Restrict security group rules — no 0.0.0.0/0 ingress on sensitive ports
- Enable VPC flow logs for traffic analysis
- Use private endpoints for cloud services (no public internet traversal)
- Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) for public-facing services
Data Protection
- Enable encryption at rest for all storage (S3, RDS, EBS, GCS)
- Use TLS 1.2+ for all data in transit
- Manage encryption keys with cloud KMS (not hardcoded)
- Enable versioning and access logging on storage buckets
- Block public access on storage buckets by default
Logging & Monitoring
- Enable cloud audit logging (CloudTrail, Cloud Audit Logs, Activity Log)
- Centralize logs in a SIEM or log management platform
- Set up alerts for suspicious activities (root login, security group changes, large data transfers)
- Retain logs for at least 90 days (365 for compliance)
Container & Serverless Security
- Scan container images for vulnerabilities before deployment
- Use minimal base images (distroless, Alpine)
- Don't run containers as root
- Implement network policies for pod-to-pod communication
- Set resource limits to prevent crypto-mining abuse
Automated Assessment
Beta Security scans your cloud infrastructure against these controls automatically. Our cloud security assessment covers AWS, GCP, and Azure with actionable findings and remediation guidance. Book a free assessment to see your current security posture.