Cloud penetration testing
Test the boundaries of your cloud estate.
Examine how identities, permissions and exposed services interact across the cloud environments your organisation relies on.
Scope a cloud testA workload role can read another project’s storage
An agreed workload accesses storage beyond its intended project boundary.
Illustrative test report
- Boundary
- Name the account, project or subscription, starting role, permitted region and target resource.
- Decision
- Identify whether the cloud configuration owner or the application owner should narrow the role.
- Verification
- Repeat the original read with the same role after access is limited to its required resources.
Example test scope
- Identity
- Can a low-privilege account assume a more powerful role?
- Exposure
- Which resources can be reached outside their intended boundary?
- Business impact
- What could an attacker access through those permissions?
Prepare for this engagement
When it is useful
You have changed a landing zone, introduced cross-account access or moved an important workload into production.
What to bring
For the workload example, name the cloud provider, account, subscription or project, the workload’s starting role and the resource it should be unable to read. Identify the owner who can approve each boundary, the permitted regions and provider testing restrictions. Agree how to avoid production changes and unexpected charges.
What you receive
Evidence links each finding to the relevant cloud resource or identity. The report distinguishes configuration changes from changes the application owner needs to make.
Get a faster, clearer, and simpler view of your cloud vulnerabilities
An exposed storage bucket and an over-permissioned account create different risks. A cloud penetration test checks how identities, permissions and network controls work together in the environment you authorise us to test.
Our cloud penetration testing will:
- Expose insecure functionality within your AWS, Google Cloud & Azure environments
- Uncover weak access controls to your cloud bucket storage
- Highlight vulnerable security perimeters in your cloud infrastructure
- Test and secure IaaS, PaaS and SaaS cloud deployments
- Secure the API’s and integrations that cloud apps rely so heavily on
What is involved in a cloud penetration test?
Before testing, we agree the accounts, environments, test window and conditions for stopping. Our testers then check whether an attacker can use a misconfiguration to move beyond those agreed access boundaries.
Configuration review
- A detailed review of your cloud configuration to surface mistakes and misconfigurations which are the most common source of exploitable vulnerabilities.
Advanced threat simulation
- We simulate advanced persistent threats to understand how your cloud infrastructure would withstand a cyber-attack.
Compliance assessments
- Review the identities, services and data boundaries in scope. For example, can a workload role read another project’s storage or assume a more privileged role? Report the authorisation path and the permissions needed to close it. The findings can support a control review; certification depends on a separate assessment.
Benefits of cloud penetration testing
Cloud Penetration Testing FAQs
What is cloud penetration testing?
Cloud penetration testing is the process of evaluating the security of cloud-based applications, infrastructure, and services. It helps identify vulnerabilities such as misconfigurations, insecure APIs, weak authentication, and data exposure risks to ensure compliance and protection against cyber threats.
Why is cloud penetration testing important?
Cloud environments are highly dynamic and are often shared across multiple tenants. Without regular testing, businesses risk data breaches, unauthorised access, and regulatory non-compliance. Cloud security testing ensures your cloud setup is safe, resilient, and aligned with industry best practices.
How often should I have my cloud environments tested?
Best practices include:
- After any major new project, feature releases or updates.
- At least once a quarter for ongoing security assurance.
- Whenever regulatory compliance requires it.
Can cloud penetration testing be performed without affecting services?
Scoping reduces disruption risk. Agree sensitive services, request limits, test accounts, monitoring contacts and a stop condition. Use a representative non-production environment for activities that could affect availability.
Do you need to inform Amazon, Google, or Microsoft in advance?
Check the current rules for the specific platform and proposed techniques before testing. AWS permits tests on listed services without prior approval, but some simulated activities require permission. Azure requires testing to follow Microsoft’s rules of engagement. Google permits testing of your own projects under its acceptable-use policy. Exclude other tenants and provider-operated infrastructure.