Overview
In cloud computing, both the provider and the customer share responsibility for security. Issues can arise if responsibilities are not clearly defined or followed. These issues can lead to exploitable vulnerabilities and other negative security impacts. The shared responsibility model in cloud computing defines the division of security responsibilities between cloud providers and customers. Cloud providers are typically responsible for securing the infrastructure and services they provide, while customers are responsible for securing their data, applications, and configurations within the cloud. Misunderstandings or failure to follow this model can lead to security gaps. For example, customers may assume that the cloud provider handles all security measures, leaving their data or configurations vulnerable to attacks. Misconfigurations, such as open storage buckets or overly permissive roles, are common customer-side failures. The model varies across cloud service types (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), as customer responsibilities increase with IaaS compared to SaaS.
Risk factors
Shared reasonability model issues can arise from:
- Customers may not fully understand which aspects of security they are responsible for, leading to unprotected data or misconfigured systems.
- Customers may fail to properly secure their applications, storage buckets, or network settings in the cloud environment.
- If customers fail to encrypt sensitive data stored in the cloud, they increase the risk of data breaches.
- Customers may mistakenly assume that the cloud provider's security measures fully protect their applications and data, leading to complacency in securing their own cloud environment
Consequences
If an attacker successfully exploits the shared responsibility model, the following could happen:
- Data breach: Inadequately protected applications, data, or cloud configurations can lead to data breaches, exposing sensitive information.
- Service disruption: Misconfigured cloud environments may lead to downtime or service outages, impacting application availability.
- Compliance failures: Failure to follow the shared responsibility model can result in non-compliance with data protection regulations, such as GDPR or HIPAA.
- Security gaps: Without a clear understanding of security responsibilities, there may be gaps that attackers can exploit, leading to unauthorized access or data loss.
Solutions and best practices
To mitigate the risks associated with shared responsibility model issues, organizations should implement the following security measures:
- Clarify responsibilities: Ensure that the shared responsibility model is clearly understood by both the cloud provider and the customer, and that all security measures are in place.
- Secure cloud configurations: Follow best practices for cloud security, such as configuring access controls, encrypting data, and using secure network configurations.
- Monitor cloud security: Continuously monitor and audit cloud security settings and configurations to identify and address any gaps.
- App shielding: Application shielding can help secure mobile apps that interact with cloud environments by ensuring that data is encrypted and properly protected.
- Cloud security: Adopt cloud security frameworks (e.g., AWS Well-Architected Framework, NIST) to guide secure configurations.
- Tool automation: Use automated tools for configuration management and compliance checking to reduce human error.
