In this article, we will discuss everything about cloud hacking and its methodologies

Cloud computing is now an IT most common practice for businesses of all sizes and industries. Cloud computing is the on-demand availability of different services through the Internet. These resources include tools and applications like data storage, servers, databases, networking, and software. Because of its rising popularity cloud hacking has become the most common threat in the industry. 

Instead of keeping files on a proprietary hard drive or local storage device, Cloud computing makes it possible to save them to a remote database. As long as an electronic device has access to the web, it has access to the data and the software programs to run it. As result, it has become the popular option for people and businesses for several reasons including cost savings, increased productivity, speed and efficiency, performance, and security. Given the widespread adoption of cloud computing, it is no surprise that the cloud is an appealing target for hackers and has increased the threat of cloud hacking. To bolster their defenses, companies must include their cloud computing resources as an integral part of their cybersecurity strategy. That's exactly where ethical hacking gets introduced. By scanning cloud computing environments for vulnerabilities, ethical hackers can assist businesses patch any security flaws before an attacker can exploit them.

What Is Ethical Hacking in Cloud Computing?

Because of the diversity of options available, cloud computing is now being used by 98 percent of companies in some form or fashion. The cloud is often seen as more secure than its on-premises equivalent, but it has its share of cloud hacking problems. Given the jumping number of cyberattacks on the cloud, businesses want trusted security experts who can fix flaws and close any holes through which attackers can enter their systems.

Ethical hacking, also known as white-hat hacking, works on detecting issues within an IT ecosystem through diverse hacking techniques. And this is completed with the full awareness and consent of the target. In ethical hacking, cloud computing resources must be checked for security vulnerabilities, just like the rest of the IT environment. When coming to cloud hacking, ethical hackers wear many hats. Broadly, the job of ethical hacking in cloud computing is to identify the security vulnerabilities and weaknesses in an organization's cloud infrastructure. 

What Are the Types of Cloud Computing?

There are multiple different types of cloud computing you can choose as per your needs. The first way to classify cloud services is in terms of their physical location:

Public cloud: These cloud services are hosted and provisioned by a third-party vendor and are available to the general public.

Private cloud: These cloud services are helpful only for a single private customer. They may be hosted either internally or by a third-party vendor.

Hybrid cloud: The customer uses multiple cloud services—such as using general-purpose applications in the public cloud while storing sensitive data in a private cloud database.

Here are a few examples of cloud computing offerings that ethical hackers should be familiar with:

SaaS: Software as a service (SaaS) offers customers access to software applications, while the cloud provider is responsible for updates and maintenance. One common SaaS business use case is productivity software like Microsoft Office 365.

PaaS: Platform as a service (PaaS) provides customers with a platform for developing and running applications. Examples include Microsoft Azure Cloud Services and Google App Engine.

IaaS: Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) offers customers access to hardware resources such as computing, memory, storage, and network. However, customers provide their software to run on this infrastructure.

Some Essential Cloud Hacking Methodology

After explaining "What is cloud hacking?" we will look into cloud hacking methodology. Below are some examples of the types of attacks in cloud computing that ethical hackers should be aware of:

Brute-force attacks: The easiest form of cloud hacking is a brute-force approach: Which includes testing different combinations of usernames and passwords. Once inside the system, adversaries can proceed to wreak havoc and exfiltrate data from the cloud as with any other attack.

Phishing: Phishing is just an alternative to brute-force attacks that are performed to steal user credentials by impersonating a trusted third party. Spear phishing is a more sophisticated technique that aims at a specific individual with a hand-crafted message.

Credential stuffing: If employees at the organization reuse their usernames and passwords across multiple services, the business is at risk of a credential stuffing attack. Adversaries can go through lists of user credentials stolen from a previous attack to see if any of them are valid accounts on a different IT system.

The Role of Ethical Hackers in the Cloud Computing Industry

Ethical hackers play a crucial role in the cloud computing industry. As cyberattacks on cloud infrastructure are rising, ethical hacking ensures that businesses of all sizes and industries have the appropriate defences in place.