Practical Tips for DevSecOps Experts to Avoid Cloud Misconfiguration

Cloud misconfiguration is one of the most common security issues faced by organizations. A study reported that 43 percent of organizations experienced a cloud security incident out of all the organizations that participated. The main reason for these incidents is the misconfigurations made by developers or operators.

Here are some best practices that DevSecOps experts can use to avoid cloud misconfiguration.

Use Configuration Management Tools

Configuration management tools are essential for ensuring that the configurations of your systems are consistent and error-free. Using these tools, you can automate configuring and deploying your applications and systems.

Configuration management tools will make it possible to automate updating and maintaining applications and systems without compromising security. They can help you detect and prevent unauthorized changes to your system configurations. They can also help you identify configuration issues early to be fixed before they cause any damage.

Automate Testing for Security

Testing is critical in ensuring that your configuration management tools and policies are working as intended. For developers and operators to follow the best practices, it is best to automate security testing. It will help you to identify potential security issues before they cause damage. Automated testing can also help you detect and fix vulnerabilities promptly.

Use Standardized Configuration Templates

When creating configuration templates, it is essential to use standardized configurations. It will help to ensure that the configurations are consistent across your systems, applications, and servers. To reduce development time and errors, DevSecOps experts should use standardized templates.

Perform Regular Audits of Configuration Templates

Performing regular audits of your configuration templates will help you identify any changes that have been made to these templates over time. If you find any changes to the templates, it is crucial to determine if they were caused intentionally or accidentally. It will help you identify and address configuration drift before attackers exploit it. 

Create an Enforceable Configuration Policy

For your security policies to be effective, you must ensure that they are enforceable. It means creating policies and procedures for how your configurations should be handled and maintained. It is also essential to train developers, operators, and support staff on best practices for working with configuration templates. Training can make it easier to achieve compliance with policy requirements.

Adopt a Fixed Change Control Process

It is vital to limit the changes made to configuration templates. It is essential to adopt a fixed change control process to accomplish this. It will help DevSecOps experts ensure that only authorized personnel can change configuration templates and policies. Depending on your business needs, this may also include pre-approval by management and regular audits of changes made to configurations.

Use a Centralized Management System

According to an IDC report, around 98 percent of organizations experienced a cloud security breach in 2020. So, a centralized management system can help you manage your cloud infrastructure more effectively. Using a centralized management system, you can control who has access to your resources and what actions they can take. It will help you prevent unauthorized access and misconfiguration of your cloud infrastructure.

Perform Periodic Review of Audit Logs

Audit logs are crucial for ensuring that your systems and applications are configured correctly. You can use these audit logs to check if any unauthorized changes have been made to the configurations of your resources. You should review your audit logs regularly, especially if you suspect that an attacker may have gained access to your systems.

Use a Configuration Management Tool

A configuration management system can help you manage your system configurations more effectively. Using a configuration management tool lets you ensure that all of your resources are configured under your organization’s security policy. You also have the option of a configuration management tool to automate the management of your system configurations. It can also help to save time and reduce the chances of human error.

Choose a Platform Designed to Ensure Security and Compliance

Choosing one designed to ensure security and compliance when selecting a cloud provider is essential. By using a provider designed for security and compliance, you can be assured that your data will be protected from unauthorized access and theft.

You can also use this provider to help you meet your compliance requirements. It is crucial to follow your organization’s security policies and procedures when configuring your infrastructure. Also, make sure to use the best practices for configuring servers and other systems in your cloud infrastructure.

Conclusion

If you do not take any steps to avoid mistakes when configuring your servers and other cloud resources, attackers will find it easier to exploit these misconfigurations and gain access to your data. Hence, it is essential to take the necessary steps to keep your data on the cloud safe.