Cloud Engineer · Step 6 of 8 · 8 min
Cloud security basics
Close the common gaps that cause most cloud incidents.
Most incidents are misconfigurations
Clever attacks on the providers themselves are rare. Common causes of cloud breaches are simpler: public storage, leaked keys, missing multi-factor authentication, overly broad permissions, and old unpatched machines open to the internet.
A short checklist
Multi-factor authentication on every human account, especially the top one. No long-lived keys where roles will do. Storage private by default; providers now block public access on new buckets unless you turn it off. Databases in private networks. Encryption in transit and at rest, which is usually on by default or one setting away.
Patch what you manage, or choose managed services so the provider patches for you.
Logs you will want later
Turn on audit logs that record who did what: AWS CloudTrail, Azure activity logs, Google Cloud Audit Logs. When something goes wrong, they are how you find out what happened. Each provider also offers a free or low-cost security overview that flags common risks; read its findings regularly.
Plan for the bad day
Keep backups, and test restoring them. Know how to revoke a key and who to call. If you suspect a leak, rotate credentials first and investigate second.
Try it
Run a five-minute security check
- 1.If you have a cloud account, confirm MFA is on for the top account and for your own login.
- 2.Look for any storage bucket or container marked public, and any access key older than 90 days.
- 3.Open the provider's security overview page and read the top three findings.
- 4.If you have no account yet, ask a chatbot the prompt below and save the checklist for when you do.
Give me a ten-point security checklist for a brand-new personal [AWS, Azure or Google Cloud] account used for learning. For each point, tell me where in the console to check it.