-- Use HTTPS -- Do not keep Application and DB credentials in your repositories , try get all these details from environment. -- User Platform like AWS and their Access management -- Use VPC -- Always perform Input Validation and take all steps to stop SQL Injections etc -- Use of Authentication and Authorization for each API call -- Regularly Conducting Training for Security & Threats to the Team -- Periodically perform Security testing using some tool -- Use firewalls , VPN based access for infra

1) Use key management solution for any kind of user name, password, server details and certificate. 2) Use DevOps to deploy, avoid manual configuration of any sort. 3) Static Code analysis is must. 4) Dynamic Code analysis is desired. 5) Make sure your 3rd party libraries are not vulnerable, even after deployment.

Key step to enhance cloud security is to implement strong access controls and authentication mechanisms. Utilize identity and access management (IAM) services provided by your cloud provider to manage user permissions and ensure that only authorized personnel have access to critical resources. Enforce the principle of least privilege, granting users only the permissions necessary for their roles. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of security by requiring users to verify their identity through multiple means. Regularly review and update access permissions to align with the changing needs of your organization.

In my view, no matter what cloud service provider is used, there are always vulnerabilities which are exposed because of unpatched security updates, lack of awareness among users who are a victim of fraud and many other reasons. The best ways to mitigate or reduce these issue are by using : - Periodic scanning of security vulnerabilities. - Effective monitoring/audit of application logs to find patterns of anomaly. - Place a Applications firewall to block unintended traffic.

Shift left for the entire pipeline (from dev to test to deploy to release): - Secure Development: Embed security best practices in IDE (OWASP best practices, Static code analysis, code review) and embedded AI tools in dev workflows (GHCo-Pilot). - Secure pipeline (build, deploy and infra): Runtime code scanning, artifact scanning, SBOM compliance - Deployment should be via paved paths (which are tailored and secured) where controls such as patching etc. can be applied in a relatively centralized fashion. - Telemetry to debug an issue - Pen tests in Production look alike env also promoting infra as code

Another crucial step in enhancing cloud security is to encrypt sensitive data both in transit and at rest. Use secure communication protocols, such as HTTPS, to encrypt data transmitted between users and your web application. Leverage encryption mechanisms provided by your cloud provider to safeguard data stored in databases, file systems, or other storage services. Utilize encryption algorithms and key management practices to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access, ensuring that even if data is compromised, it remains unreadable without the appropriate decryption keys.

Adopt AI at the IDE. Help your devs see issues earlier, and help them, learn faster, including new libraries and techniques. How you utilize AI to improve development practices is now table stakes. Improve your IDE, by adding SAST and SCA, thereby allowing your developers to more quickly identify and correct potential issues.

Along with that - check on adding WAF policies at network level this will reduce most of the attack at network layer itself and wont take malicious request till application level. Also perform code level pen test to see you have implemented all the security practices like only https connection

* Input Validation * Output Encoding * Error Handling * Code Review * Use Secure Frameworks and Libraries * Testing and Scanning * Vulnerability Assessment

- Using Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for accessing cloud services - Making authenticated APIs and encrypt the data during transit - Using TLS for data in transit to ensure data is encrypted when moving between the cloud and users.

Implementing strong access controls is crucial for securing your cloud infrastructure. Leverage Identity and Access Management (IAM) features provided by your cloud provider to define and manage user roles, permissions, and access policies. Utilize the principle of least privilege, ensuring that users only have the minimum level of access required to perform their tasks. Regularly review and audit access permissions to detect and rectify any unnecessary or overly permissive settings. Additionally, enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for enhanced identity verification, adding an extra layer of security to user accounts.

This is generally really easy to do, but does take time. Whichever cloud you're on, take time to understand their IAM model as well as the permissions your workloads require then use the documentation and console tools to understand what you need and then implement the principle of least privilege.

Properly configure cloud security settings to protect your environment. This includes setting up firewalls, encryption, identity and access management, and other security controls offered by the cloud provider. Regularly review and update these settings to adapt to new threats and to ensure that only authorized users have access to sensitive resources. Utilize SIEM along with other prevention and monitoring tool per expertise. available at the organization's disposal.

The most important thing is who has access to what resources and with what permissions. Ensures proper authentication and authorization, following the principle of least privilege. in addition to Firewalls and Network Security Configurations.

Optimizing cloud security settings is paramount. Tailor configurations to your web application's needs, leveraging IAM, firewalls, and encryption keys for precise access control. Safeguarding data and networks through encryption, backup solutions, and VPNs fortifies your infrastructure against potential threats. Implementing robust monitoring tools for security incidents, including alerts, logs, and incident response plans, ensures a proactive stance in identifying and mitigating security issues promptly.

Regularly conduct security training sessions for your team to keep them informed about the latest security threats, best practices, and tools related to cloud deployment. Emphasize the importance of adhering to security policies and procedures established for web applications. Provide hands-on training on using the security features offered by your cloud provider, ensuring that your team can effectively configure, monitor, and respond to security settings. Encourage continuous learning and stay updated on emerging security trends in cloud computing. Foster a security-aware culture within your team to collectively prioritize and address security concerns throughout the development and deployment lifecycle.

Training and education is deeply tied to company culture. Empower your engineering teams with access to courses and materials that make it exciting to learn topics as a whole, instead of reactively learning how to solve their current challenge. Education takes time! Let engineers decrease their regular work capacity, even just a little bit. If you don't even have a free hour you'll never find the time to start. But if you get just that one hour to dig into something exciting it'll motivate you to learn more. It's like starting an exciting book. Let engineers create their own lunch'n'learns, workshops, etc. You have people excited to share what they learned, so let them share. It can help company culture and growth mindset as well.

Build security champions or security guardians teams that pervade all of your development teams. Grow your network of subject matter experts. Connect these teams on a regular basis to your enterprise security professionals. Share knowledge across your organization. Provide robust training, that is, as much as possible, tailored to the development work you do. Provide paths to certification to help drive interest in improving training and knowledge.

You can setup n number of security measures but until & unless resources are not properly trained and do not understand how important is security, you cannot achieve the goal

Keep your team updated on security by regularly conducting training sessions covering the latest threats and best practices for cloud deployment. Emphasize the importance of following established security policies and provide hands-on training on your cloud provider's security features. Foster a culture of continuous learning to collectively address security concerns and stay ahead of emerging trends in cloud computing.

Implement a robust update and patch management strategy to promptly address security vulnerabilities in your web applications. Regularly monitor security advisories and releases from your cloud provider, web application framework, and third-party libraries. Utilize automation tools and practices, such as continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD), to streamline the deployment of updates and patches. Establish version control and configuration management practices to efficiently manage changes and maintain a secure and up-to-date web application environment. Regularly test the updated configurations and functionalities to ensure that security fixes are successfully implemented without introducing new issues.

Updates not only address security issues, but also improve the overall performance of the application, optimizing its operation and providing a more efficient experience to users. In addition to keeping the application updated it ensures compliance with regulations and security standards, which which is essential to protect data privacy and avoid legal sanctions.

Keep your web applications secure by implementing a strong update and patch strategy. Stay alert to security advisories from your cloud provider, web framework, and third-party libraries. Use automation tools like CI/CD for efficient updates, and test configurations to ensure security fixes without introducing new issues.

Regular and timely updates are critical. Stay vigilant by monitoring security updates from your cloud provider, web application framework, and third-party libraries. Automate the update process using CI/CD, configuration management, and version control tools to ensure efficiency. This proactive approach addresses security vulnerabilities promptly, fortifying your web applications against potential threats and safeguarding both your applications and user data.

Implementation of a vulnerability scanner with CICD pipeline is very important to find out the vulnerability in your application, Backduct scan will help you to achieve the same goal. Developer should have to lock their package versions to avoid the future upcoming issues for package version dependency management.

Utilize security metrics, benchmarks, and audits to measure and validate the security performance and compliance of your web applications. Employ risk assessment, threat modeling, and feedback mechanisms to identify and prioritize security gaps and weaknesses. Implement corrective measures and preventive actions to address identified vulnerabilities and enhance overall security resilience. Embrace a proactive and adaptive approach to security, fostering a culture of continuous improvement within your organization. Regularly update security policies, procedures, and training to align with evolving security threats and industry best practices.

Continuously monitor your environment for suspicious activities and conduct regular security assessments and audits to identify and mitigate risks. Utilize security tools and services to detect and respond to threats and regularly review your security policies and practices for improvements.

Continuous review and improvement of the security posture is the key. In an Agile world, there will be incremental updates to the web applications. To make sure, your web application remains secure with the latest changes and newer threats, you need continuous reviews and improvements.

Implementing simple yet effective measures, such as regular software updates and patches, can significantly prevent major security risks. Encouraging the use of multi-factor authentication adds an extra layer of protection, making unauthorized access more difficult. Furthermore, restricting access privileges based on job roles and conducting periodic security audits ensures that vulnerabilities are promptly identified and addressed, safeguarding the overall security posture of the organization.

The security landscape has shifted dramatically in the past few years. Advanced tools are avaliable to laypeople, hobbyists, professionals, security researchers... and bad actors. Organizational culture must accept that ongoing maintenance & security focus is critical for operational security. The days of asking the technology team "what do you do here?" when everything is running fine, are over. A strong technology team and constant diligence in CyberSecurity is mandatory to remain secure today, and in the future.

Beyond these steps, consider other factors such as the geographic location of data centers, data backup and recovery procedures, and legal and regulatory compliance. Understand the shared responsibility model in cloud computing, where both the provider and the customer have roles to play in ensuring security. Lastly, consider employing external experts for regular security assessments and guidance to bolster your security posture.

Few pointers from my learnings would be: 1.Key Encryption: Employ secure key management, encrypting keys to prevent exposure of sensitive creds. 2.Access Control: Follow requirement based access to anyone in team. 3. Anomaly/cost Alert: Have robust cost anomaly detection with alerts for swift identification & response to security breaches. Have multiple folks as recipients. 4. Updates/Monitoring: Regularly update tools with security patches. Do regular reviews of current system to avoid vulnerabilities. 5. Deployments: Follow a structured deployment workflow progressing through dev/QA then testing phases before moving the code to prod. 6.Logs: Exercise caution in logging by avoiding sensitive data. If required, log encrypted data.

Among the mitigating solutions mentioned, I believe adding a third party between the user and the cloud provider, like Cloudflare, will improve the security. By adopting overload control and load balancing techniques in the third party. For example, load balancing can divide up incoming network traffic among several servers, it strengthens the system's defenses against DDoS attacks. In addition, overload control manage sudden increases in traffic or resource demands. Mechanisms for controlling overload can stop resource depletion, which is something that attackers might employ to stopservices or lower performance. Adding these techniques will improve your web application's scalability, availability, and overall stability

- Consider multi-regional deployment of web application. - If there is an authentication requirement enable that on the site. - Depending on app visibility (Public or Private) configure appropriate security measures to restrict site access. - Frequent security audits of the web app to ensure it meets latest security standards.

Dependency scanning is also key: - Regularly scan third party dependencies for known vulnerabilities. - Keep track of libraries and components used in the application and update them when security issues are identified. - In bigger organisations the IT Security team should have DevSecOps specialists in the team to enforce this and also educate development teams around security, across the organisation. This scanning can be applied on the CI/CD Pipelines.