Cloud Security Training - Security Best Practices

Overview

Cloud security requires a comprehensive approach that addresses identity management, data protection, network security, and compliance requirements. This training covers the essential security concepts, tools, and practices needed to secure cloud infrastructure across AWS, Azure, and multi-cloud environments.

Security Fundamentals

Understanding core security principles is essential for building a strong security foundation in the cloud.

Shared Responsibility Model - Cloud provider vs. customer responsibilities
Defense in Depth - Multiple layers of security controls
Zero Trust - Never trust, always verify architecture
Least Privilege - Minimum necessary permissions

Identity & Access Management

IAM is the cornerstone of cloud security, controlling who can access what resources and under what conditions.

Users & Groups - Identity management and organization
Roles & Policies - Permission boundaries and policy evaluation
MFA - Multi-factor authentication implementation
Federation - SSO, SAML, OIDC, and identity providers

                        
# AWS IAM Policy Example - Least Privilege
{
    "Version": "2012-10-17",
    "Statement": [
        {
            "Sid": "AllowS3BucketAccess",
            "Effect": "Allow",
            "Action": [
                "s3:GetObject",
                "s3:PutObject",
                "s3:ListBucket"
            ],
            "Resource": [
                "arn:aws:s3:::my-app-bucket",
                "arn:aws:s3:::my-app-bucket/*"
            ],
            "Condition": {
                "StringEquals": {
                    "aws:PrincipalTag/Environment": "Production"
                },
                "IpAddress": {
                    "aws:SourceIp": "10.0.0.0/8"
                }
            }
        }
    ]
}
                        
                    

Network Security

Secure your cloud networks with proper segmentation, access controls, and traffic inspection.

VPC Security - Subnets, routing, and network isolation
Security Groups & NACLs - Stateful and stateless firewalls
WAF - Web Application Firewall configuration
Private Connectivity - VPN, Direct Connect, PrivateLink

Data Protection

Protect sensitive data at rest and in transit using encryption, key management, and data classification.

Encryption at Rest - KMS, CMK, and encryption options
Encryption in Transit - TLS, certificate management
Key Management - Key rotation, HSM, key policies
Secrets Management - Vault, Secrets Manager, Parameter Store

                        
# Azure Key Vault - Secrets Management Example
# Create Key Vault with soft delete and purge protection
az keyvault create \
    --name "myapp-vault" \
    --resource-group "security-rg" \
    --location "eastus" \
    --enable-soft-delete true \
    --enable-purge-protection true \
    --sku premium

# Set secret with expiration
az keyvault secret set \
    --vault-name "myapp-vault" \
    --name "database-password" \
    --value "SecureP@ssw0rd!" \
    --expires "2025-12-31T23:59:59Z"

# Configure access policy
az keyvault set-policy \
    --name "myapp-vault" \
    --object-id "app-service-principal-id" \
    --secret-permissions get list
                        
                    

Compliance & Governance

Implement governance frameworks and ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations.

Compliance Frameworks - SOC 2, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, GDPR
Policy as Code - Azure Policy, AWS Config, OPA
Audit Logging - CloudTrail, Activity Log, audit trails
Resource Tagging - Governance and cost allocation

Security Scanning & Testing

Identify vulnerabilities and security issues through automated scanning and security testing.

Vulnerability Scanning - Infrastructure and application scanning
SAST/DAST - Static and dynamic application security testing
Container Security - Image scanning, runtime protection
IaC Security - Terraform, CloudFormation security scanning

                        
# GitHub Actions - Security Scanning Pipeline
name: Security Scan

on: [push, pull_request]

jobs:
  security:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      
      # SAST - Static Analysis
      - name: Run Semgrep
        uses: returntocorp/semgrep-action@v1
        with:
          config: p/security-audit
          
      # Dependency Scanning
      - name: Run Snyk
        uses: snyk/actions/node@master
        env:
          SNYK_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SNYK_TOKEN }}
          
      # Container Scanning
      - name: Run Trivy
        uses: aquasecurity/trivy-action@master
        with:
          image-ref: 'myapp:latest'
          severity: 'CRITICAL,HIGH'
          
      # IaC Scanning
      - name: Run Checkov
        uses: bridgecrewio/checkov-action@master
        with:
          directory: terraform/
                        
                    

Incident Response

Prepare for and respond to security incidents with established procedures and automation.

Incident Detection - SIEM, anomaly detection, alerting
Response Procedures - Playbooks, escalation, communication
Forensics - Log analysis, evidence collection, chain of custody
Recovery - Containment, eradication, and lessons learned

AWS Security Services

Leverage AWS-native security services for comprehensive protection.

GuardDuty - Threat detection and continuous monitoring
Security Hub - Centralized security findings
Inspector - Automated vulnerability assessment
Macie - Data discovery and protection

Azure Security Services

Utilize Azure security capabilities for cloud protection.

Microsoft Defender for Cloud - Security posture management
Azure Sentinel - Cloud-native SIEM
Azure Policy - Governance and compliance
Azure AD - Identity protection and conditional access

Security Certifications

Prepare for industry-recognized security certifications.

AWS Certified Security – Specialty
Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate
CompTIA Security+
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

Cloud Security