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)
Want this training for your team?
I deliver hands-on sessions tailored to your stack, level and goals.