Hello and welcome back! While Azure provides a semi-secure cloud platform very dependent on the user configuration, the level of security risk associated with specific Azure services can also vary greatly depending on factors such as the purpose of the service, its configuration, and also to some degree the security culture within the organisation. There are some Azure services that may introduce more security risk if not properly secured configured and managed.
1. Azure Active Directory (AAD) is a service for identity and access management, here any misconfiguration or compromise can lead to unauthorized access to resources at scale. The security risks can include weak password policies making passwords easy to guess, lack of multi-factor authentication (MFA) and permitting repeated brute force attempts with no detection controls, or insecure integration with external applications and services with the cloud environment.
Authentication measures must be securely configured, detective controls must also be in place to monitor for suspicious activities, and regularly review and modification of security configurations if not matching the benchmark of the organsiation.
2. Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) are a common service, and misconfigurations in virtual machines can expose vulnerabilities and result in unauthorised access, data breaches, with subsequent compromise of the underlying infrastructure and cloud environments. Again poor security configurations, but also unpatched or outdated operating systems, insecure network configuration, or poor to no access controls.
Virtual machines must be regularly patched and updated, follow security best practices for hardening appropriate for the organisation, using network security controls such as network security groups and firewalls. Appropriate security agents are also needed to monitor and detect unauthorized access or malicious activities within each machine.
3. Azure Storage Services, any storage service may introduce security risks if not adequately securely configured. Any service in the cloud that is hosting data is a target. Security risks can include misconfigured access control, enabling public access to storage, no confidentiality controls, or little to no detective and monitoring of storage activities.
Implement proper access controls, including role-based access control (RBAC), enable encryption at rest and in transit, regularly review and audit access permissions, and monitor storage activities for potential security incidents.
The key is secure configuration, following security best practices such as Center for internet security benchmarks and vendor documentation, and continuous monitoring for security events.
Take care and happy reading!
