Cloud Security Assessments: Identify and Fix Vulnerabilities in Your Cloud Environment
Comprehensive cloud security assessment services for AWS, Azure, and GCP that uncover misconfigurations, policy gaps, and compliance risks before attackers exploit them.
Why Cloud Security Assessments Are Critical for Your Business
Cloud adoption has accelerated across every industry, but the shift to AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform introduces security risks that traditional on-premises controls were never designed to handle. According to IBM's 2025 Cost of a Data Breach Report, 82% of breaches involved data stored in the cloud, and the average cost of a cloud-related breach reached $4.75 million. The problem is not the cloud itself. The problem is how organizations configure and manage it.
The shared responsibility model means your cloud provider secures the infrastructure, but everything above that layer is your responsibility. Identity and access management policies, network configurations, encryption settings, logging, and data protection all fall on your team. A single misconfiguration, such as an overly permissive IAM role or a publicly exposed storage bucket, can give attackers the foothold they need to move laterally through your environment and exfiltrate sensitive data.
A cloud security assessment is a structured evaluation of your cloud infrastructure, policies, and configurations against industry benchmarks and compliance frameworks. It identifies vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and gaps in your security posture before they become incidents. At Petronella Technology Group, our assessments combine automated scanning with expert manual review to deliver actionable findings, not just a list of alerts. Our cybersecurity services provide the foundation for protecting your organization across every attack surface, and cloud assessments are a critical component of that strategy.
What We Assess in Your Cloud Environment
Our cloud security assessments examine every layer of your cloud infrastructure to identify risks and prioritize remediation. We go beyond surface-level scans to evaluate the security controls that matter most for protecting your data and maintaining compliance.
IAM Policies and Access Controls
We review identity and access management configurations including role assignments, privilege escalation paths, multi-factor authentication enforcement, service account permissions, and cross-account access policies to ensure least-privilege principles are followed.
Network Configuration and Segmentation
We analyze virtual network architectures, security groups, firewall rules, VPN configurations, and network access control lists. We verify that proper segmentation isolates sensitive workloads and that no unnecessary ports or protocols are exposed to the internet.
Encryption and Key Management
We verify encryption at rest and in transit across all services, review key management practices, check certificate configurations, and ensure that encryption standards meet your compliance requirements for frameworks like HIPAA and PCI DSS.
Logging, Monitoring, and Alerting
We evaluate whether cloud-native logging services are properly configured, whether logs are retained and protected from tampering, and whether alerting thresholds are set to detect suspicious activity in real time. Visibility is the foundation of incident detection.
Compliance Controls Mapping
We map your current cloud configurations against the requirements of SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS, CMMC, NIST 800-53, and other frameworks. This produces a clear gap analysis showing exactly where your environment falls short of your compliance obligations.
Data Protection and Classification
We assess how sensitive data is stored, transmitted, and accessed across your cloud services. This includes reviewing data loss prevention policies, backup configurations, retention rules, and whether proper classification tags are applied to regulated data.
Container and Kubernetes Security
For organizations running containerized workloads, we evaluate container image security, Kubernetes cluster configurations, pod security policies, network policies, secrets management, and runtime protection to prevent container escape and lateral movement.
Serverless and Application Security
We review serverless function configurations including execution roles, event triggers, environment variable handling, and API gateway settings. We identify overly permissive function policies and missing input validation that could lead to data exposure.
Find Out What Your Cloud Is Exposing
Our cloud security assessment identifies misconfigurations, policy gaps, and compliance risks across your AWS, Azure, or GCP environment.
Schedule a Free Cloud Assessment Call 919-348-4912Multi-Cloud Platform Coverage: AWS, Azure, and GCP
Whether you run workloads on a single cloud platform or manage a multi-cloud environment, our cloud security assessment services cover the native services and configurations specific to each provider. We assess each platform against CIS Benchmarks and map findings to your compliance framework requirements.
| Assessment Area | AWS | Azure | GCP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identity and Access Management | IAM policies, STS, Organizations, SSO | Entra ID, RBAC, Conditional Access, PIM | Cloud IAM, Workload Identity, Organization policies |
| Network Security | VPC, Security Groups, NACLs, Transit Gateway | VNets, NSGs, Azure Firewall, Private Link | VPC, Firewall Rules, Cloud Armor, Private Google Access |
| Data Encryption | KMS, S3 encryption, EBS encryption, ACM | Key Vault, Storage encryption, Disk encryption | Cloud KMS, CMEK, default encryption, Certificate Manager |
| Logging and Monitoring | CloudTrail, CloudWatch, GuardDuty, Config | Monitor, Log Analytics, Sentinel, Defender | Cloud Audit Logs, Cloud Monitoring, Security Command Center |
| Storage Security | S3 bucket policies, EFS, Glacier access | Blob storage ACLs, Shared Access Signatures | Cloud Storage IAM, bucket policies, retention locks |
| Compute Security | EC2, Lambda, ECS/EKS configuration | VMs, Functions, AKS, Container Instances | Compute Engine, Cloud Functions, GKE configuration |
| Database Security | RDS, DynamoDB, Redshift access controls | SQL Database, Cosmos DB, firewall rules | Cloud SQL, BigQuery, Spanner access controls |
| Compliance Benchmarks | CIS AWS Foundations, AWS Well-Architected | CIS Azure Foundations, Azure Security Benchmark | CIS GCP Foundations, Google Cloud Security Best Practices |
For multi-cloud environments, we provide a unified assessment report that consolidates findings across all platforms, making it easier to prioritize remediation and track progress. Our cloud services team can also help you implement the recommended changes.
Cloud Security Assessment Services
Our cloud security audit services address every dimension of cloud risk. Each assessment produces a prioritized report with specific remediation steps, not generic recommendations.
Cloud Configuration Review
A comprehensive review of your cloud infrastructure settings against CIS Benchmarks and provider best practices. We check hundreds of configuration points across compute, storage, networking, and management services to identify settings that increase your attack surface.
IAM Security Assessment
Deep analysis of your identity and access management posture including user accounts, service principals, role assignments, permission boundaries, and federation configurations. We identify privilege escalation paths and accounts with excessive permissions.
Network Security Audit
Evaluation of your virtual network architecture, firewall rules, routing configurations, and external connectivity. We identify exposed management ports, overly broad security group rules, and missing network segmentation that could allow lateral movement.
Data Protection Assessment
Review of how sensitive data is stored, encrypted, backed up, and accessed across your cloud environment. We verify encryption configurations, assess data loss prevention controls, and check that backup and disaster recovery procedures meet your recovery objectives.
Compliance Mapping
We map your cloud environment's current state against the technical requirements of SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS, CMMC, and NIST frameworks. The result is a gap analysis that shows exactly which controls are met, partially met, or missing.
Container and Kubernetes Security
Security assessment of your containerized workloads including image vulnerability scanning, Kubernetes RBAC review, network policy evaluation, secrets management, and runtime security configuration. We evaluate both managed services like EKS, AKS, and GKE and self-managed clusters.
Incident Response Readiness
Assessment of your cloud environment's ability to detect, respond to, and recover from security incidents. We review logging completeness, alerting configurations, automation capabilities, and whether your team has the runbooks and access needed to respond quickly.
Remediation and Hardening
Beyond identifying issues, we provide prioritized remediation guidance and can work with your team to implement fixes. Our managed IT services team can handle ongoing hardening and monitoring so your cloud stays secure as it evolves.
Common Cloud Misconfigurations We Find
In our cloud vulnerability assessments, certain misconfigurations appear consistently across organizations of every size. These are the issues that attackers actively scan for and exploit, and they are often the result of default settings, rapid deployment, or configuration drift over time.
Public Storage Buckets and Exposed Data
S3 buckets, Azure Blob containers, and GCP Cloud Storage buckets configured with public access are one of the most common and dangerous misconfigurations we find. Public buckets have led to some of the largest data exposures in recent years, leaking everything from customer records to database backups. We check every storage resource for public access settings, bucket policies, and access control list configurations that could expose your data.
Overly Permissive IAM Roles and Policies
Granting wildcard permissions, attaching administrator policies to service accounts, or failing to scope IAM roles to specific resources creates unnecessary risk. We frequently find service accounts with full administrative access that were created during initial setup and never scoped down. A compromised service with admin-level IAM permissions gives an attacker the keys to your entire cloud environment.
Unencrypted Data at Rest and in Transit
While cloud providers offer encryption options for most services, encryption is not always enabled by default. We routinely find unencrypted database instances, storage volumes without encryption, and services communicating over unencrypted channels. For organizations subject to HIPAA, PCI DSS, or CMMC requirements, unencrypted data is both a security risk and a compliance violation.
Disabled or Incomplete Logging
CloudTrail, Azure Monitor, and GCP Audit Logs are essential for detecting and investigating security incidents, but we frequently find that logging is not enabled across all regions, that logs are not being centralized, or that log retention periods are too short for compliance requirements. Without complete logging, you cannot detect breaches or perform forensic analysis after an incident.
Exposed Management Ports and Services
Security groups and firewall rules that allow SSH (port 22) or RDP (port 3389) access from the internet are a common finding. Exposed management ports are a primary target for brute force attacks and credential stuffing. We also check for exposed database ports, Kubernetes API servers, and other management interfaces that should be restricted to internal networks or VPN connections.
Default Credentials and Weak Authentication
Default passwords on database instances, missing multi-factor authentication on administrative accounts, and API keys embedded in code or environment variables without rotation policies are all findings that appear regularly. These issues provide easy entry points for attackers who use automated tools to scan for default credentials across the internet.
Stop Misconfigurations Before They Become Breaches
Our assessment team has identified and remediated thousands of cloud security issues across AWS, Azure, and GCP environments.
Get Your Cloud Security Assessment Call 919-348-4912Our Assessment Methodology
Our cloud security assessment methodology combines automated scanning with manual expert review to deliver findings that are accurate, prioritized, and actionable. We use industry-standard benchmarks and map every finding to your specific compliance requirements.
Automated Scanning
We deploy cloud-native and third-party security scanning tools to evaluate hundreds of configuration points across your environment. Automated scanning provides broad coverage and ensures that no common misconfiguration is missed. Tools assess your environment against CIS Benchmarks, cloud provider security best practices, and custom rule sets tailored to your compliance framework.
Manual Expert Review
Automated tools catch known patterns, but they miss context. Our security engineers manually review IAM policies for privilege escalation paths, evaluate network architectures for segmentation weaknesses, and assess data flows for exposure risks that automated tools cannot detect. Manual review is where we find the complex, multi-step vulnerabilities that sophisticated attackers exploit.
CIS Benchmark Alignment
We assess your environment against the Center for Internet Security (CIS) Benchmarks for AWS, Azure, and GCP. These benchmarks represent the consensus-based security configuration standards that are recognized across the industry and referenced by compliance frameworks including SOC 2, HIPAA, and NIST.
NIST Cybersecurity Framework Mapping
Every finding is mapped to the relevant NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. This gives your team and leadership a clear view of where your cloud security posture stands relative to a framework that is widely adopted across regulated industries. Our compliance services can help you build a complete compliance program around these findings.
Our Cloud Security Assessment Process
From initial scoping to final report delivery, our five-step assessment process is designed to minimize disruption to your operations while providing thorough, actionable results.
Scoping and Discovery
We begin by understanding your cloud environment, business objectives, compliance requirements, and security concerns. We identify which cloud accounts, subscriptions, and projects are in scope, what workloads they run, and what data they process. This step ensures the assessment targets the areas that matter most to your organization.
Automated Scanning and Data Collection
Using read-only access to your cloud environment, we run automated security scans against CIS Benchmarks and custom rule sets. We collect configuration data across IAM, networking, storage, compute, database, and logging services. This process is non-disruptive and does not affect your running workloads.
Manual Expert Analysis
Our security engineers review the automated findings, eliminate false positives, and perform deeper analysis of IAM policies, network architectures, and data flows. We evaluate findings in the context of your specific environment and threat model to assess real-world exploitability and business impact.
Report and Prioritized Recommendations
We deliver a detailed report that includes an executive summary, a risk-scored list of findings, specific remediation steps for each issue, and compliance mapping against your required frameworks. Each finding includes clear evidence and step-by-step instructions your team can follow to resolve it.
Remediation Support and Verification
After you receive the report, our team is available to answer questions, assist with remediation, and re-scan your environment to verify that fixes were applied correctly. We can also integrate ongoing cloud security monitoring into our managed XDR suite for continuous protection.
Who Needs a Cloud Security Assessment?
Cloud security assessments are valuable for any organization that stores data or runs workloads in the cloud. However, certain situations make an assessment especially urgent. If any of the following apply to your organization, a cloud security audit should be a priority.
- Organizations migrating to the cloud: Whether you are moving from on-premises to AWS, Azure, or GCP, a security assessment during or immediately after migration catches misconfigurations introduced during the transition. Migration is when the most security debt accumulates.
- Multi-cloud and hybrid environments: Managing security across multiple cloud platforms increases complexity and the likelihood of inconsistent configurations. Each platform has different default settings, naming conventions, and security models that require platform-specific expertise.
- Regulated industries: Healthcare organizations subject to HIPAA, financial services companies handling PCI DSS cardholder data, and defense contractors pursuing CMMC certification all need documented evidence that their cloud environments meet regulatory requirements. Our assessment report provides that evidence.
- Organizations that have experienced a cloud incident: If you have had a security incident involving your cloud environment, a post-incident assessment identifies the root cause, discovers additional vulnerabilities the attacker may have left behind, and hardens your environment against future attacks.
- Companies with rapid cloud growth: Fast-growing organizations often prioritize speed over security during cloud deployments. A periodic assessment catches the configuration drift and technical debt that accumulate as teams spin up new resources under time pressure.
- Businesses preparing for audits or certifications: An assessment before a SOC 2 audit, HIPAA audit, or CMMC assessment identifies gaps you can close before the auditor arrives, reducing the risk of findings and accelerating your path to certification.
Not sure if your cloud environment has gaps? Our team can perform a preliminary review to help you determine whether a full assessment is warranted. Learn more about how our compliance services work alongside cloud security assessments to build a complete security and compliance program.
Why Choose Petronella Technology Group for Cloud Security
With over 23 years of experience in cybersecurity and IT services, Petronella Technology Group brings deep expertise across cloud platforms, compliance frameworks, and security operations. Here is what sets our cloud security assessments apart.
Multi-Cloud Expertise
Our team holds certifications across AWS, Azure, and GCP. We understand the nuances of each platform's security model and can assess multi-cloud environments with the depth that single-platform specialists cannot provide.
Compliance-First Approach
Every finding is mapped to relevant compliance frameworks. Whether you need SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS, CMMC, or NIST alignment, our reports give you the documentation and evidence your auditors expect.
Actionable Remediation
We deliver prioritized, step-by-step remediation guidance, not generic best practice lists. Each recommendation includes the specific configuration changes, commands, or policy updates needed to resolve the issue.
Beyond the Assessment
We can support ongoing cloud security through managed services, continuous monitoring, and incident response. Our goal is to be a long-term security partner, not a one-time vendor.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cloud Security Assessments
What is a cloud security assessment?
A cloud security assessment is a systematic evaluation of your cloud infrastructure, configurations, and policies against industry benchmarks and compliance frameworks. It identifies misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, and security gaps across your AWS, Azure, or GCP environment. The assessment covers areas including identity and access management, network security, encryption, logging, data protection, and compliance controls. The result is a prioritized report with specific remediation steps for each finding.
How long does a cloud security assessment take?
A typical cloud security assessment takes two to four weeks depending on the size and complexity of your environment. A single AWS account with straightforward workloads may be completed in two weeks, while a multi-cloud environment with dozens of accounts and complex architectures may take four weeks or more. The assessment process is non-disruptive and uses read-only access, so your workloads continue running normally throughout.
What access do you need to perform the assessment?
We require read-only access to your cloud environment. For AWS, this is typically the SecurityAudit managed policy. For Azure, the Reader role at the subscription level. For GCP, the Security Reviewer role at the project or organization level. We never request write access during the assessment phase. All access is documented and can be revoked immediately after the assessment is complete.
How is a cloud security assessment different from a penetration test?
A cloud security assessment focuses on configuration review, policy analysis, and compliance mapping. It evaluates how your cloud environment is set up and whether those settings follow security best practices. A penetration test actively attempts to exploit vulnerabilities to simulate a real attack. Both are valuable and complementary. We recommend starting with an assessment to fix configuration issues, then following up with a penetration test to validate your defenses.
Do you support multi-cloud environments?
Yes. We assess AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform environments individually and as part of unified multi-cloud assessments. For organizations running workloads across multiple providers, we deliver a consolidated report that normalizes findings across platforms so you can compare security posture and prioritize remediation consistently.
Which compliance frameworks do you map findings to?
We map findings to SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA Security Rule, PCI DSS, CMMC, NIST 800-53, NIST CSF, CIS Benchmarks, and ISO 27001. If your organization is subject to additional frameworks, we can customize the mapping to meet your specific requirements. Our compliance team works closely with the assessment team to ensure all regulatory requirements are addressed.
What happens after the assessment is complete?
After delivering the report, we schedule a walkthrough session to review findings with your team, answer questions, and help prioritize remediation. We are available to assist with implementing fixes, and we offer a re-assessment scan to verify that remediation was applied correctly. For ongoing protection, we can integrate your cloud environment into our managed security monitoring services.
How often should we perform a cloud security assessment?
We recommend a comprehensive cloud security assessment at least annually, with additional assessments after major infrastructure changes, cloud migrations, or security incidents. Organizations in highly regulated industries or with rapidly changing environments should consider quarterly assessments. Between full assessments, continuous monitoring through our managed XDR suite provides real-time visibility into configuration changes and emerging threats.
Can you help fix the issues you find?
Yes. Our team can assist with remediation directly or guide your internal team through the process. Every finding in our report includes specific, step-by-step remediation instructions. For organizations that need ongoing support, our managed IT services team can handle cloud security operations on a continuous basis, ensuring your environment stays hardened as it evolves.
Protect Your Cloud Environment Today
Organizations pursuing federal cloud authorization should also review our FedRAMP compliance checklist for a phase-by-phase authorization guide. Contact Petronella Technology Group for a free cloud security assessment consultation. Our team will evaluate your environment and provide clear, actionable recommendations to reduce your risk.
Schedule Your Free Consultation Call 919-348-4912