What we assess
Identity and access
Privileged roles, service identities, trust relationships and effective permissions.
Storage and secrets
Public access, sensitive data exposure, key handling and secret distribution.
Network boundaries
Public endpoints, management access and workload connectivity.
Workload controls
Logging, host/container settings and relevant service-specific hardening in the agreed environment.
Who it is for
Cloud platform teams, SaaS businesses and security owners reviewing AWS, Azure or Google Cloud workloads and material configuration changes.
Before we start
Provide the provider, account boundaries, major services, deployment model and assessment objective. Agree temporary, least-privilege review access through a secure channel and follow provider testing policies.
Methodology
From scope to verified fixes.
Start with a read-only configuration review where feasible. Map effective identity permissions and external exposure, then validate selected risks only under agreed rules. Provider responsibility and customer responsibility are distinguished in the coverage summary.
- Agree authorization, coverage, test limits and evidence handling.
- Discover and manually validate candidate weaknesses.
- Report confirmed findings, unverified observations and coverage limitations distinctly.
- Discuss remediation and retest the specified fixes within the agreed window.
Typical issues we look for
Examples of possible issues, not findings from R53SEC client engagements. Actual results depend on the system and scope.
- A storage resource is accessible more broadly than its intended audience.
- A service identity can assume privileges beyond its workload’s needs.
- A management endpoint is publicly reachable without the intended access restrictions.
What you receive
Resource-specific observations, relevant permission or network paths, remediation with ownership context and a summary of untested accounts or services.
The report includes an executive summary, finding identifiers, severity rationale, impact, evidence, remediation and coverage limitations. CVSS is included where appropriate with its version, vector and assumptions. Retest scope, timing and commercial terms are agreed before work begins.
Questions about Cloud Security Assessment
Does using a major cloud provider remove the need for assessment?
No. The provider secures parts of the platform; customer identity, configuration, data and workload responsibilities still require review.
Do you change cloud settings during a review?
Changes are not part of a read-only assessment. Any validation needing a write action is separately agreed and recorded.
Is this a compliance certification?
No. Findings may support an internal assurance process, but an assessment does not confer certification or regulatory approval.
Related services
Practical reading
Guides
Cloud Security Fundamentals
Review identity, exposure and configuration within your cloud responsibilities.
Read articleChecklists
Security Configuration Review Checklist
Prepare a contextual hardening review, from permissions and exposure to evidence and exceptions.
Read checklist