The serverless application popularity is growing so its security risk. Many things can go wrong and be vulnerable to online threats. The following are some of the major risks to be carefully mitigated.
Denial of service attacksBusiness logic manipulationResource abuseData injectionInsecure authenticationInsecure storageVulnerable third-party API/tools integration
A serverless application requires slightly different security approach than a traditional one. It is more the securing functions. And, that’s why you need a specialized platform for comprehensive security protection. It also requires a different type of monitoring and debugging. I would recommend taking a look at this guide from PureSec, which covers 12 most critical risks for serverless applications. Let’s explore the following solution.
PureSec
PureSec offer end-to-end security for AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, IBM Cloud Functions, and Azure Functions. It integrates well with some of the popular platform and tools.
GitlabSplunkApexJenkinsAWS CloudformationServerless framework
PureSec’s serverless application firewall detect and prevent attacks at function event-data layer without impacting the performance. The detection engine is capable of inspecting event trigger type as NoSQL DB, API, Cloud Storage, Pub/Sub messaging, and more. Their FunctionShield security library enables developers to enforce security mechanism to address some of the common use cases. You can use them with Node.js, Python, and Java. Some of the benefits of using FunctionShield are:
Data leakage prevention by monitoring outbound network traffic from functionsPrevent handler source code leakageChild process execution controlA choice to configure in an alert mode to log security events or block to stop the execution when policy violates.
It adds less than 1-millisecond latency to overall execution.
Snyk
Snyk is one of the popular open-source solutions to monitor, find, and fix the vulnerabilities found in the application’s dependencies. Recently, they have introduced the integration with AWS Lambda and Azure Functions which allow you to connect and check if a deployed application is vulnerable or not. For any vulnerability found, you can configure to get notified by email or slack. You have a choice to define the testing frequency.
Aqua
Aqua offers two in one service – secure serverless container and functions, both. It scans container image and functions for known and unknown vulnerabilities in a library, configuration, and permissions. Aqua can be integrated into the CI/CD pipeline.
Twistlock
Protect your application at every stage of lifecycle with Twistlock. It scans and protects all the functions in the account in real-time to keep your application vulnerable free. Some of the features are:
Supports Python, .Net, Java, and Node.jsCloud-native firewall for continuous threat monitoring and preventionTemplates for HIPPA and PCI complianceIntegrate with TeamCity, JenkinsVulnerability management
Twistlock leverage machine learning to delivery automated runtime protection and policy creation.
Conclusion
Securing application is essential whether it is serverless or traditional. The good news is they offer a FREE trial so experience yourself to see what works for your application. If you are a newbie and interested in hands-on AWS Lambda and Serverless framework, then check out this fantastic online course.
