Case on Host-Level Infrastructure Security

AIM
The aim of this study is to assess host-level security measures in
SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS cloud models, focusing on the shared security
responsibilities between providers and customers. It evaluates how
virtualization impacts security and identifies best practices for protecting both
physical and virtual infrastructure. The goal is to enhance security strategies
across different cloud environments.

Let first Go into background of Host-Level Infrastructure Security: -

BACKGROUND
Infrastructure Security is essential for protecting an
organization's IT framework, encompassing network, host, and
application levels. It ensures that core systems are shielded
from unauthorized access, breaches, and other threats. Host -
level security, particularly in cloud environments like SaaS,
PaaS, and IaaS, requires a nuanced approach due to varying
responsibilities between providers and customers. SaaS and
PaaS models abstract the underlying host systems from users,
while IaaS shifts more responsibility for host security to the
customer. Effective security involves safeguarding physical
hardware, managing virtualization, and implementing robust
data protection measures.
 THEORY

1. Defense in Depth
This security strategy involves implementing multiple layers of
protection across different levels of the IT infrastructure. By having
various security measures in place, such as network defenses , host
protections, and application security controls, organizations can create a
robust security posture that mitigates the risk of a successful attack.

2. Principle of Least Privilege

This principle dictates that users and systems should be granted the
minimum level of access necessary to perform their functions. By limiting
access rights, organizations reduce the potential attack surface and the
risk of unauthorized access or privilege escalation.

3. Security by Design
This theory emphasizes incorporating security into the design phase of
systems and applications rather than as an afterthought. Secure design
principles include threat modeling, secure coding practices, and regular
security assessments to identify and address vulnerabilities early in the
development lifecycle.

4. Virtualization Security
Virtualization creates isolated virtual environments on a single physical
server. The theory behind virtualization security involves ensuring that
these virtual environments are securely isolated to prevent breaches from
one VM affecting others. It also includes managing the security of
hypervisors and virtual machines.

5. Cloud Security Shared Responsibility Model

In cloud computing, security responsibilities are divided between the

cloud provider and the customer. Providers typically manage the security
of the cloud infrastructure, including physical hardware and hypervisors,
while customers are responsible for securing their data, applications, and
access within the cloud environment.
❖ What is Infrastructure Security?

It is defined as securing an organizations core IT infrastructure and the

network, Host & application levels.

➢ Parts of Infrastructure Security

1. Network-Level Infrastructure Security
a. Network Segmentation:- Dividing the network into
segments to limit the spread of breaches.
b. Firewalls and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS):-
Filtering incoming and outgoing traffic to protect against
threats.
c. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs):- Securing remote
access to the network through encryption.
2. Application-Level Infrastructure Security
a. Application Firewalls:- Protecting applications from
attacks like SQL injection and cross-site scripting.
b. Secure Development Practices:- Integrating security into
the software development lifecycle (SDLC).
c. Regular Patch Management:- Updating applications to
fix vulnerabilities.
3. Host-Level Infrastructure Security
a. Operating System Hardening:- Configuring and securing
the operating system to minimize vulnerabilities.
b. Endpoint Protection:- Implementing antivirus, anti-
malware, and other protection measures on individual
hosts.
 ❖ Case Study on Host-Level Infrastructure Security

The host security at various delivery models such as System as a Service(SaaS),

Platform as a Service(Paas) and Infrastructure as a service(IaaS).

➢ SaaS and PaaS Host-Level Security

Generally, The Cloud Service providers do not disclose or share the details
about their host platforms, host OS or Security processes to avoid giving hackers
the potential exploit information, When they are trying to break into the cloud
services. Hence, In this context of System/Software as a service(SaaS) or
Platform as a Service(PaaS)And the Services which are provided lies under
Cloud Services Security that the host level should be non-transparent with the
customer and their responsibility of securing the host is confined to the cloud
service providers.

Virtualization is a technique that improves the host hardware utilization, with

the benefits. It is common for cloud service providers to employ virtualization
platforms including VMware hypervisors.

Both the SaaS and PaaS delivery models software platforms should abstract the
host operating system from the end user with a host abstraction layer.
Accessibility of the abstraction layer is different in each delivery models.

In SaaS, The abstraction Layer is hidden from all the users except developers
and cloud Service provider execution/Operational Staff it is only available or
provided to these only. Whereas in PaaS, users have indirect access to the
abstraction layer in the form of PaaS API (Application programming interface)
that eventually interacts with the host abstraction layer.
 ❖ Infrastructure as a Service(IaaS) Host Security

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provides virtualized computing resources over

the internet. It allows customers to rent virtual machines, storage, and
networking infrastructure, typically managed by a cloud service provider (CSP).
The customers of Infrastructure as a Service(IaaS) are primarily responsible for
securing the hosts in the cloud, Infrastructure as a Service(IaaS) employs
virtualization at the host layer, IaaS host security can be categorized as follows:
Host-Level security in IaaS refers to the security measures and practices used
to protect the underlying physical and virtual infrastructure that supports these
services.

➢ Key or Aspects of IaaS Host Security

1. Physical Security:
- Data Center Security: Physical security controls at data centers where the
hardware is hosted, including access controls, surveillance, and environmental
protections (e.g., fire suppression, cooling systems).
- Hardware Protection: Safeguarding physical servers and networking
equipment from tampering, theft, or damage.

2. Hypervisor Security:
- Isolation: Ensuring that virtual machines (VMs) are isolated from each other
so that vulnerabilities or breaches in one VM do not affect others. This isolation
is critical to maintaining the integrity of each VM and its data.
- Patch Management: Regularly updating and patching hypervisors to
protect against vulnerabilities and exploits and for Security. Timely patching is
essential to mitigate potential security risks associated with hypervisor
vulnerabilities.

3. Virtual Machine Security:

 - Access Control: Implementing strong access control measures to manage
who can create, modify, or delete virtual machines .This helps prevent
unauthorized changes and potential security breaches.
- Monitoring and Auditing: Continuously monitoring and logging VM
activities to detect and respond to potential security incidents. Effective auditing
helps in identifying and addressing suspicious activities.

4. Network Security:
- Firewalls and Security Groups: Using virtual firewalls, security groups,
and network segmentation to control traffic between VMs and external
networks. This includes configuring rules to allow or block specific types of
traffic.

- Intrusion Detection and Prevention: Deploying systems to monitor

network traffic for signs of malicious activity and responding to potential
threats. Intrusion detection systems (IDS) and intrusion prevention systems
(IPS) are used to enhance network security.

5. Data Security:
- Encryption: Encrypting data at rest (in database) and in transit(end-to-end)
to protect against unauthorized access and data breaches. Encryption ensures
that sensitive data remains confidential.
-Backup and Recovery: Implementing backup and disaster recovery
solutions to ensure data integrity and availability in case of failure or attack.

6. Management and Automation Security:

- API Secure: Securing APIs used for managing cloud resources to prevent
unauthorized access and misuse. API security includes authentication,
authorization, and encryption measures.

- Automation and Orchestration: Using automated tools for configuration

management, deployment, and security tasks to minimize human errors and
ensure consistent security practices. Automation helps streamline operations
and enhance security.
 ➢ Types of IaaS Host Security

1. Virtual Machine (VM) Security:

- Endpoint Protection: Implementing antivirus, anti-malware, and other
endpoint protection measures within each VM.
- Configuration Management: Ensuring that VMs are configured securely
and comply with security policies.

2. Operational Security:
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): Using SIEM tools
to collect, analyze, and respond to security events and incidents.
- Incident Response Plan: Develop a well-defined incident response plan to
handle data breaches .This plan must include roles, responsibilities,
communication procedure & strategies for recovering. Developing and
implementing incident response plans to address security breaches or other
incidents.

3. Compliance and Governance:

- Regulatory Compliance: Different industry have specific regulation and
compliance requirement that must be followed ensuring that cloud systems
comply with these standards can be challenging especially when cloud provider
operates in various regions .Ensuring that the IaaS environment meets relevant
legal and regulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).

- Security Policies and Procedures: Establishing and enforcing security

policies and procedures to guide the secure operation of IaaS environments. This
includes creating guidelines for security practices and ensuring they are
followed consistently.
 References
1. NIST Special Publication 800-53

2. Cloud Security Alliance

3. AWS security best practices

4. Microsoft Azure

Books
A. Cloud Security and Compliance: A Practical Guide by Ben potter and
Scott Ward
B. Mastering Cloud Computing: Foundations and Applications of Cloud
Computing by Rajkumar Buyya, Christian Vecchiola, and S. Thamarai
Selvi

Websites
I. Geeks of Geeks

II. IBM Cloud

III. Google Cloud Platform

IV. Cloud Platform