The usage of AWS S3 bucket is growing exponentially. The driver of this growth is the sharing of files by employees. Another reason is AWS S3’s ability to host online based providers. The mixture of collaborative systems and their high flexibility make S3 buckets the first choice for many companies and individuals. However, even after a comprehensive investigation, the topic of cybersecurity is moving into focus.
The flexibility of AWS S3 is a great advantage for users, but it also makes this system a worthwhile target for malicious attackers. These are increasingly targeting the open Amazon S3 buckets in order to steal information from companies and individuals. Valuable company data are a coveted commodity on internet that makes the cash register of hackers ring.
Cyber activites are often made easier by inadequate protective measures. In the context of AWS S3 storage, for example, incorrect configuration of the associated access is a frequently occurring issue. If the benchmarks are not correct here, it becomes the stirrup holder for hacker attacks. Intruders can easily read all of the information in order to gather consistent data about business.
Once in the network, attackers then also have the chance of writing and uploading files to the S3 buckets themselves, or of changing the access rights as required. Users are then blocked from accessing the data stored in the bucket. This can put many companies in a bad situation. The insufficient protection for the AWS S3 buckets provides hackers with valuable insights, making it easier for them to carry out more in-depth and targeted attacks.
To check whether an S3 bucket is publicly accessible, simply click on the URL of the bucket using any browser. If this is secured, a blank page will appear with the message access denied. The bucket contents are not displayed.
An unsecured bucket displays the first 1000 files it contains. The reason for this can be incorrectly configured access permissions that offer too many loopholes. It is also possible that some users have been granted too many permissions to use the bucket. This means that files that are not intended for a wide range of users may also be listed.
