Which of the following cloud computing service models does not allow cloud penetration testing (CPEN) to Jerry?

Jerry Mulligan is employed by an IT company as a cloud security engineer. In 2014, his organization migrated all applications and data from on-premises to a cloud environment. Jerry would like to perform penetration testing to evaluate the security across virtual machines, installed apps, and OSes in the cloud environment, including conducting various security assessment steps against risks specific to the cloud that could expose them to serious threats.

Which of the following cloud computing service models does not allow cloud penetration testing (CPEN) to Jerry?
A . DBaaS
B . laaS
C . PaaS
D . SaaS

View Answer

Answer: D

Explanation:

In the cloud computing service models, SaaS (Software as a Service) typically does not allow

customers to perform penetration testing. This is because SaaS applications are managed by the service provider, and the security of the application is the responsibility of the provider, not the customer.

Here’s why SaaS doesn’t allow penetration testing:

Managed Service: SaaS providers manage the security of their applications, including regular updates and patches.

Shared Environment: SaaS applications often run in a shared environment where multiple customers use the same infrastructure, making it impractical for individual customers to conduct penetration testing.

Provider’s Policies: Most SaaS providers have strict policies against unauthorized testing, as it could impact the service’s integrity and availability for other users.

Alternative Assessments: Instead of penetration testing, SaaS providers may offer security assessments or compliance certifications to demonstrate the security of their applications.

Reference: Oracle’s FAQ on cloud security testing, which states that penetration and vulnerability testing are not allowed for Oracle SaaS offerings1.

Cloud Security Alliance’s article on pentesting in the cloud, mentioning that CSPs often have policies describing which tests can be performed and which cannot, especially in SaaS models2.