Penetration Testing Methodologies for Serverless Cloud Architectures

Abstract

As organizations increasingly adopt serverless cloud architectures to enhance scalability and reduce operational costs, the security landscape has evolved, introducing new challenges and vulnerabilities. Serverless computing, characterized by its abstraction of infrastructure management and dynamic resource allocation, presents unique security concerns that traditional penetration testing methodologies may not adequately address. This research paper explores penetration testing methodologies specifically tailored for serverless cloud environments, aiming to identify effective strategies for evaluating and mitigating security risks in these modern architectures. The paper begins by defining serverless computing and its key characteristics, such as event-driven execution, automatic scaling, and micro-billing models. Unlike traditional server-based environments, serverless architectures often rely on Functions-as-a-Service (FaaS) and Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) components, which can obscure the underlying infrastructure and introduce complex attack vectors. Consequently, traditional penetration testing approaches, designed for monolithic or microservices-based systems, may fall short in identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities specific to serverless environments.