Google Cloud Security Scanner

Google Cloud Security Scanner is a web security scanner for common vulnerabilities in Google Cloud Platform applications. It automatically scans web applications and produces reports of security vulnerabilities that need to be fixed in order to protect the application from hackers.

Steps or Explanation

To get started with Google Cloud Security Scanner, follow these steps:

1. Setup: Enable the Cloud Security Scanner API in the Google Cloud Console and select the project you want to scan.
2. Configuration: Configure the scanner settings such as scanning scope, authentication, and scanning frequency.
3. Start scan: Start scanning your web application by launching the Security Scanner from the Cloud Console.
4. Review results: Once the scan is complete, review the Security Scanner reports to identify vulnerabilities.
5. Remediation: Fix the identified vulnerabilities and re-scan the application to ensure that all issues have been resolved.

Examples and Use Cases

Google Cloud Security Scanner can be used in various scenarios and use cases such as:

• Scanning web applications for common vulnerabilities such as cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL injection, and remote code execution.
• Identifying security issues in web applications before deployment to production.
• Scanning web applications running on App Engine, Compute Engine, and Kubernetes Engine.
• Integrating with other Google Cloud Platform services, such as Cloud Functions and Stackdriver logging and error reporting.

Important Points

Some important points to keep in mind while using Google Cloud Security Scanner are:

• Security Scanner is not designed to replace manual security testing, but rather to augment it by automating some of the repetitive aspects of security testing.
• Vulnerability scans can be resource-intensive, so schedule scans during off-peak times and avoid scanning large numbers of URLs simultaneously.
• Security Scanner is free for up to 12 scans per year, with additional scans charged at a per-scan price.
• Google Cloud Security Scanner reports only on vulnerabilities that are detectable via automated analysis. The tool cannot detect all security issues, so complement with manual efforts.

Summary

Google Cloud Security Scanner is a valuable tool for scanning web applications for common security vulnerabilities. It automates the process of identifying and reporting vulnerabilities that need to be addressed to keep your application secure. By integrating with other Google Cloud Platform services, it becomes a powerful tool to enhance security testing efforts.