Google Cloud offers security scanning for customer apps
The Google Cloud Security Scanner can ferret out XSS and mixed-use vulnerabilities
Google has released a
security scanner to help its cloud customers guard against attacks on their Web
applications.Google Cloud Security Scanner, now available as a free beta for
Google App Engine users, is designed to overcome a number of limitations often
found in commercial Web application security scanners, noted Google security
engineering manager Rob Mann in a blog post announcing the new service.
Commercials scanners can
be difficult to set up. They can over-report issues, leading to too many false
positives. They are designed more for security professionals than developers.
Google's scanner was designed to be easier to
use, Mann said. The service is designed to spot errors in code that could be
exploited through XSS (cross side scripting) or mixed content attacks, two
common attack methods.
The scanner inspects a Web application in
multiple steps. First, it quickly reviews the application's HTML code, which
renders the front-end interface for users. Then it digs more deeply into the
JavaScript code that runs the business logic for the site.
XSS attacks occur in sites that allow users to
submit their own content, such as a discussion forum. If the Web server does
not properly vet the submitted materials, attackers can add
malicious code that executes when other users visit the site.
Mixed content attacks take advantage of
sites that mix secure HTTPS pages with unsecured regular HTTP pages. Such sites
can fool users into thinking that
data is secure, when in fact it is not.
The scanning service does not cover all types of
vulnerabilities, so Mann recommended customers still get manual security
reviews by professionals. As time goes on, Google will expand the service to
cover a wider range of vulnerabilities.
Google is not charging for
the scanner, though its use may incur fees on the Google App Engine services
deployed by the Web application being scanned.Google Cloud Platform competitor
Amazon Web Services does not offer a security scanning service for its
customers, though a number of third-party companies offer scanning
services on the Amazon marketplace.
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