Serverless Security Concerns Questions and Answers for Viva

Answer-1: Serverless computing allows developers to build and run applications without managing the underlying infrastructure, where cloud providers handle server management.

Answer-2: Concerns include function-level vulnerabilities, insecure dependencies, improper IAM roles, lack of visibility, and event injection attacks.

Answer-3: Cloud providers manage infrastructure security, while developers are responsible for securing code, configurations, and data.

Answer-4: Because each function should have the minimum privileges necessary to limit the impact of a compromised function.

Answer-5: Dependencies can introduce vulnerabilities or malicious code if not properly vetted and updated.

Answer-6: Malicious inputs can exploit vulnerabilities leading to data breaches or unauthorized access.

Answer-7: It occurs when an attacker manipulates event inputs triggering serverless functions, causing unintended behavior.

Answer-8: Cold starts can increase latency but have minimal direct security impact; however, improper initialization can cause security gaps.

Answer-9: Monitoring helps detect anomalies, unauthorized access, and function abuse in real-time.

Answer-10: Because logs provide visibility into function execution, aiding in incident detection and forensics.

Answer-11: By implementing authentication, authorization, rate limiting, and input validation.

Answer-12: It can lead to privilege escalation and broader access than necessary, increasing the attack surface.

Answer-13: Use encrypted environment variables and avoid hardcoding secrets in the code.

Answer-14: Insecure code, weak authentication, improper error handling, and insufficient input validation.

Answer-15: Assign minimal required permissions to functions and avoid using overly broad roles.

Answer-16: They can cause resource exhaustion, leading to increased costs or service disruption.

Answer-17: Implement throttling, rate limiting, and circuit breakers at API gateways or function triggers.

Answer-18: Secure coding prevents vulnerabilities that can be exploited in serverless functions.

Answer-19: Use managed secret stores like AWS Secrets Manager or Azure Key Vault.

Answer-20: It can lead to injection attacks, data leaks, or function crashes.

Answer-21: Short-lived functions reduce attack persistence but complicate monitoring and forensics.

Answer-22: Complex event chains can obscure attack paths and make tracing difficult.

Answer-23: Use TLS/SSL encryption for all communication channels.

Answer-24: To ensure all function dependencies and runtimes are free from known vulnerabilities.

Answer-25: Use authentication tokens, API keys, and validate event sources.

Answer-26: Sensitive data exposure through logs, errors, or improper data handling.

Answer-27: Use automated static and dynamic analysis, and perform regular penetration testing.

Answer-28: To detect and block malicious activity during function execution.

Answer-29: Shared infrastructure can lead to data leakage or resource contention if not properly isolated.

Answer-30: Functions running too long can be abused for resource exhaustion or lead to data exposure.

Answer-31: Even serverless apps need secure communication between services and proper network segmentation.

Answer-32: Use OAuth, API gateways, input validation, and logging.

Answer-33: By offering IAM, encryption, monitoring, and compliance tools tailored for serverless.

Answer-34: To detect vulnerable or malicious third-party libraries before deployment.

Answer-35: Misconfigurations can expose functions or data to unauthorized access.

Answer-36: When attackers send fake events to trigger functions maliciously.

Answer-37: Validate event sources and use authentication mechanisms.

Answer-38: Because it clarifies what security aspects the cloud provider manages versus what the developer must secure.

Answer-39: Using Infrastructure as Code with security policies and automated scans.

Answer-40: It enables secure, managed access to serverless functions across multiple identity providers.

Answer-41: To protect stored data from unauthorized access or breaches.

Answer-42: Through static code analysis, dynamic testing, and fuzz testing.

Answer-43: Ephemeral nature and distributed components make comprehensive auditing complex.

Answer-44: It can propagate vulnerabilities across multiple functions if not properly secured.

Answer-45: It can lead to broader attack impact and data exposure.

Answer-46: Use CI/CD pipelines with security gates and automated testing.

Answer-47: Unauthenticated or manipulated client requests can lead to unauthorized actions.

Answer-48: Compliance must account for distributed processing and data residency.

Answer-49: To identify potential attack vectors and design secure functions.

Answer-50: Follow cloud provider updates, security communities, and regularly review security frameworks.