What it is
Cloud Service Enumeration is the process by which attackers identify exposed or misconfigured cloud services such as databases, storage buckets, message queues, or admin endpoints across public cloud providers.
This is often achieved using DNS discovery, port scanning, and provider-specific naming patterns.
Why it matters
Enumerated cloud services are frequently:
- Internet-exposed without authentication
- Running default configurations
- Forgotten or unmanaged
These assets become prime targets for data breaches, ransomware, and credential harvesting.
How to reduce risk
- Maintain an up-to-date cloud asset inventory
- Restrict public exposure by default
- Enforce identity-based access controls
- Continuously monitor for new or exposed services