As Australian businesses continue to migrate to cloud-native infrastructure, speed and scalability are no longer optional in your DevOps pipeline—they’re expected. But without the right security practices in place, fast deployments can quickly lead to costly misconfigurations, data exposures, and breaches. This is where cloud infrastructure testing becomes essential.
Your cloud stack is dynamic, interconnected, and complex. Traditional scanning and manual reviews aren’t enough to secure modern systems. You need continuous, intelligent, and cloud-specific security testing services that work in parallel with your development process.
In this article, you’ll discover ten practical ways to integrate cloud infrastructure testing into your pipeline—without sacrificing delivery speed, agility, or compliance.
1. Shift left with security testing services
To secure cloud environments effectively, integrate security testing services early in the development lifecycle. This shift-left approach ensures vulnerabilities are discovered during design and build stages, rather than in production. Tools that scan infrastructure-as-code (IaC) templates—like Terraform or CloudFormation—help identify risks such as over-permissive roles or unsecured storage buckets before provisioning. Pairing these tools with web application testing services creates a secure-by-design culture that minimizes rework and supports long-term scalability.
2. Automate vulnerability scanning service into pipelines
Speed and automation are central to DevOps. Embedding a vulnerability scanning service directly into your CI/CD pipelines allows you to catch flaws as part of each build. These scans can check dependencies, container images, and configurations automatically, giving your team instant feedback. Using web application scanning services and managed web vulnerability scanning ensures that applications and infrastructure are continuously assessed for known vulnerabilities, helping you maintain a high-security standard without slowing delivery.
3. Use manual web penetration testing for critical releases
Automated tools are fast, but they’re not exhaustive. Before high-impact releases, conduct manual web penetration testing to simulate real-world attacks that automation can’t predict. Manual testing excels at identifying complex logic flaws, chained vulnerabilities, and authentication issues—especially in multi-layered cloud deployments. When done correctly, website penetration testing during staging or pre-production environments adds a vital layer of assurance and strengthens your overall risk posture.
4. Prioritise application penetration testing in multi-tiered environments
Cloud-native architectures often involve multiple interconnected services. Application penetration testing ensures each layer—from the frontend to backend microservices—is tested for security vulnerabilities. These assessments can reveal configuration issues, insecure integrations, and improperly protected APIs that expose sensitive data. Investing in advanced web security testing helps your DevOps team confidently deploy code that is both functional and resilient against common and emerging threats.
5. Secure APIs with web application testing services
APIs are often the backbone of your cloud services and are frequently targeted by attackers. Integrating web application testing services into your DevOps workflows enables continuous assessment of API endpoints. These tests help uncover issues like improper authorization, input manipulation, and data leakage. Leveraging advanced penetration testing techniques such as token tampering or header injection ensures your APIs are secure across all environments.
6. Highlighting open source software risk
Modern development heavily relies on open source software, but using outdated or unmaintained packages can introduce vulnerabilities. To manage this risk, incorporate software composition analysis tools that detect known security issues in your dependencies. When paired with expert-led security testing services, these insights help teams decide whether to update, patch, or remove risky components. Scanning your software stack regularly keeps your infrastructure secure and compliant without disrupting delivery.
7. Incorporate IaC scanning for infrastructure misconfigurations
Infrastructure-as-Code simplifies provisioning but can introduce risks if misconfigured. Scanning IaC templates as part of your pipeline helps catch mistakes such as public S3 buckets, open security groups, and overly permissive roles. These scans should be reviewed in tandem with a broader web security assessment, ensuring your configurations align with best practices. Incorporating these checks also supports your team in managing web security assessment workflows more effectively.
8. Secure mobile and hybrid interfaces
If your cloud infrastructure supports mobile applications, those endpoints need to be assessed too. A thorough mobile application security assessment should test storage, transmission, and authentication mechanisms to identify vulnerabilities that may lead to API abuse or data exposure. Integrating this with backend web application scanning ensures you maintain consistent security coverage across platforms. A mobile breach often compromises cloud infrastructure, making it critical for your web and mobile app security assurance strategy.
9. Conduct quarterly web security assessment reviews
Your cloud environment changes constantly. New services, user roles, and configurations can introduce unforeseen risks. That’s why it’s important to conduct scheduled web security assessments every quarter. These reviews should include asset discovery, configuration auditing, and updated penetration testing service scopes. Regular assessments keep your security strategy aligned with evolving infrastructure and threat landscapes, allowing your team to maintain compliance and confidence in your deployment process.
10. Integrate Threat Modeling Into Your DevOps Planning
Threat modeling is a proactive step that helps identify potential risks before code is written or deployed. By incorporating this process at the design stage, your teams can anticipate and defend against likely attack vectors targeting your cloud environments. It complements application penetration testing by addressing logic flaws and architectural weaknesses. For DevOps teams, threat modeling also supports sprint planning by prioritising security stories and ensuring that developers build with security in mind, not as an afterthought. This ultimately improves the effectiveness of your overall security testing services without adding deployment delays.
Monitor Post-Deployment Security Continuously
Cloud security doesn't stop after deployment. Integrate continuous web security assessment using a managed web vulnerability scanning solution to ensure that changes in infrastructure or code don’t introduce new risks. These scanners, when configured correctly, can detect drift from baseline configurations, newly exposed endpoints, or expired security controls. Pair this with routine web application scanning to maintain visibility across your web assets. This ongoing assessment supports regulatory compliance and helps your DevOps team respond quickly to emerging threats—all while keeping delivery pipelines active and uninterrupted.
Why Your DevOps Security Strategy Needs to Start Now
Integrating cloud infrastructure testing into your DevOps pipeline is no longer optional—it’s a strategic necessity. When you align your build and deployment process with advanced security testing services, you protect your assets, meet compliance standards, and maintain continuous delivery without compromise.
Lean Security is Australia’s trusted partner in penetration testing services, offering deep expertise in web and mobile app security assurance, application penetration testing, and full-spectrum web security assessment.
To see how we can secure your cloud-native applications without slowing your pipeline, visit our homepage. Learn more about our mission, methodology, and experience on the About Us page. When you’re ready to take action, contact us directly to schedule a consultation.