Tutorial / Cram Notes
Managed Identity:
Azure Functions support Managed Identities for Azure resources, allowing your functions to authenticate to other Azure services securely without storing credentials in code.
Authentication with Azure Active Directory (AAD):
Integrate Azure Active Directory with your serverless applications to enable secure sign-on for users and services. This provides an OAuth 2.0 authentication system that supports multi-factor authentication.
Function Keys:
Azure Functions provides function and host keys that serve as API keys. You should use these keys to protect HTTP-triggered functions from unauthorized access.
Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS):
Configure CORS in your serverless application to specify which domains can access your functions. This prevents unwanted domains from making requests to your serverless resources.
Network Security
Virtual Networks (VNet):
Integrate your Azure Functions with an Azure Virtual Network through VNet integration or deploy them in an App Service Environment (ASE) to provide enhanced network security.
Network Security Groups (NSGs):
Use Network Security Groups to filter network traffic to and from Azure resources in an Azure Virtual Network. NSGs can be applied to subnets, defining inbound and outbound rules to control traffic.
Azure Application Gateway & Azure Front Door:
Use these services to define Web Application Firewall (WAF) policies for your serverless applications. They protect your applications from common web vulnerabilities and exploits.
Data Security
Encryption:
- Azure automatically encrypts data at rest with platform-managed keys or customer-managed keys.
- For data in transit, use HTTPS to ensure secure communication to and from your Azure Functions.
Azure Key Vault:
Store sensitive data like certificates, connection strings, and keys in Azure Key Vault. Use the Key Vault references for App Service and Azure Functions to securely access this data.
Monitoring & Compliance
Azure Monitor:
Set up Azure Monitor to collect metrics and logs from your serverless applications for real-time insights into their performance and security.
Azure Security Center:
Leverage Azure Security Center for continuous assessment and recommendations to secure your serverless applications. It can alert you to misconfigurations or suspicious activities.
Compliance Standards:
Ensure that your serverless solutions comply with standards such as ISO, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and more. Azure provides built-in compliance controls to help you meet these requirements.
Example Scenarios:
HTTP-triggered Azure Function with AAD:
- You can secure an HTTP-triggered function by enabling Authentication/Authorization.
- Configure AAD as the provider.
- Require users to authenticate with AAD before accessing the function.
Azure Function Accessing Azure SQL Database:
- Use a Managed Identity to authenticate from an Azure Function to Azure SQL Database.
- Assign the Managed Identity to the SQL Database.
- Use token-based authentication for database operations without storing credentials in code.
Azure Function with VNet Integration:
- Integrate your function app with an Azure VNet to access resources secured within the network.
- Use NSGs to define inbound and outbound rules to regulate the traffic.
Best Practices:
- Implement the principle of least privilege for all aspects of your serverless architecture.
- Regularly update your function apps, logic apps, and dependencies to prevent security vulnerabilities.
- Use Azure Policy to enforce organizational standards and to assess compliance at scale.
Securing serverless compute in Azure requires a comprehensive strategy that includes network security, identity and access management, data security, and monitoring for potential threats. Following the guidelines provided by Azure security best practices can help ensure that your serverless applications remain secure and compliant.
Practice Test with Explanation
True or False: When using Azure Functions, you can enable Managed Service Identity (MSI) to allow the function to access other Azure services without needing to store credentials in code.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: True
Explanation: Managed Service Identity (MSI) is a feature of Azure Functions that simplifies managing credentials for accessing other Azure services by automatically managing the identities.
In Azure Functions, which of the following can be used to restrict access to the function?
- 1) Function keys
- 2) Network restrictions
- 3) Authentication providers
- 4) All of the above
Answer: All of the above
Explanation: Azure Functions can be secured using function keys, setting up network restrictions, or using various authentication providers.
True or False: Azure Logic Apps is fully isolated and does not need any additional security measures.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: False
Explanation: Azure Logic Apps requires additional security measures, such as configuring access control and securing the connections to other services.
Which of the following is a feature within Azure App Service that provides authentication and authorization services?
- 1) Azure Active Directory
- 2) App Service Authentication / Authorization
- 3) Network Security Group
- 4) Azure Key Vault
Answer: App Service Authentication / Authorization
Explanation: App Service Authentication / Authorization is a built-in feature of Azure App Service that enables you to secure your app with authentication and authorization without altering backend code.
True or False: Azure WebJobs do not support Managed Identity for accessing Azure services securely.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: False
Explanation: Azure WebJobs do support Managed Identity, which allows secure access to Azure services without storing credentials in code.
What is the purpose of Azure Key Vault when configuring security for serverless compute?
- 1) To automatically scale the serverless compute resources
- 2) To manage secrets, keys, and certificates used by cloud applications and services
- 3) To set up network security groups
- 4) To log all operations made on serverless compute resources
Answer: To manage secrets, keys, and certificates used by cloud applications and services
Explanation: Azure Key Vault is used to securely store and manage secrets, keys, and certificates that cloud applications and services might need.
True or False: In Azure Functions, you must always use Azure Active Directory for role-based access control (RBAC).
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: False
Explanation: While Azure Active Directory is commonly used for RBAC in Azure Functions, other mechanisms and identity providers can also be used for access control.
Which Azure service provides a serverless environment for executing code in response to events?
- 1) Azure WebJobs
- 2) Azure Functions
- 3) Azure Logic Apps
- 4) Azure App Service
Answer: Azure Functions
Explanation: Azure Functions is a serverless compute service that enables you to run code in response to events without managing infrastructure.
When securing an Azure Logic App, which of the following is NOT considered a way to protect an endpoint?
- 1) Restricting incoming IP addresses
- 2) Requiring a SAS token for access
- 3) Enabling Transparent Data Encryption (TDE)
- 4) Using Azure Active Directory OAuth
Answer: Enabling Transparent Data Encryption (TDE)
Explanation: Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) is used to encrypt SQL databases at rest, not to protect endpoints of services like Azure Logic Apps.
True or False: You can use Azure Policy to enforce security best practices across Azure Functions, Logic Apps, and App Services.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: True
Explanation: Azure Policy can be used to enforce organizational standards and assess compliance at-scale for Azure Functions, Logic Apps, and App Services.
For Azure Functions, which binding would you use to protect sensitive application settings or connection strings?
- 1) HTTP binding
- 2) Timer binding
- 3) Key Vault binding
- 4) Blob storage binding
Answer: Key Vault binding
Explanation: The Key Vault binding allows Azure Functions to securely access secrets stored in Azure Key Vault without having them in plain text in the application’s settings.
Which feature in Azure App Service allows you to define a list of IP addresses that are allowed to access your app service?
- 1) Access Restrictions
- 2) Network Security Groups (NSGs)
- 3) Web Application Firewall (WAF)
- 4) Virtual Network Integration
Answer: Access Restrictions
Explanation: Access Restrictions in Azure App Service allow you to create allow/deny lists for inbound network traffic based on IP addresses.
Interview Questions
What is serverless computing?
Serverless computing is a cloud computing model that allows developers to build and run applications without having to worry about managing servers or infrastructure.
What is Azure Functions?
Azure Functions is a serverless compute service that allows developers to build and run event-driven applications.
How can you secure Azure Functions?
You can secure Azure Functions by implementing authentication and authorization, using HTTPS, implementing input validation, and managing secrets securely.
What is Azure Key Vault?
Azure Key Vault is a cloud service that allows you to securely store and manage cryptographic keys, certificates, and secrets.
How can you use Azure Key Vault to manage secrets in Azure Functions?
You can use Azure Key Vault to store secrets and retrieve them securely in your Azure Functions by leveraging managed identities and access policies.
What is Azure Active Directory (Azure AD)?
Azure Active Directory is a cloud-based identity and access management service that allows you to manage users and groups and control access to your applications and resources.
How can you use Azure AD to secure your Azure Functions?
You can use Azure AD to authenticate users and control access to your Azure Functions by enabling App Service Authentication and configuring Azure AD as an identity provider.
What is Azure Application Gateway?
Azure Application Gateway is a load balancer that allows you to manage traffic to your web applications.
How can you use Azure Application Gateway to secure your Azure Functions?
You can use Azure Application Gateway to enforce SSL/TLS encryption and configure WAF rules to protect your Azure Functions from common web vulnerabilities.
What is the principle of least privilege?
The principle of least privilege is a security concept that states that a user should be given the minimum level of access necessary to perform their job functions. This helps to limit the potential damage that can be caused by a compromised account or application.
Great insights on configuring security for serverless compute! This blog has helped me reinforce my preparation for AZ-500.
Can someone explain how to use Managed Identities in securing serverless functions?
I found the section about securing endpoints with Azure API Management very useful.
How critical is enabling Application Insights for monitoring serverless applications from a security perspective?
This blog is a lifesaver! Thanks for the deep dive into function app security.
When configuring security for Azure Functions, is it better to use Key Vault for storing secrets or environment variables?
I would appreciate more examples on securing network communications between Azure Functions and other Azure services.
Thumbs up for the in-depth explanation on role-based access control (RBAC) for serverless.