Learn about best practices in Azure Storage security

To enhance the security of your Azure Storage, follow these best practices for configuration and management:

Secure Access to Azure Storage

Enforce HTTPS

Enable Secure Transfer Required to enforce HTTPS for all data in transit.

Azure Portal

Navigate to the Configuration blade of your storage account and ensure Secure transfer required is set to Enabled.

CLI Command

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az storage account update \
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--name <StorageAccountName> \
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--resource-group <ResourceGroupName> \
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--https-only true

Use Private Endpoints

• Integrate the storage account with Azure Private Link to restrict access to your virtual network.

• Disable public network access to reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

Steps

1. Go to your storage account.

2. Under Networking, choose Private Endpoint and create a private link.

3. Disable public network access in the Firewall and Virtual Networks tab.

Configure Firewall and Network Rules

• Allow access only from trusted IP ranges or subnets.

• Restrict access to specific services within your network.

• Enable Azure Virtual Network integration for secure connectivity.

Manage Authentication and Authorization

Use Azure AD Authentication

• Replace Shared Key authentication with Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) to enforce identity-based access.

• Use RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) to grant fine-grained permissions.

  • Assign built-in roles like Storage Blob Data Reader or Storage Blob Data Contributor.

Avoid Using Account Keys

• Use SAS (Shared Access Signatures) or Azure AD for granular access.

• Rotate account keys periodically if they are used.

• Rotate Account Keys in the Azure Portal under Access Keys.

Use Shared Access Signatures (SAS) Wisely

• Define a short validity period for SAS tokens.

• Restrict SAS token permissions to the minimum required (e.g., Read-only for downloads).

• Use IP restrictions and HTTPS enforcement for SAS tokens.

Data Encryption

Encryption at Rest

• Use Customer-Managed Keys (CMK) in Azure Key Vault for additional control over encryption.

• Rotate encryption keys regularly.

Encryption in Transit

• Use TLS (Transport Layer Security) for all communications with Azure Storage.

• Enforce HTTPS-only connections.

Client-Side Encryption

• Encrypt sensitive data before uploading to Azure Storage using Azure SDKs or tools.

Monitoring and Auditing

Enable Logging and Metrics

• Use Azure Monitor to track storage account access and operations.

• Enable Storage Analytics to monitor request-level activity.

Enable Diagnostic Settings

• Route logs and metrics to Log Analytics, Event Hub, or a storage account.

• Example: Audit read/write/delete operations on blobs or files.

Configure Alerts

• Set up alerts for suspicious activities (e.g., access from untrusted IPs, large volume deletions).

Use Microsoft Defender for Storage

• Enable Microsoft Defender for Storage to detect anomalies, threats, and suspicious activities.

Data Redundancy and Backup

Enable Geo-Redundant Storage (GRS)

• Use Read-Access Geo-Redundant Storage (RA-GRS) for disaster recovery.

• Regularly test failover for storage accounts with replication enabled.

Set Up Backup Solutions

• Use Azure Backup or third-party tools to create snapshots and backups for critical data.

Automate Security with Azure Policies

Define Azure Policies to enforce storage account security configurations, such as:

• Requiring HTTPS-only access.

• Disabling public network access.

• Enforcing the use of customer-managed keys.

Regularly Review Access and Configurations

Periodic Access Review

• Review RBAC assignments and permissions.

• Remove unnecessary users, roles, and access rights.

Audit Configuration

Use Azure Security Center recommendations to identify misconfigurations and vulnerabilities.

Secure Data Deletion

• Use Soft Delete for blobs, containers, and file shares to recover accidentally deleted data.

• Enable versioning to protect against accidental overwrites.

Use Tags and Resource Naming Standards

• Apply consistent tags to storage accounts for easier identification and governance.

• Use naming conventions to group and classify resources securely.

Stay Updated

Regularly update your security practices based on Azure's new features or changes in security recommendations.

Summary

By applying these best practices, you can significantly enhance the security of your Azure Storage environment while ensuring compliance with organizational and regulatory requirements.