Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting legitimate cloud services like AWS and Microsoft Azure to conduct malicious activities through a technique called 'infrastructure laundering.' This method allows attackers to hide behind trusted platforms while distributing malware, phishing scams, and other cyber threats.

Understanding Infrastructure Laundering

Infrastructure laundering refers to the practice of using reputable cloud services and content delivery networks (CDNs) to mask malicious traffic. By leveraging platforms like AWS, Azure, or Cloudflare, attackers can:
- Evade detection by security tools
- Appear as legitimate traffic
- Scale attacks rapidly using cloud resources

How Attackers Exploit AWS and Azure

1. Abuse of Free Trials and Burner Accounts

Cybercriminals frequently:
- Create free-tier accounts with stolen credentials
- Use disposable payment methods
- Rotate through multiple accounts to avoid detection

2. Weaponizing CDN Services

Services like FunNull CDN and others are being abused to:
- Hide phishing site origins
- Distribute malware payloads
- Bypass geo-restrictions and blacklists

3. Cloud-Based Malware Distribution

Attackers are using cloud storage services to:
- Host malicious executables
- Serve ransomware payloads
- Distribute credential-stealing trojans

The Role of Microsoft Azure in These Attacks

As one of the largest cloud providers, Azure has seen increasing abuse cases:
- Phishing campaigns hosted on Azure Blob Storage
- C2 servers masquerading as legitimate Azure services
- Abuse of Azure Functions for malicious automation

Detection and Mitigation Strategies

For Enterprises:

  • Implement cloud access security brokers (CASBs)
  • Monitor for abnormal cloud service usage patterns
  • Enforce strict cloud service policies

For Cloud Providers:

  • Improve free-tier account verification
  • Enhance anomaly detection systems
  • Faster response to abuse reports

The Future of Cloud-Based Cybercrime

As cloud adoption grows, we can expect:
- More sophisticated laundering techniques
- Increased use of serverless architectures for attacks
- Greater collaboration needed between cloud providers and security teams

Protecting Your Organization

  • Conduct regular cloud security audits
  • Educate employees about cloud-based threats
  • Implement multi-layered security defenses