PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service)

Cloud computing lets teams spin up new apps in days instead of months. That speed has widened the attack surface and put security leaders on alert. Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) sits at the center of this shift because it gives developers ready-made building blocks for software. An IBM report found that 45% of breaches now involve data in the cloud, and misconfigured PaaS environments have already exposed 38 million customer records in a single incident.

PaaS is a cloud service model that delivers the full runtime stack over the internet. The provider supplies compute, storage, middleware, and development tools while the customer brings the code. Developers focus on features because the platform handles patching, scaling, and other operational tasks.

This speed comes with a security trade-off. PaaS abstracts away the underlying infrastructure layers that security teams traditionally monitor and control. The same convenience that accelerates development can create blind spots where threats hide if security controls are not properly configured.

Most PaaS offerings sit between Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Software-as-a-Service on the cloud continuum. They abstract the underlying virtual machines yet stop short of packaging the application itself. That boundary is critical for security because visibility into the OS and network layer is lost once workloads move to the platform.

With PaaS, “A cloud provider gives customers access to a framework for running applications in the cloud,” says Kyle Thorpe, a software engineer at Proofpoint. “The developers maintain the application, while the cloud service provider manages the servers, storage, networking, and so on,” he adds. (Examples: AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Google App Engine, SAP Cloud Platform, and Salesforce)

Shared responsibility does not disappear in PaaS. The provider secures the infrastructure and middleware. Security teams at the customer must still lock down identities, configurations, and the code that runs on the platform, and they must verify which controls the vendor actually enforces.

PaaS platforms bundle several core capabilities that accelerate development, but each introduces distinct security considerations that teams must address.

• App hosting and deployment: PaaS providers offer automated deployment pipelines that can include security scanning and compliance checks. However, these “secure-by-default” configurations often require manual activation and proper setup to be effective.
• Middleware services: The platform handles application servers, message queues, and runtime environments without exposing patch schedules or vulnerability status. This opacity can leave security teams unsure about the actual security posture of critical middleware components.
• APIs and integrations: PaaS platforms provide extensive API libraries and third-party service connectors that accelerate development. Each integration point creates potential attack vectors if the external services contain vulnerabilities or are compromised.
• DevOps toolchains: Built-in CI/CD pipelines, code repositories, and monitoring tools streamline the development workflow. Poor credential management or misconfigured access controls in these tools can expose source code and deployment secrets.
• Database services: Managed database offerings handle maintenance and scaling automatically. Security teams must still configure proper access controls, enable encryption at rest and in transit, and set up audit logging to meet regulatory compliance requirements.

Understanding where security responsibilities fall across cloud service models helps teams allocate resources and avoid dangerous coverage gaps.

Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)

IaaS hands you the most control but also the most security responsibility. You own everything from the operating system up through applications, data, and network configurations. The provider secures the physical infrastructure and hypervisor layer, but you must patch servers, configure firewalls, and manage the entire software stack. This model works well for teams that want granular control over their security posture, but it requires significant internal expertise to operate properly.

Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)

PaaS security sits squarely in the middle of the responsibility spectrum. The provider handles OS patching, infrastructure management, and runtime environment security, while you focus on securing your applications, data, and user access. You lose visibility into the underlying systems but gain speed and reduced operational overhead. Identity management becomes a shared responsibility, and you must still implement secure coding practices and proper data encryption within your applications.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)

SaaS shifts the heaviest security burden to the provider, who manages infrastructure, platform, and application security. Your primary responsibilities center on user access controls, data governance, and configuring the application’s security settings properly. The provider handles everything from physical security to application-level protections, but you must still ensure strong authentication and monitor who accesses what data. While this model provides minimal control, it can be managed effectively with the fewest internal security personnel.

PaaS delivers compelling advantages that explain its rapid adoption across enterprises, but each benefit requires careful security governance to avoid creating new vulnerabilities.

• Faster development cycles: PaaS eliminates infrastructure setup delays and provides pre-configured development environments that get teams to start coding immediately. However, this speed can pressure developers to skip security reviews and push vulnerable code to production without proper testing.
• Simplified infrastructure management: The platform handles server provisioning, load balancing, and system maintenance automatically, freeing teams from operational overhead. This convenience reduces visibility into underlying configurations and security controls that may need customization for specific compliance requirements.
• Integrated services and APIs: Built-in databases, messaging systems, and third-party connectors eliminate the need to build these components from scratch. These integrations can become security blind spots if teams assume the provider handles all security aspects without monitoring data flows and access patterns.
• Auto-scaling and resource optimization: PaaS platforms automatically adjust compute resources based on demand, preventing over-provisioning and reducing costs. Poorly configured auto-scaling can amplify security incidents by rapidly deploying compromised containers or exposing sensitive data during scaling events.
• Cost efficiency: Pay-as-you-go pricing and shared infrastructure resources reduce capital expenses compared to traditional on-premises deployments. Without proper governance, this model can lead to resource sprawl, where forgotten applications continue running with outdated security configurations.
• Built-in compliance features: Many PaaS providers offer compliance frameworks and audit logging capabilities that support regulatory requirements. These features only provide value when properly configured and monitored, and teams cannot assume compliance by default without active management.

PaaS platforms create unique attack vectors that blend infrastructure vulnerabilities with application-level risks, providing attackers with multiple pathways to compromise enterprise environments.

Misconfigured Services

PaaS environments are particularly vulnerable to configuration errors that expose applications and data to unauthorized access. Research from McAfee’s Cloud Adoption and Risk Report reveals that enterprises using PaaS platforms average 14 misconfigured services running at any given time, resulting in 2,269 misconfiguration incidents per month.

A notable example occurred in July 2020 when a major PaaS provider disclosed that attackers had accessed its misconfigured Amazon S3 bucket and altered development code. These misconfigurations often stem from default settings that prioritize ease of deployment over security, leaving applications publicly accessible when they should be internal-only.

Insecure API Connections

PaaS platforms rely heavily on APIs for service integration, but these connections frequently lack proper authentication and encryption controls. APIs are particularly vulnerable to threats such as weak authentication, lack of encryption, improper session management, and insufficient input validation.

Broken object-level authorization in APIs creates wide attack surfaces where attackers can access unauthorized data by manipulating object identifiers. The rapid deployment cycles that PaaS enables often pressure teams to skip API security reviews, leaving these critical integration points as weak links in the security chain.

Privilege Escalation Within Cloud Environments

PaaS environments provide multiple pathways for attackers to escalate privileges once they gain initial access to cloud resources. Security researchers have identified 21 different IAM privilege escalation methods in AWS alone, ranging from direct self-escalation to complex inheritance patterns.

Attackers can exploit permissions like iam:AttachUserPolicy to grant themselves administrator access or manipulate role assignments to inherit unintended privileges. The complex web of roles, policies, and trust relationships in PaaS environments creates opportunities for unintended privilege inheritance that security teams often overlook.

Lateral Movement via PaaS-Connected Services

Once inside a PaaS environment, attackers can leverage the platform’s interconnected services to move laterally across the broader infrastructure. Over 70% of successful breaches now leverage lateral movement techniques, with attackers using legitimate credentials and built-in tools to navigate between interconnected systems.

PaaS platforms’ emphasis on service integration means that a compromise in one component can quickly spread to databases, messaging systems, and other connected resources. The shared responsibility model can create blind spots where security teams lose visibility into how services communicate and authenticate with each other.

Insider Risk: Unsecured DevOps Practices and Secrets

DevOps practices integral to PaaS workflows have become a significant source of security exposure through poor credential management and insecure development practices. Recent research uncovered over 600,000 secrets exposed in .env files across the internet, including cloud service provider access keys that could lead to complete account takeovers.

A comprehensive study of DevOps platforms revealed 502 security incidents in GitHub, GitLab, Atlassian, and Azure DevOps environments, resulting in 955 hours of major disruptions. The convenience of environment variables and configuration files has led developers to inadvertently expose sensitive credentials, creating what researchers describe as “ticking bombs deeply rooted inside DevOps practices.”

Securing PaaS deployments requires a balanced approach that combines technical controls with human-centered security practices to address the unique risks these platforms introduce.

• Enforce least privilege and zero trust access: Implement granular identity and access management policies that grant users and applications only the minimum permissions needed to perform their functions. Zero trust principles should extend to service-to-service communications within the PaaS environment, requiring authentication and authorization for every connection regardless of network location.
• Use secure coding practices and CI/CD pipeline security: Integrate security scanning tools directly into development pipelines to catch vulnerabilities before code reaches production environments. Secure CI/CD practices include signing code commits, scanning container images for known vulnerabilities, and implementing approval workflows that require security review for sensitive changes.
• Enable logging, monitoring, and cloud-native detection: Deploy comprehensive logging across all PaaS services and applications to maintain visibility into user activities, data access patterns, and system behaviors. Cloud-native security tools can detect anomalous activities like unusual API calls or privilege escalation attempts that traditional perimeter-based monitoring might miss.
• Audit and restrict API usage: Regularly review API access patterns and implement strict authentication, rate limiting, and input validation controls to prevent abuse. API gateways should enforce consistent security policies across all service integrations while providing centralized monitoring of data flows between connected applications.
• Use container and secret management tools: Deploy dedicated secret management solutions that automatically encrypt and rotate credentials rather than storing them in environment variables or configuration files. Container security tools should scan images for vulnerabilities, enforce runtime policies, and monitor for suspicious container behaviors in production environments.
• Train developers on secure use of cloud services: Provide regular training that covers cloud-specific security risks, secure configuration practices, and the shared responsibility model for PaaS environments. Security awareness programs should include hands-on exercises that demonstrate how common misconfigurations lead to real-world breaches and teach developers to recognize potential security issues during the development process.

Need a deeper dive? Check out Best Practices to Avoid a SaaS Data Compromise for proven, field-tested steps to lock down your SaaS data.

Organizations that embrace PaaS while maintaining robust security postures will gain a competitive advantage through faster innovation cycles and reduced operational overhead. But the promise of “secure by default” remains largely unfulfilled across most PaaS offerings. Speed and simplicity are design priorities, but security still requires intentional configuration, ongoing monitoring, and proactive risk management. The shared responsibility model means that while providers handle infrastructure security, customers must own identity management, secure coding practices, and proper service configuration.

Developer awareness and security visibility form the foundation of effective PaaS security programs. Teams need clear visibility into what the platform protects and what remains their responsibility. Security programs that focus on education, automated controls, and continuous monitoring will successfully harness PaaS capabilities without exposing the organization to unnecessary risk. The organizations that master this balance will lead their industries in both innovation speed and security resilience.

Proofpoint’s comprehensive cloud security solutions provide the visibility and control that security teams need to safely embrace PaaS environments without sacrificing speed or innovation. Our advanced threat detection and data protection capabilities help organizations enforce consistent security policies across hybrid cloud infrastructures while identifying risks before they become breaches. Through integrated email security, cloud access security brokers, and human-centric security training, Proofpoint enables security teams to protect their most critical assets — people and data — as they scale across modern cloud platforms. Contact Proofpoint to learn more.