Services Penetration Testing Google Cloud (GCP) Penetration Testing
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Google Cloud (GCP) Penetration Testing Services

Google Cloud Platform environments require GCP-specific testing methodology. The attack surface centres on IAM and service accounts, GKE workload identity, Cloud Storage bucket configurations, Compute Engine metadata exposure, and the cross-service interactions that create realistic attack paths through GCP estates.

RedSecLabs delivers specialised GCP penetration testing aligned to Google's customer-side testing guidance. Our testers combine deep GCP expertise (cloud engineers who happen to be offensive security practitioners) with manual exploitation depth across IAM privilege escalation, service account impersonation, and GKE cluster compromise scenarios.

Every engagement produces GCP-specific remediation guidance, gcloud commands, Terraform configurations, IAM policy refactors, that your cloud team can implement immediately.

CREST Certified Pen Test Provider ISO Certified OSCP Certified Industry Certification

Free Security Quote

Just a few questions to scope your project. We respond the same business day.

✓ UK-based CREST member · ✓ QSA-aligned methodology · ✓ Same-day scoping response · ✓ Executive + technical reports · ✓ Retest included
GCP-specific
Service-aware methodology
CREST
Certified testers
GKE & Workload Identity
Specialist coverage
5-15 days
Typical engagement

What is GCP penetration testing?

GCP penetration testing is the structured assessment of a Google Cloud environment for exploitable security weaknesses. The focus areas are GCP-specific: IAM bindings and service account configurations, GKE workload identity and cluster RBAC, Cloud Storage bucket access controls, Compute Engine metadata service exposure, Cloud Functions and Cloud Run service-account permissions, and the cross-service interactions that enable realistic attack paths.

Google operates a shared responsibility model similar to AWS. Google secures the underlying platform; customers secure their configuration within it. The majority of GCP-environment breaches trace to customer-side misconfiguration, which is exactly what customer-side GCP pentesting identifies.

What GCP testing delivers:

IAM and service account analysis including privilege escalation paths

GKE cluster security review (RBAC, workload identity, pod security)

Cloud Storage bucket configuration and access review

Compute Engine, Cloud Functions, Cloud Run security review

VPC, firewall rules, and network architecture analysis

GCP-specific remediation guidance from cloud-native specialists

GCP estates demand GCP-specific testing. IAM model, service account semantics, and GKE architecture differ enough from AWS or Azure that cross-platform testers consistently miss platform-specific risk.

Why GCP testing matters

GCP environments share the same root cause for most breaches as other clouds: customer-side misconfiguration. Over-permissive IAM bindings, exposed Cloud Storage buckets, weak GKE cluster RBAC, and service account impersonation chains are all common and exploitable. Generic infrastructure testing rarely covers these effectively.

GCP also has distinctive risk patterns that AWS-trained testers can miss, service account key file management, workload identity binding mistakes, cross-project IAM grants, and the specific Cloud Storage ACL model. GCP-specialist testing is necessary for credible coverage.

Common GCP-specific risks:

Service account impersonation chains enabling privilege escalation

Overly-permissive IAM bindings at folder or organisation level

Public Cloud Storage buckets leaking customer data

GKE workload identity bindings enabling cluster takeover

Compute Engine metadata service exposure

Service account key files leaked into source control

GCP testing is the highest-ROI security investment for organisations with significant GCP workloads, the findings are typically high-impact and tractable to fix.

Who needs GCP testing?

Any organisation with substantial GCP workloads benefits from regular GCP-specific testing:

Cloud-native SaaS on GCP

AI/ML platforms using Vertex AI

Data analytics on BigQuery

Financial services GCP workloads

HealthTech on GCP

E-commerce on GCP

Multi-project GCP organisations

Hybrid and multi-cloud organisations

Organisations subject to PCI DSS, SOC 2, ISO 27001, or HIPAA running on GCP need GCP-specific testing as compliance evidence.

Our GCP Testing Methodology

GCP-specific methodology aligned to Google's customer testing guidance, combining configuration review, IAM analysis, and active exploitation where in scope.

01

Scoping & GCP Access Setup

We agree the in-scope GCP projects, services, and testing approach. Read-only IAM role access established at appropriate organisation/folder/project level.

02

Project Inventory & Mapping

Enumeration of GCP resources across in-scope projects, services in use, regions, folder/organisation hierarchy, project relationships.

03

IAM & Service Account Analysis

Deep analysis of IAM bindings, service accounts, and impersonation chains, looking for privilege escalation paths across the project hierarchy.

04

Storage Security Review

Cloud Storage bucket configurations, public access settings, signed URL usage, encryption posture, and accidental exposure of sensitive data.

05

Compute & Container Review

Compute Engine configurations, instance metadata service exposure, GKE cluster RBAC, workload identity bindings, pod security policies.

06

Serverless Security Review

Cloud Functions, Cloud Run, and App Engine service account permissions, deployment configurations, and event-triggered risks.

07

Active Exploitation (Where In Scope)

Manual exploitation of identified weaknesses where engagement scope allows, service account impersonation, metadata service abuse, cross-project attack paths.

08

Detection Coverage Analysis

Assessment of Cloud Logging, Cloud Asset Inventory, Security Command Center coverage, identifying detection gaps for the attack paths we identified.

Typical engagement: 5-8 days for single-project environments, 10-15 days for multi-project GCP organisations, longer for very large or complex estates.

What you receive

Every GCP testing engagement with RedSecLabs includes:

  • Scoping document and GCP testing approach
  • Executive summary for board and management
  • IAM and service account analysis with privilege escalation paths
  • Configuration findings across Storage, Compute, GKE, Serverless
  • Network architecture review (VPC, firewall rules)
  • GCP-specific remediation guidance with gcloud/Terraform examples
  • Cloud Logging and Security Command Center coverage analysis
  • Remediation retest of critical and high findings

Industries We Serve

We deliver this service across these industries:

Financial Services
Healthcare
SaaS & Technology
E-commerce & Retail
Defence & Government
Cloud & Managed Services
Education
Professional Services

Why RedSecLabs for GCP testing

GCP differs enough from AWS and Azure that platform-specialist testing matters. Our GCP testers are cloud-native engineers who have built GCP environments themselves, they know the IAM model, the workload identity semantics, the GKE architecture, and the realistic attack paths through GCP estates. The remediation guidance reflects implementation reality, not theoretical best practice.

CREST-certified GCP security specialists
GCP-native engineering background
Multi-project and Organisation-level expertise
PCI DSS, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA aligned
gcloud and Terraform remediation examples
Remediation retest included

Schedule Your GCP Pentest

Book a free 30-minute scoping call. Fixed-fee proposal within 48 hours, engagement starts within 1-2 weeks.

Book a Scoping Call Contact Us

Where to next

Related services and industry packages worth exploring.

AWS Pentesting

SOC 2 for MSPs

SaaS & Technology package

Frequently Asked Questions

Google's customer testing guidance permits customer-side testing of in-account resources without prior notification for most services. Some restrictions apply, typically the same categories as AWS (no DoS testing, no testing of Google-managed shared services, no exploit-development against the platform itself). We confirm the policy for your specific scope at scoping.

Yes. GKE testing is a specialist area. We cover cluster RBAC configurations, workload identity bindings, pod security, network policies, container escape scenarios, and the attack paths that combine GKE service accounts with broader GCP IAM. GKE testing is included as standard in GCP engagements that have GKE workloads.

Yes, multi-project testing is core scope. We test individual project configurations, cross-project IAM grants, organisation and folder-level policies, and the attack paths that combine multi-project access. Multi-project engagements typically run 10-15 days depending on project count.

Security Command Center (SCC) provides automated configuration scanning across known misconfigurations. GCP pentesting adds manual investigation of attack paths, IAM and service account analysis, and exploitation validation, depth where SCC provides breadth. Most mature programmes use both, with SCC for continuous coverage and pentesting for periodic depth.

Yes, both are increasingly important in GCP estates and have distinctive risk patterns. BigQuery testing covers dataset access controls, authorized views, and query injection. Vertex AI testing covers model permissions, training data security, and the increasingly-common AI-specific risks (see our SOC 2 for AI Companies page for broader AI governance work).

Single-project environments £8,000-£18,000; multi-project organisations £15,000-£35,000; very large or complex GCP estates £30,000-£80,000+. CREST premium 10-20%. Fixed-fee quotes within 48 hours of scoping.
Before you decide
Download a sample report →
A redacted RedSecLabs penetration test report. See the format, depth, and clarity your team will receive.
Talk to us
Book a scoping call →
A 30-minute call covers realistic effort, timeline, and a fixed-scope quote. CREST-aligned methodology, UK-based testers.
What you receive

Every engagement includes

  • ✓ Scoping call. A 30-minute call to define scope, timeline, and authorisation boundaries.
  • ✓ Test plan. Written test plan covering targets, methodology, and rules of engagement.
  • ✓ Technical report. Detailed findings with reproduction steps, evidence, and remediation guidance.
  • ✓ Executive summary. Board-ready summary with risk ratings and business impact.
  • ✓ Audit-ready evidence. Findings letter formatted for auditors, customers, and supervisory authorities.
  • ✓ Retest letter. Free retest of remediated findings within agreed window. Confirmation letter included.
  • ✓ Remediation call. A call with our lead tester to walk through findings and remediation strategy.
How we deliver

Our process, end to end

  1. 1
    Scoping call & fixed-scope quote
    A 30-minute call. We define scope, targets, timeline. You get a fixed-scope quote within one working day.
  2. 2
    Test plan & authorisation
    Written test plan covering methodology, targets, and rules of engagement.
  3. 3
    CREST-aligned execution
    Senior tester runs the engagement. Critical findings flagged immediately during testing.
  4. 4
    Technical + executive report
    Detailed technical findings with reproduction steps. Board-ready executive summary.
  5. 5
    Remediation call & retest
    Walkthrough with our lead tester. Retest of remediated findings within the agreed window.
Engagement scope

What shapes the quote

Small scope
Focused scope, smaller surface. 5-7 working days.
Medium scope
Multi-role, several integrations. 8-12 working days.
Enterprise scope
Complex environment, compliance evidence. 12-25 working days.
Fixed-scope quote within 1 working day
No surprise invoices. We commit to a number before you commit to us.
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