Using Halberd: A More Reliable Way to Test Your Multi-Cloud Security

Running multiple cloud platforms but not fully confident in your security posture?
Meet Halberd, a tool that helps you test and validate your multi-cloud security in a practical, hands-on way, not just based on assumptions.

Why Guessing Isn’t a Security Strategy?

Today, many organizations rely on multiple cloud providers. Some use Amazon Web Services for infrastructure, Microsoft Azure for certain applications, and maybe Google Cloud for other workloads.

The challenge? The more platforms you use, the more complex your environment becomes. So the real question is: Are you truly confident your systems are secure?

That’s where Halberd comes in.

The Cloud Security Landscape Has Changed

Security used to focus heavily on firewalls and perimeter defenses. Today, attackers are far more interested in user accounts, credentials, and identity access.

As organizations move deeper into multi-cloud environments, common challenges start to surface:

• Different providers with different configurations

• Expanding infrastructure that’s harder to monitor

• Security tools that operate in silos

• Limited visibility across the entire environment

In many cases, security evaluation ends up feeling like, “We hope this is secure enough.”

So, why Halberd?

Halberd is an open-source tool built to help security teams run controlled attack simulations against their cloud environments.

Instead of just watching dashboards, Halberd allows you to actively test:

• Whether your detection systems are working properly

• Whether hidden gaps still exist

• What logs are generated during simulated attacks

• How quickly your systems respond

In short, it’s about real validation, not assumptions.

1. One Tool for Multiple Cloud Platforms

Halberd supports several platforms within a single environment:

• Amazon Web Services

• Microsoft Azure

• Microsoft Entra ID

• Microsoft Office 365

• Google Cloud

This means your team doesn’t need to switch between different tools to test each cloud separately.

2. Structured and Comprehensive Attack Simulations

Halberd includes over 100 attack simulation techniques aligned with industry standards.

Each simulation can be configured and produces clear, actionable results. This helps security teams determine whether their defenses are truly prepared for real-world threats.

3. Easy to Use, No Complex Command Line Required

Many security tools rely heavily on command-line interfaces and require deep technical expertise. Halberd takes a different approach.

With its web-based interface:

• It’s more intuitive

• No need to memorize commands

• Accessible directly from a browser

• Easier for teams to collaborate

Security testing becomes more practical and efficient.

How Does It Compare to Other Tools?

Halberd vs Pacu

Pacu is an open-source tool designed specifically for AWS security testing.

However:

• It focuses only on AWS

• It is command-line based

Halberd, on the other hand:
✔ Supports multi-cloud environments
✔ Web-based graphical interface
✔ Provides a more integrated experience

Halberd vs Stratus Red Team

Stratus Red Team is built to test cloud threat detection using predefined attack scenarios.

Key differences:

• Command-line based

• Typically relies on dedicated simulation infrastructure

Halberd offers more flexibility across real cloud environments and is designed to be more user-friendly.

ITSEC’s Contribution to Halberd  

ITSEC, through the Cloud Security team, has made significant contributions to the Halberd project, including:

1. Technical Core
   Contributed 4.8K lines of code across 36 commits and 10 pull requests. This was not just maintenance; it was a structural expansion.

2. Closing the Google Cloud Gap Support
   Introduced comprehensive support for Google Cloud, including over 10 new attack techniques, ensuring Halberd provides the same depth as it does for other cloud providers/platforms.

3. Reliability and User Experience Improvements
   Fixed bugs and enhanced the Halberd user interface (UI) and refined event logging mechanisms.

4. General Refinements
   Implemented various minor improvements and changes in the project.

5. Community Evangelism
   Extended our contribution beyond code by presenting the project at PyCon Indonesia 2025, helping grow the tool's user base within the Python developer community.

It’s Time to Move Beyond Monitoring

Securing multi-cloud environments isn’t just about deploying monitoring tools and hoping everything is fine.

Organizations need to:

• Actively test their defenses

• Identify gaps before attackers do

• Ensure detection systems actually work

• Gain full visibility across their cloud environments

Halberd helps make this process structured, measurable, and easier to execute.

At ITSEC, we don’t just recommend a tool, we actively develop it alongside the open-source community.

Prepare Before It Becomes a Crisis

Waiting for an incident to expose weaknesses is risky, and you need to proactively validate your multi-cloud security.

ITSEC can help you:

• Conduct multi-cloud security testing

• Validate detection and response mechanisms

• Identify misconfigurations and hidden risks

• Strengthen your overall cloud resilience

Reach out to the ITSEC team for a consultation and initial assessment tailored to your organization’s needs.

Talk to our Cloud Security Expert Now!