GCP Password Detection

Learn how to detect passwords in Google Cloud Platform environments. Follow step-by-step guidance for PCI-DSS compliance.

data exposure

PCI-DSS

gcp

Why It Matters

The core goal is to identify every location where passwords are stored within your Google Cloud Platform environment, so you can remediate unintended exposures before they become breaches. Scanning for passwords in GCP is a priority for organizations subject to PCI-DSS, as it helps you prove you've discovered and accounted for all sensitive authentication assets—mitigating the risk of data exposure.

Primary Risk: Data exposure through hardcoded passwords

Relevant Regulation: PCI-DSS Payment Card Industry Standard

A thorough scan delivers immediate visibility, laying the foundation for automated policy enforcement and ongoing compliance.

Prerequisites

Permissions & Roles

  • Cloud Storage Admin or Cloud SQL Admin
  • BigQuery Data Viewer privileges
  • Ability to install gcloud CLI or Terraform

External Tools

  • Google Cloud CLI
  • Cyera DSPM account
  • API credentials

Prior Setup

  • GCP project provisioned
  • Cloud Resource Manager API enabled
  • CLI authenticated
  • VPC firewall rules configured

Introducing Cyera

Cyera is a modern Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) platform that discovers, classifies, and continuously monitors your sensitive data across cloud services. By automating the discovery of passwords in GCP using advanced AI techniques like Named Entity Recognition (NER) and pattern matching, Cyera ensures you stay ahead of accidental exposures and meet PCI-DSS audit requirements in real time.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Configure your GCP project

Ensure Cloud Resource Manager API is enabled in your project and create a service account with the minimum required privileges.

gcloud auth application-default login

2
Enable scanning workflows

In the Cyera portal, navigate to Integrations → DSPM → Add new. Select Google Cloud Platform, provide your project ID and service account details, then define the scan scope including Cloud Storage, BigQuery, and Cloud SQL.

3
Integrate with third-party tools

Configure webhooks or streaming exports to push scan results into your SIEM or Security Command Center. Link findings to existing ticketing systems like Jira or ServiceNow.

4
Validate results and tune policies

Review the initial detection report, prioritize storage buckets and databases with large volumes of password data, and adjust detection rules to reduce false positives. Schedule recurring scans to maintain visibility.

Architecture & Workflow

GCP Cloud Storage

Source of files and configuration data

Cyera Connector

Pulls metadata and samples data for classification

Cyera Back-end

Applies detection models and risk scoring

Reporting & Remediation

Dashboards, alerts, and playbooks

Data Flow Summary

Enumerate Resources → Send to Cyera → Apply Detection → Route Findings

Best Practices & Tips

Performance Considerations

  • Start with incremental or scoped scans
  • Use sampling for very large storage buckets
  • Tune sample rates for speed vs coverage

Tuning Detection Rules

  • Maintain allowlists for test environments
  • Adjust confidence thresholds for password patterns
  • Match rules to your risk tolerance

Common Pitfalls

  • Forgetting Cloud Functions configuration files
  • Over-scanning temporary or staging buckets
  • Neglecting to rotate service account credentials

References & Further Reading

Next Steps

🛡️ Prevent: Set up Secret Manager for secure password storage 🔧 Fix: Remediate exposed password findings