Preventing the worst cases.
WHAT CAUSES THEM
A process running away Automatic scaling under unwanted traffic A resource provisioned for a test and forgotten Data transfer far beyond expectation A compromised account used for someone else's computing
THAT LAST ONE
Stolen cloud credentials are used to run expensive workloads at your cost.
That is a known and costly attack.
WHAT PREVENTS IT
Strong credentials with a second step on every cloud account Billing alerts at several thresholds Spending limits, where the provider offers them Regular review
WHAT TO SET ALERTS AT
A figure you expect, and a figure that would alarm you.
WHAT TO DO WHEN AN ALERT FIRES
Investigate immediately, not at the end of the month.
WHAT TO CHECK MONTHLY
What is running, and whether it should be.
WHAT TO DO IF A LARGE BILL ARRIVES UNEXPECTEDLY
Establish the cause before disputing Stop the cause Contact the provider, who will sometimes assist with genuine errors
WHAT TO DOCUMENT
What happened and what you changed.
