Over the last decade the growth of cloud computing has been phenomenal. A whopping 68% of surveyed CIOs have ranked migrating to the public cloud and expanding the private cloud as the top IT spending driver.
So as an overwhelming number of organizations have started hosting their applications and infrastructure in the cloud, its security is something that you can’t overlook.
This article will provide you with an overview of cloud security, how its major pillars would strengthen your organization, and significant solutions in cloud security.
So without further ado, let’s get started.
What is cloud security?
Cloud security is a comprehensive collection of technologies and best practices that protects the computing environment in the cloud, applications hosted in the cloud, and data saved in the cloud from cyberattacks. These technologies include servers, software, databases, networking, and protocols.
As a first step in securing cloud services, providers should identify what they must safeguard and regulate system features.
Typically, cloud providers strive to provide a secure environment for their clients because their livelihood is dependent on it. There are, nevertheless, some minor tasks that rest on the shoulders of clients.
For example, the cloud provider must secure applications hosted in the cloud. Tasks such as correct service setup and safety requirements, on the other hand, are in the hands of the customer. Therefore as you can see, the responsibility of the cloud’s data falls under the Shared Responsibility Model, on which we’ll provide you with a brief overview next.
What is a Shared Responsibility Model?
In this model, fundamentally, there are three types of categories; Responsibilities always lie with the provider, responsibilities always lie with the client, and responsibilities vary depending on the service model, which is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS).
In circumstances where the provider is responsible for the security includes the tasks of:
- Maintaining the infrastructure and how the clients access the infrastructure.
- Fixing and configuring the physical hosts and network on which the computer instances, storage, and other resources reside.
On the other hand, responsibilities that clients should carry out in circumstances when they’re responsible for it include:
- Identification and Access Management-controlling users and their access entitlements.
- Preventing unauthorized access to cloud accounts
- Encrypting and protecting cloud-based data assets
- maintaining its security stance
Now let’s move on to the central pillars of cloud security..
What are some of the significant pillars in cloud security?
Visibility and Compliance
The capacity to have a detailed perspective of every activity in your cloud is known as cloud visibility. As a result, you will be able to uncover security concerns and inefficient performance in your cloud implementation.
While threat detection systems and firewalls may be effective for on-premises implementations, cloud environments can be a different ball game. This is due to the adaptable and expansive nature of cloud infrastructure. As a result, you may find it challenging to keep track of everything going on with it.
Greater insight into your cloud’s operations will allow you to identify and solve security flaws as soon as they’re feasible.
As for compliance, unlike an on-premises setup, it can be pretty challenging to follow a certain standard for a cloud environment.
However, most cloud providers follow basic compliance standards that secure your resources in the cloud. As mentioned before, it is also partly your organizations’ responsibility to protect the data and applications stored in the cloud. Your company and the cloud providers share responsibilities for ensuring a safe and secure network environment.
Compute-based security
Compute-based security involves providing security for various workloads running inside the cloud, which we often call Platform as a Service (PaaS). It has two key components:
1. Automated vulnerability management
It detects and eliminates all vulnerabilities across the application lifecycle while prioritizing risks in native cloud-based systems.
2. Ongoing Operational Security
Adequate cloud security involves inspecting activity automatically and constantly detecting any irregular or malicious activity. So the cloud providers should detect anomalies in anything that involves an ongoing compute engine or workload.
Network protections
Network security is a critical component in on-premises systems. However, it’s also an essential component in Cloud computing. One example is micro-segmentation, which separates tasks and secures them independently by dividing them into zones. Microsegmentation makes it far more difficult for attackers to migrate laterally from one compromised system to another by erecting obstacles between programs and workloads.
The strategy utilizes containerization (of the program and its operating environment) and segmenting the application itself to limit harm.
The other crucial aspect of network security concerns the live inline flow of traffic. Instead of creating a perimeter around the cloud, network protection extends the border down to the user level, as in a typical on-premises scenario. A cloud security solution should enable authorized users to safely access cloud-based data while also giving threat insight into the activities they are carrying out.
Identity security
Finally, Identity security, like micro-segmentation, is an essential cloud security component. It entails matching user and machine identities to what they can accomplish on the network. A cloud security solution should guarantee that users can only access the apps they require at the level necessary to conduct their work. It also ensures that devices may only connect with other devices needed to complete their application.
What are the major types of available cloud solutions?
Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Identity and access management (IAM) technologies and services enable businesses to designate policy-driven enforcement mechanisms for all users seeking to access both on-premises and cloud-based services.
IAMs fundamental capability is to generate digital identities for all users, allowing them to be actively monitored and limited as needed throughout all data exchanges.
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
DLP services provide a collection of tools and services designed to safeguard the security of regulated cloud data. DLP systems secure all stored data by combining remediation warnings, data encryption, and other preventative measures, whether at rest or in motion.
Conclusion
Now You may have gained a complete overview of cloud security and why you need it when you migrate to the cloud. As you have seen in this article, as more organizations migrate to the cloud, one critical factor to consider is looking for a reliable, secure cloud provider. Then you would be able to mitigate significant risks in the cloud.