As organizations in every industry shift infrastructure and services to the cloud using a multi-cloud strategy, their business assets, software, and applications become distributed across several cloud-hosting environments. Despite the many business benefits – including agility, flexibility, competitive pricing, scalability, and reliance, to list a few – several hurdles must be addressed when adopting cloud across the business. Securing many clouds can be tricky due to a lack of visibility across services and providers. With multiple clouds comes multiple layers of risk, such as an increased attack surface, improper user management, constantly shifting workloads, DevOps, and automation, all of which can get complicated.

Multiple cloud benefits

However, cloud security should be more straightforward than it has become. Despite the cloud having been around for more than a decade, there is still this perception that it is ‘new’ technology, which makes people uncomfortable. Cloud is many things, including scalable, reliable, and cost-effective, but it’s no longer new. While on-premise security and own data centers are what most organizations think they need to secure their digital assets, the reality is that this is no longer sustainable – it’s time-consuming and cost-intensive to operate and manage, particularly in comparison to the cloud.

Security must meet in the middle.

So, how does cloud security compare to on-premise security? There is little difference. On-premise is more secure because one has direct control over all the servers, systems, and data in that data center. However, it’s important to remember that all cloud service providers, like Microsoft, Bing, and Amazon, have their security measures when moving to the cloud. When moving data to the cloud, businesses’ main concern is determining where it will live. Still, having the same cloud controls as on-premise security is possible.  The two go hand-in-hand, and security in the cloud is a responsibility that must be shared between the cloud service provider and the customer, depending on the service they’re using. The service provider has to ensure (in line with the SLA) that customer data is safe in their cloud. In contrast, the customer has to ensure everything in their cloud up to the point where it onramps to the service provider is secured and that their users are appropriately managed.

Users are the weakest link in security.

Proper user management is critical now that the workforce is split between working at home, in the office, or the field, as 80 – 90% of all cyber breaches or attacks happen because of users. Whether it is users being tricked into giving out credentials or credentials being compromised by exploiting vulnerabilities, the effect is the same, making it critical to implement and utilize Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) as part of a stringent Identity Management Program. Password sniffing or spoofing is easy, and attackers can gain unauthorized access to data in thousands of ways. However, having an MFA drastically reduces the chances of getting defrauded from the inside. In addition to MFA, it’s necessary to have a proper access control program in place. Role-based access is one of the most important keys to preventing data leaks. Here, not everyone must get the same level of access, and specific users must be granted only the permissions necessary to fulfill their job description.

Countering the DevOps risk

Securing web-based applications to ensure they’re not used as attack vectors is as simple as proper testing. One of the main problems with the DevOps approach that’s becoming increasingly popular because of the agility it enables is that the fast pace of work can lead to an increase in coding mistakes, which can result in undetected bugs and errors. Attackers can exploit these coding mistakes to gain access to digital assets. To counter this risk, it is necessary to continuously pay more attention to thorough vulnerability testing on the web app while following best practices for maps. Although penetration testing can be expensive, this cost must be evaluated against the possibility that a single breach can cause untold damage, both reputational and financial. Protecting against network threats and vulnerabilities in the cloud isn’t much different from securing web apps, and it’s essential to ensure that all applications and operating systems are up to date in terms of security patches, along with proper access control through a firewall and a secure perimeter. Access must be on a needs basis only, and when vulnerabilities are detected, these must be addressed as soon as possible. In the case of virtual machines, it’s essential to have the appropriate security controls and to pay particular attention to endpoint hygiene. It’s only possible to have antivirus protection or a firewall if it’s correctly configured, malfunctioning, or not reporting properly.

Visibility through simplification

As defined by Gartner, Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) can make a difference here. SASE is a security framework specifying that security and network connectivity technologies should combine in a single cloud-delivered platform to enable rapid, secure cloud transformation. In addition to providing a singular point through which services are delivered to the client, this also streamlines network access and security measures while eliminating operational complexity by reducing the number of vendors involved and helping to protect the business from third-party vulnerability. This plays a massive role in achieving visibility and transparency in cloud environments, along with the fact that public cloud providers generally have their compliance requirements to meet, such as ISO 20 001, PCI, DSS, and HIPAA – all of which can be passed onto the customer.

Secure the data wherever it goes

Ultimately, the most effective approach to securing anything in the cloud will focus on securing data in transit and motion. Asset protection is essential, and visibility is critical, given the scalability and flexibility of the cloud. Endpoint protection is required to secure servers, workstations, or any machine in the cloud, along with operational security, which ensures that when any changes are made, they occur without accidentally opening system loopholes. Monitoring is just as vital, along with vulnerability and penetration testing. Finally, businesses should avoid putting all their eggs into a single cloud basket to ensure security and continuity. Using multiple clouds ensures that if one goes down, there’s another ready to take its place and provide security through business continuity.

Kumar Vaibhav – Lead Solution Architect

Other Blogs from In2IT