Protecting assets and infrastructure in the cloud
Cloud security is essential for safeguarding assets and infrastructure in cloud environments. It involves specialized processes and technologies aimed at reducing risks to business operations, assets, and data from internal and external threats. These security measures should align with dynamic business objectives and agile development practices, as highlighted by Craig Boyle, MSSP Solutions Architect at XM Cyber.
Transitioning to the Cloud with 11:11 Systems
Third-party cloud vendors like 11:11 Systems offer solutions to facilitate the migration of essential workloads to the cloud. 11:11 Cloud, a VMware-based environment, is tailored to meet specific requirements for performance, security, and cost-effectiveness. Users can explore the benefits of 11:11 Cloud through a 30-day free trial.
Why is cloud security important?
Securing cloud environments goes beyond adapting existing security measures designed for on-premise networks. Cloud deployments are intricate, and security is a continuous process that demands a unique approach due to the expansive nature of the cloud environment. According to TJ Gonen, Vice President of Cloud Security at Check Point Software Technologies, security measures must evolve to address evolving threats and vulnerabilities while keeping pace with new workloads and security gaps.
Components of securing cloud environments
The centralization of applications and data management in the cloud, as explained by Utpal Bhatt, Chief Marketing Officer at Tigera, eliminates the need for dedicated hardware and enhances reliability, flexibility, and scalability. While most cloud providers offer standard security tools, key areas where cloud security is crucial include data security, identity and access management, governance and compliance, and data loss protection and business continuity.
What types of cloud security solutions are available?
- Identity and access management: IAM solutions control user or application access to data, ensuring secure authentication and authorization.
- Encryption: Essential for securing data at rest and in transit, encryption renders data unreadable without the decryption key.
- Risk assessment and management: Tools and frameworks help organizations identify and mitigate cloud security risks effectively.
- Security information and event management: SIEM tools collect and analyze data to monitor threats across networks and applications.
- Cloud access security broker: Acts as an intermediary for enforcing security policies around cloud resources.
- Extended Detection and Response (XDR): Offers threat detection and incident response capabilities across cloud environments.
What are the biggest challenges of Cloud Security?
- Complexity: Managing security in cloud infrastructures is challenging due to their intricate nature.
- Visibility: Lack of visibility into data sharing and access hampers tracking and managing potential threats.
- Shadow IT: Unauthorized cloud deployments by users pose security risks.
- Misconfigurations: Common misconfigurations in cloud applications are leading causes of cyber attacks.
- Data privacy: Ensuring data privacy becomes challenging with the accessibility of the cloud from various devices and locations.
Cloud security best practices
NIST recommends several best practices for effective cloud security, including leveraging the security features of cloud providers, regularly inventorying assets, limiting sensitive data in the cloud, using encryption, staying updated on cloud threats, and collaborating with cloud service providers while maintaining organizational security responsibility.
Final thoughts
Cloud security must evolve to address evolving technology and threat landscapes. Security teams should adapt tools that provide greater visibility and observability without impeding development processes, as advised by Gonen from Check Point.
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