Cloud security is a collection of security measures designed to protect a cloud-based infrastructure. These measures ensure user and device authentication, control over access to data and resources, and protect data privacy.
The field of knowledge of cloud security also enables compliance of your data storage method with the legislation of the region where your organization operates. Measures are applied in cloud environments to protect a company’s and its customers’ information against DDoS attacks, malware, hackers, and access by unauthorized users.
This text will talk about the importance of cloud security, its different solutions, and how it works in practice. So, let’s go!
Importance of cloud security
Organizations are increasingly moving their workflows to the cloud. To keep up with this movement, it’s crucial to ensure the security of your customers’ applications and data.
Cloud security is fundamentally a shared responsibility with the cloud service provider. The elements that each party is responsible for will vary depending on the contract you sign and the area in which your company operates.
These are the main benefits of cloud security:
- Visibility. Allows you to apply transparency concepts to the cloud environment. This way, security teams will know which requests are being made via API and which came from user interfaces — while also checking related analytics data.
- Compliance. Cloud security helps your business deal with regulatory compliance requirements, especially those that determine where data can be stored and the level of user privacy that needs to be respected.
- Vulnerability protection. Ensures that users, their data, and server systems are protected against threats such as DDoS attacks, API exploits, and intentional information corruption.
- Delegation of Responsibilities. A good cloud security plan allows you to assign responsibilities to the cloud service provider, requiring them to take care of your side of protecting your customers.
- Access control. Implement access controls and authentication for cloud users and their devices. This can be done independently of their location, typically through a zero-trust model.
Read more: What is cloud compliance and how to implement it in your organization
4 challenges of cloud security
All businesses face security risks and threats in their daily operations. It’s impossible to eliminate these challenges, but your organization can manage them.
Therefore, it is beneficial to know what the most common risks are in advance and prepare to deal with them within your corporate environment. To this end, we have separated the main challenges of cloud security and the best way to face them.
1. Unmanaged attack surface
An attack surface is the total level of exposure of your organization. In other words, the sum of all the points where a criminal could attempt to gain access to your company’s systems and data.
Generally, the attack surface is composed of the following elements:
- Websites. All websites hosted by your company, including public, internal and e-commerce websites.
- Devices. Any device connected to your organization’s networks. Includes laptops, mobile phones, servers, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
- Applications. Any software accessible from outside the company, be it a smartphone app, web application or API.
- Cloud infrastructure. Any cloud service used by the company, such as public, private or hybrid cloud software or storage.
- Networks. Any network used by the company to connect its devices and systems. Includes the Internet, private infrastructures, and public connections.
To solve this, your company should ideally implement an attack surface management (ASM) process. This is the process of continuously identifying, monitoring, and managing all internal and external assets that are connected to the internet.
Your cybersecurity team should be on the lookout for potential attack vectors and vulnerabilities. The primary goal of ASM is to increase visibility into existing issues and reduce the risk they pose.
2. Human error
Consulting firm Gartner predicts that by 2025, 99% of all cloud security breaches will be caused by some level of human error. This is a constant risk when it comes to building enterprise applications.
The ease of use of cloud services brings with it a point of concern: it may mean that users are working with APIs that have not been disclosed to your IT team. This opens security gaps in your virtual perimeter.
To deal with this, you must create strong control systems and educate your employees so that they always make the right decisions.
Avoid blaming individuals for mistakes that happen. Blame the process and create procedures and safeguards to help people do the right thing safely.
3. Incorrect configuration
This element can mean any bugs, gaps, or errors that could expose your environment to risk during your cloud adoption, migration, or configuration. Configuration issues can lead to cybersecurity threats in the form of security breaches, hacker attacks, ransomware, malware, or insider threats.
All these elements can exploit vulnerabilities or misconfigurations to gain access to your network. Because of their complexity, misconfigurations of your infrastructure are a particular concern in multi-cloud systems — but they are a threat to any type of cloud setup.
The problem is usually caused by improperly configured permissions, access controls, or general settings for your cloud. The situation becomes even worse if you leave these values in their default settings, which can lead to the exposure of sensitive information, the granting of inappropriate privileges, or the creation of unexpected security gaps.
The best way to deal with this issue is to do proper monitoring and apply the necessary controls to your cloud configurations.
Access management
The first step is access management, with the correct configuration of each employee’s roles and their respective access permissions. In addition, the implementation of multi-factor authentication (MFA) is essential.
Serverless environments
For serverless environments, it is important to ensure that cloud functions are not publicly accessible. Also, make sure that your hosting service is not vulnerable to attacks.
Virtual environments
In virtual environments, set a limit for the creation of virtual machines (VMs). Permission should be granted so that only administrators have access to the VMs.
Networks
Ensure that IP forwarding is disabled for security groups. Additionally, the assignment of public IP addresses to specific resources should be highly limited, minimizing exposure to potential threats.
Databases
In the case of databases, always enforce SSL certificate rotation. Also, prevent databases from being publicly accessible, which will prevent unauthorized access and potential breaches of sensitive information.
4. Data leak
A data breach occurs when sensitive information leaves your possession without your knowledge or permission. Data is worth more to criminals than anything else, making it a prime target for most hackers with malicious intent.
The impact of a security breach will depend on the type of information that was stolen. Cybercriminals sell personally identifiable information (PII) and personal health information (PHI) on the dark web to other attackers who want to use these records for phishing emails or identity theft.
Internal documents and emails are other sensitive data that can be used to negatively impact your organization. For example, criminals can use this information to damage your brand reputation or sabotage your stock price.
To avoid becoming a victim of a data breach, you need to first conduct risk assessments regularly. Scan for vulnerabilities and pay special attention to databases that contain sensitive information.
After that, it’s important to prioritize and implement security controls to mitigate the risks you’ve found. Finally, create reports to document and revisit any threats you’ve found — even minor ones that your team will address later.
Read more: Digital Transformation – Why migrate to the cloud?
Types of Cloud Security Solutions
The ideal cloud computing security solution will depend on your specific environment and the needs of your organization. Since this is a complex and constantly evolving field, you must adapt to new technologies to keep up with the challenges and threats that emerge every day.
To this end, different types of solutions have been developed to keep your cloud infrastructure safe from criminals. These are the main types of cloud security solutions:
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
Coming from the English expression Security Information and Event Management, SIEM collects, analyzes, and correlates data from different sources. It evaluates information from logs, alerts, and events, to show you an overview of the security situation and activity of your cloud environment.
This is a cybersecurity technology that provides a single, simplified view of your data. From there, it provides insights into your company’s security activities and operational capabilities.
Based on the results provided by SIEM, you can detect, investigate, and respond to security threats.
Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Another derivative of an acronym in English, this time meaning Identity and Access Management. It is a framework that manages the identities and access rights of users and entities in cloud environments.
The solution includes a set of technologies, rules, and practices that your IT department can implement to manage control and provide access permissions within your network.
With Identity and Access Management, your data is protected: only the right users can access sensitive information, only in the appropriate contexts.
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Known as Data Loss Prevention, this solution identifies and prevents the misuse or unauthorized sharing of sensitive data. DLP is a component of Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), taking care of preventing data loss during information transmission.
DLP solutions aim to help protect your company’s intellectual property, customer information, and financial records. They work against unauthorized access, misuse, and loss of sensitive data to ensure compliance and protect your brand reputation.
A good DLP strategy should include the following elements:
- Data identification
- Data classification
- Monitoring and application
- Continuous training and guidance of employees
Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
Public Key Infrastructure is a solution that uses cryptography to secure communication and transactions between users and entities in cloud environments. This technology encrypts, decrypts, signs, and verifies data using public and private keys, certificates, and certification authorities.
We are talking about one of the most common forms of encryption on the internet. It has a long history of providing security and enabling the authentication of digital communications. In this way, PKI guarantees the privacy of messages being sent and verifies that the person who sent them is who they say they are.
Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP)
Provides end-to-end security for cloud-native applications running on containers, serverless platforms, or microservices architectures. It helps bring security to the entire lifecycle of your infrastructure, from development to deployment.
CNAPP scans for vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. It also integrates DevOps tools and processes to ensure a smooth security implementation.
The solution also assists in applying policies and compliance, ensuring compliance with security standards. To top it off, it detects and prevents attacks, protecting your applications throughout their lifecycle.
Accelerate digital transformation with SoftExpert cloud solutions
Conclusion
Cloud security is a critical component for any organization that wants to take advantage of cloud computing without compromising the integrity of its information and the privacy of its customers. With the increasing adoption of cloud solutions, it is essential to understand the challenges and solutions available to mitigate risks and ensure regulatory compliance.
Investing in specific security tools and adopting good access control practices is fundamental to ensuring a robust and resilient infrastructure. The key to success is a continuous and integrated approach to security that keeps up with technological evolution and emerging threats.
With these measures in place, your organization can navigate the cloud environment securely, focusing on growth and innovation — while protecting your most valuable assets.
Looking for more efficiency and compliance in your operations? Our experts can help you identify the best strategies for your company with SoftExpert solutions. Talk to us today!
