The need for cloud security intensifies as enterprises move towards digital transformation using cloud-based tools. Cloud security is a collection of procedures and technology designed to address a business's internal and external threats.
Adopting cloud services helps organizations optimize their operational capabilities, but if the procedure is followed securely, there are bound to be several negative consequences. Read on to learn more about the need for cloud security, the challenges faced in cloud security, and the types of solutions available.
The Need For Cloud Security
Cloud-based environments and IaaS, Paas, or SaaS computing models form the basis of the digital transformation held across modern-day businesses. These tools help organizations develop and deploy services that can transform their business processes and make them more efficient. But enterprises can only enjoy these benefits with a strong structure that can protect them against threats, hackers and malware.
Businesses are working actively to keep up with the evolving threat campaign that includes aspects such as compliance with IT regulations, protection of intellectual property or keeping systems patched. However, organizations fall short of security teams, and this is where the prowess of cloud computing comes in. Public clouds, including those created by service providers such as STL Digital, encompass encryption, data protection and cybersecurity in their offerings.
Cloud computing proliferates an organization's efficacy and brings in cybersecurity experts whose round-the-clock presence can address threats in real-time. It should also be noted that these dangers to cloud security are also ever-changing; therefore, despite the size of an organization, security in the cloud should be an integral discussion.
Whether organizations work on private, public, or hybrid cloud environments, they must follow the best practices and implement cloud security solutions for unhindered operations.
Challenges Faced In Cloud Security
- Multitenancy: Since various client infrastructures are present under the same umbrella of a public cloud environment, the probability of your hosted services being compromised increases when malicious attackers target other businesses.
- Compliance: Adherence to regulations for protecting sensitive data such as credit card information and health records is a requisite for organizations. To maintain these compliance norms, enterprises limit access and curb what all users can do once they receive access. If these guidelines are not followed, it poses a challenge to the monitoring of the network.
- Identity & Access Management and Shadow IT: Successfully managing access points and restricting access points across on-premises systems is more accessible than administering these measures in cloud environments. This can be especially dangerous for organizations that allow unfiltered access to cloud services from any device or location worldwide.
- Misconfigurations: 86% of breached records in 2019 were accounted for by misconfigured assets. These misconfigurations can arise from leaving the default administrative passwords in place or not building appropriate privacy settings.
Types Of Cloud Security Solutions
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Data Loss Prevention is a culmination of tools and services created to secure regulated cloud data. DLP comprises data encryption, remediation alerts, and other security measures for protecting all secured data, either in rest or in motion.
Identity And Access Management (IAM)
IAM works on the functionality of creating digital identities for all users for active monitoring and restricting when required during data interactions. It is a set of tools and services that allows an enterprise to deploy policy-driven enforcement protocols for all users who want to access cloud-based or on-premises services.
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
SIEM is a comprehensive security solution that automates threat monitoring, detection, and response in a cloud environment. The system utilizes AI-driven technologies to correlate data across digital assets and diverse platforms, giving IT teams the bandwidth to apply their network security protocols seamlessly and simultaneously react to any potential threats.
Disaster Recovery
Disaster recovery solutions provide enterprises with the tools and services required to expedite lost data recovery and maintain business continuity. These systems, therefore, form an integral part of cloud security.
Conclusion
While implementing cloud security solutions can be a different task for each organization, it is essential. As established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the list can be observed as the benchmark when enterprises set out to implement the vital task of cloud security.
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