The agile transition from on-premises to cloud-based computing has drastically transformed how businesses function. However, it has also introduced new security concerns in the way businesses operate. As an IT leader, it is imperative that you realize the vitality of cloud cybersecurity and equally inquisitive to put forth some questions that will prove to be instrumental in the protection of data assets and IT resources. In the following article, we will discuss IT leaders’ key items, that they could address, as it relates to cloud cybersecurity and share insights on the latest trends and the best practices.
The technological environment now is specific for the security of the cloud, with dangerous threats just hitting the market participle. According to a recent report by McAfee, cloud-based attacks increased by 630% between January and April 2020 alone. This highlights the need for IT leaders to stay vigilant and proactive in their approach to cloud cybersecurity.
Assessing Cloud Security Posture
The first response of the IT leader should be, “who has a joint responsibility for cloud security”. This is important, as it helps to understand and draw the boundary between the service provider and the user’s responsibilities towards security. However clouds providers as usual are securing the infrastructure, it is the customers who are supposed to provide security to their data and applications (D&A).
The second most important domain for auditing is controlling the use of cloud IAM (Identity and Access Management). IT chiefs must ensure that the IAM practices are tested, for example code for least privilege access, multi-factor authentication, and recurring access reviews. A recent study showed that by 2023 at least 99% of the cloud failures will be the customer’s fault, mostly for the mismanaged IAM.
Encryption is one of the most crucial technologies aimed at ensuring data safety in the cloud. The leaders of IT should expect strong encryption, among which are the at-rest and in-transit encryption methods as well. Furthermore, data residency and sovereignty in certain cases should be adopted with high caution, especially for the companies working by the rules of multiple jurisdictions.
Best Practices for Securing Data in the Cloud
Disaster recovery and business continuity planning must be considered carefully before any cloud deployment. CIOs must enquire, “Are we ready with the all-encompassing disaster recovery plan?” This plan must include backups, failover mechanisms, and recovery tests at regular intervals.
Security information and event management (SIEM) solutions can be beneficial to the cloud security posture by bringing out a lot of information. Through SIEM, IT managers can increase the transparency of perceived dangers and unusual occurrences, leading to shorter resolution times. According to a report by Markets and Markets, the global SIEM market size is expected to grow from $4.2 billion (about $13 per person in the US) in 2020 to $5.5 billion (about $17 per person in the US) by 2025.
As remote work becomes more prevalent, IT directors should consider the security issues of long-distance workers’ work. Providing secure remote access options, for instance VPNs or zero-trust architectures, might be the best solution to contain risks ensuing from remote work.
Complying With Data Privacy Regulations in the Cloud
Data privacy regulations like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) have had a huge impact on the way cloud computing services are delivered. IT executives need to find an answer to the question, “is our business compliable with relevant data privacy regulations?” Non-compliance can have very serious consequences, including huge fines and brand damage.
To achieve their objectives, the IT leaders should develop a robust data governance strategy that entails data categorization, access controls, and data retention policies. In such sensitive data cloud, it is essential to go an extra mile and use the techniques such as tokenization and data masking.
Developing a Cloud Security Incident Response Plan
Despite your cloud security deployments being top-notch, issues may still arise. IT managers should seek the answer for, “Is our incident response plan integrated and well-defined?” An effective incident response plan is a must for the prevention of security breaches and maintaining business continuity.
Creating a successful disaster response plan consists of doing a few vital things. Firstly, define the detailed duties of the incident response team and assign them specific roles. The second point is to introduce incident classification levels and the corresponding response procedures. Fourth, conduct as many tabletop exercises as possible to be able to evaluate and redesign the plan. As the IT manager, you should be the one to provide strategic guidance to the incident response plan and determine the business objectives that it should follow.
Security Considerations for Migrating to the Cloud
When migrating to the cloud, security should be the prioritized issue. IT leaders must think through questions such as “What are the key security aspects of the migration process?” It includes assessing the security posture of the chosen provider, detecting potential security gaps in the cloud migration plan, and making sure that no data is leaked during the process.
The basic idea of secure migration is the careful analysis of risks, keeping the data encryption while it is in transit as well as the access control from the very beginning. Security is still one of the prime concerns in the cloud. IT leaders should also take special care about the cloud providers and their security features, certifications, and record of experience.
Mitigating Common Cloud Security Threats
The CIOs of any organization must have knowledge enough about the common cloud security threats and should also ask, “What measures can we take to avert such risks?” among others, data breaches, insider threats, and wrong configurations.
To expose the vulnerability, IT chiefs must design a security approach with multiple layers that includes network segmentation, data encryption, and user behavior analytics, among others. Real-time security incident spotting and surveillance are also the key elements of the security protocol due to the ability of detecting and reacting to potential threats immediately.
According to a study by IBM, organizations with fully deployed security automation saw 108-day shorter breach lifecycles on average compared to organizations not deploying these technologies – and experienced significantly lower incident costs.
With the increase in cloud cybersecurity threats that keep changing all the time, IT leaders should allocate more efforts and resources toward this area. By putting up the main queries described in this article and using the right techniques, you could achieve a very high level of cloud security in your organization.
Cloud Cybersecurity: A Shared Responsibility for IT Leaders
Keep in mind to constantly check your cloud security posture, enforce strong data protection mechanisms, meet the data privacy regulations, come up with an exhaustive incident response plan, and remain aware of the common threats that may harm your cloud.
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