In the last decade, cloud technology has become incredibly pervasive and a necessity for most businesses, especially those offering hybrid or remote work environments. According to G2, virtually all companies use at least one public or private cloud, and 85% of organizations will be “cloud first” by 2025. Even more important (from a security standpoint) is the fact that more than 60% of all corporate data is stored in the cloud. This data can be stored on cloud service providers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, or the Google Cloud Platform or in SaaS apps like Salesforce, Zoom, Slack, Adobe, Microsoft 365, and HubSpot.
Cloud environments provide greater opportunities for collaboration, the speed and agility needed to accelerate innovation, and the scalability needed by modern-day companies. Unfortunately, they are also a common vector for threat actors. Cloud-related attacks are still one of the top threats for businesses, with 80% of companies seeing an increase in the frequency of cloud attacks. So it’s vital that businesses understand how to secure their cloud environment to take advantage of everything the cloud has to offer without opening themselves to the risk of a data breach.
Here’s our guide to cloud security, including what it is, why it’s important, and how to find the right cloud security solutions for your business.
Cloud security is a set of policies, technology, controls, and best practices designed to protect data, applications, and infrastructure hosted in the cloud. It is an essential part of any company’s digital transformation strategy and cannot be overlooked given the vast number of successful data breaches in recent years.
Cloud security is a shared responsibility between a cloud hosting platform and the company using it. The level of responsibility for each entity is determined by the cloud computing service model, which can fall into one of three categories: infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), or software as a service (SaaS). With IaaS, a bulk of the security responsibilities fall on the customer, whereas SaaS applications remove much of the burden from the customer.
In any of these three service models, the provider will be responsible for cloud infrastructure security and securing any physical data centers or network architectures. The customer, meanwhile, is almost always responsible for managing user authentication and access privileges, data encryption, and managing security controls within their virtual environments to ensure they meet compliance standards and aren’t letting their sensitive data fall into the hands of threat actors.
While this shared responsibility model can be a positive for organizations that don’t have the manpower to manage cloud infrastructure, it can also lead to a false sense of security. Though SaaS companies and cloud hosting platforms will always boast about the security of their platform, that layer of security is not enough to secure your own environment. To avoid a data breach, companies still need to invest in cloud security to protect the data and applications within their cloud environments.
To keep data, applications, and cloud environments safe from internal and external threats, companies need a cloud security strategy that includes:
The cloud offers businesses many advantages, but it also offers bad actors many opportunities to enter your environment. It significantly expands the attack surface and is an enticing target for hackers. By implementing cloud technology without considering the proper security measures, companies are opening themselves to attacks that can be incredibly costly. IBM reports that the average global cost of a data breach in 2023 was $4.45 million. That includes reputational damage, fines, lost business, legal fees, ransoms paid, remediation efforts, and more.
Due to the high cost and high likelihood of getting caught up in a data breach, it’s essential for companies to prioritize cloud security. Cloud security protects sensitive data, applications, and infrastructure from attacks as well as unintended data leaks and compliance issues. It keeps outside actors and employees from accessing data they should not be privy to while ensuring that mission-critical SaaS applications can continue running without interruption.
Regardless of whether a business chooses a cloud-based or on-premises storage solution, sensitive data needs to be protected. Neither an on-premises server nor the cloud is inherently safer than the other, but moving to the cloud offers businesses — and their security teams — several benefits. In addition to protecting a business from a costly breach or security incident, cloud security offers:
These are just a few of the ways cloud security can make things easier on IT and security teams. That’s on top of the benefits that cloud technology brings to an organization. So not only does cloud security protect an organization from the costs and reputational damage of a data breach, but it also streamlines security operations.
To secure their cloud environment, companies need to invest in cloud security tools or services, of which there are many. Some are point solutions designed to secure specific aspects of the cloud, while others are more all-encompassing and aim to help businesses manage the number of cloud solutions that have emerged. Here are a few options to consider when it comes to securing cloud environments.
Once a company undergoes a digital transformation and adopts cloud technology, it’s essential that the implementation incorporates an effective cloud security strategy. This starts with alignment across key stakeholders. Leaders need to get buy-in from legal, IT, finance, and development teams to ensure all processes and policies will be followed. IT teams also need to gain visibility into any cloud-based tools employees may be using to ensure they can be monitored and secured.
Next, leaders need to determine which cloud-security solutions to invest in and find vendors that align closely with their needs and can meet any relevant compliance requirements. IT and internal tech teams should meet with potential vendors to determine how the solution will interact with their environment, ensure all security needs are covered, and confirm the security solutions can scale as the company grows. Team leaders should also understand the impact of the implementation of these security solutions and how processes may need to be altered once the tools are up and running.
Finally, stakeholders should agree on a timeline and key milestones and create a contingency plan in case any unforeseen issues occur. Once security solutions are in place, it’s essential to continuously evaluate vendors and security needs to ensure the environment remains protected.
Cloud security solutions are a must for any modern organization. It’s where threats are lurking most often, and it’s becoming more important as the use of SaaS vendors and solutions grow. Even small businesses can benefit from cloud security solutions and knowing what cloud security entails will help leaders have a stronger understanding of what their organizations need.
SolCyber is the first-of-its-kind outsourced security program partner. With our 24/7 detection and response services and Foundational Coverage, businesses of all sizes can ensure they are protected against threats. Reach out to the experts at SolCyber to learn more about how we help you secure your business.