How to Approach Cloud Security in a Holistic Way?

The adoption of cloud services and solutions is constantly increasing at a steady pace. We are also witnessing the proliferation of hybrid and multi cloud environments. All such cloud deployments need to be secured using a holistic approach.

In this post, we will discuss how you should approach cloud security in a way that it meets both security and regulatory compliance standards. Cyber Security is a never ending process and there is often ample room for improvement.

Below are some defining characteristics of a cloud security solution or mechanism which will help you achieve a secure cloud environment.

Cloud Inventory and Automation

The present day cloud environments are growing in complexity, so the cloud security solution in place should also have the requisite capacity. The process starts with taking an inventory of your current cloud environment.

At this stage, you will be identifying which workloads are on premise (if any), and the ones that have been given over to a Cloud Service Provider (CSP) like dinCloud. Once you have an inventory of the entire environment, you can effectively proceed with the next step.

Cloud security is such a rapidly evolving domain that you need to automate most aspects of the cloud security solution. Although the element of human oversight is not entirely ruled out, a combo of both will yield the best results.

At dinCloud, we have a cloud orchestration portal by the name of dinManage. This is a one stop solution that gives you full visibility and control over your cloud environment. In addition to automation, there should also be a mechanism for event logging and reporting.

Vulnerability Management Automation

Now, you can’t afford to have a reactive approach towards security threats. To keep your cloud infrastructure and data secure, you will need to automate the management of vulnerabilities and cyber threats, as and when they surface.

At dinCloud, we achieve a sound cyber security profile through a multi dimensional approach that involves extending the protection envelope right down to the endpoint devices being used by your employees to access the cloud environment.

For this, we have Sophos Intercept X for Endpoints and Servers, which is a proactive and world class security solution to keep your cloud infrastructure at bay from existing as well as emerging cyber threats.

Protecting the Network

The first step towards attaining cloud network protection is micro segmentation. This is otherwise a critical component of the zero trust security model. Via micro segmentation, you are achieving both operational ease and enhanced security.

After micro segmenting the entire network, it will become much easier for you to set and enforce least privileged access protocols. This is a very effective approach towards security, as access to data and apps strictly depends on the nature of one’s tasks.

The other core benefit of micro segmenting comes into play in the odd chance that there has been a network intrusion. In that case, it will become difficult to nearly impossible for a malicious cyber element to move laterally across your cloud environment.

Device and User Authentication

The increasing use of cloud solutions means that the number of devices and individuals connecting via the cloud network are constantly increasing. So, the first step is identifying and mapping all employee devices that will be accessing the cloud network.

Access to enterprise data or apps over the Cloud should be allowed only upon successful authentication of an endpoint device, each time an access is attempted. This will not only improve security, but also improve traceability of devices across the network.

The next step, which is more of a continuation of the above process is user authentication. Every time a user attempts to gain access to enterprise data or apps over the Cloud, such user must be authenticated via dynamic parameters such as OTPs, prior to giving access.

Conclusion

Cloud security is a rapidly evolving domain and you need to remain abreast of the latest trends in cloud security. You should consider cloud security as more of a process as compared to a one time task.