Cloud computing centralizes data, applications, and computer services, offering unparalleled flexibility. However, this centralization can also make it susceptible to online threats. If not properly secured, data stored in the cloud can be at risk of theft or loss.
Cloud security is all about putting protective measures in place to defend this computing infrastructure. It's a robust set of protocols and tools designed to ensure the safety of cloud-based data and resources.
By integrating the right technologies, processes, and policies, you can enhance the security of your cloud environment. In this article, we'll delve deep into cloud computing strategies to bolster security, but first, let's touch upon the fundamentals.
What is Cloud Computing?
A network or the internet are both considered to be "clouds." It is a technology that replaces local drivers with remote servers on the internet for the storage, management, and access of data online. Data might be in the form of files, photos, papers, audio files, video files, and more.
Using cloud computing, we can perform the following tasks:
- Creating new software and services
- Hosting blogs and webpages and storing, backing up, and recovering data
- Software delivery on demand
- Data analysis
- Playing audio and video streams
Why is Cloud Computing Security Important?
Cloud computing propels businesses forward. It enhances customer service with better data management, offers flexibility with remote work options, ensures rapid scalability, and provides convenience through seamless system interconnectivity and swift data sharing.
Any company's cloud environment must be safe for it to continue to function. Due to the hazards of misconfiguration and the constant threat of cybercriminals, cloud security becomes extremely important. Through the use of cloud security, you can improve the security of your digital assets and lessen the risks brought on by human error, lowering the possibility that an avoidable breach could cause your company to suffer a costly loss.
Organizations must ensure that the professionals in charge of cloud security are well trained through a relevant Cloud Computing course and are experienced to handle this critical function.
Now let's go through the Top 10 cloud computing tips to improve security.
Tips to Improve Security in Cloud Computing
1. Next Generation Firewall (NGFW)
The term "next-generation firewall" (NGFW) refers to a type of security device that analyses network traffic and implements rules to prevent potentially harmful data. The capabilities of conventional firewalls are improved and expanded upon by NGFWs. They accomplish all that firewalls accomplish, but more effectively and with more functionality.
Ordinary firewalls act like the first security agency in that they either allow or deny data (passengers) depending on where it is going, where it is coming from, and whether or not it is a genuine network connection. An NGFW functions more like the second security agency in that it does a deeper analysis of the data to find and stop threats that might be concealed in seemingly normal traffic.
NGFWs also include a number of features that earlier firewalls do not. Deep packet inspection (DPI), in addition to packet filtering, is used by NGFWs. And an NGFW contains the following, according to Gartner, a leading worldwide research and consultancy company:
- Awareness and management of the application
- Blocking intrusions
- Intelligence on threats
- Ways to upgrade so you can add future information feeds
- Approaches of addressing changing security threats
2. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) has emerged as a crucial tool for organisations to configure and optimise in order to protect users' identities from being stolen and to improve security posture while they attempt to give employees access to cloud-based apps and services.
MFA solutions significantly enhance authentication over that which only uses usernames and passwords by requiring a second factor or other type of authentication to access cloud services.
A user is given numerous authentication options in addition to the usual username and password when they try to access a resource. The user's credentials are validated by a directory services platform or core identity provider (IdP). If the user's login information and second authentication method are successful, access to the resource is given.
For each attempt at logging in, MFA systems create a different one-time passcode (OTP). Push notification is a more modern. This is sent to the smartphone you registered, and you must grant access to your account before receiving it.
When a multi-factor authentication system notices unusual login attempts, businesses can set it up to actively send an alert. This facilitates quicker cyberattack response from both businesses and individuals, minimising possible damage.
3. Streamline Identity and Access Management (IAM)
By using Identity and Access Management (IAM), users no longer need to keep track of numerous identities and passwords for various online tools and services. Its main objective is to make managing user identities, accounts, and passwords by IT staff more effective. IAM makes it possible to quickly, easily, and securely handle all services, wherever they are at any given time. This is done by centralising access management. IAM gives administrators complete control and visibility for centralised management of Cloud resources by allowing them to specify who can act on particular resources.
Privilege escalations can occur when an unauthorised person has excessive access. IAM assists in preventing attacks based on identities and data breaches brought on by privilege escalations. IAM systems are crucial for cloud computing and for managing remote teams because
4. Monitoring & Logging
Organisations can examine, manage, and keep track of operational workflows in a cloud environment by using a variety of processes that are part of cloud security logging and monitoring. Monitoring the security of servers, applications, software platforms, and websites using the cloud combines manual and automated operations.
Cloud security professionals continuously monitor and evaluate the data stored in the cloud. They spot odd behaviour and address cloud-based security risks. If they locate a threat or weakness, they can suggest fixes to deal with the problem right away and prevent future harm.
As part of their architecture, cloud service providers often offer native solutions for cloud security monitoring. Also available for your cloud environment is a third-party monitoring programme. Alternative monitoring methods for your cloud environment include on-premise security management programmes.
Various servers, instances, and containers log data is gathered by cloud monitoring programmes. The incident response team is informed of any unusual behaviour via a sophisticated cloud monitoring solution that correlates and analyses the data that has been collected.
5. Cloud Visibility & Control
Having a thorough understanding of every activity in your cloud is known as cloud visibility. This implies that you can spot security risks and underwhelming performance in your cloud deployment. It's, in a nutshell, the capacity to access any data you require from your clouds.
By installing your infrastructure on-premises, it is feasible to keep a close eye on your IT environment. In this situation, you are completely in charge of your security. In short, maintaining control over a sizable portion of your IT infrastructure while a third party hosts it is the goal of cloud visibility.
While firewalls and threat detection technologies may be effective for on-premises deployments, cloud environments present entirely other challenges. This is a result of dynamic and dispersed cloud infrastructure. As a result, you could find it challenging to stay on top of everything.
You will be able to identify security flaws and address them as soon as feasible if you have greater visibility into the operations of your cloud.
6. Ensure Compliance with Data Protection Regulations
The act of adhering to the legal requirements of local, national, and international legislation regarding cloud usage is known as cloud compliance. The main distinction between traditional and cloud compliance lies largely in how you go about fulfilling these demands.
A business should be concerned about how the cloud provider will assist it in adhering to legal requirements once it has moved to the cloud, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe or HIPAA in the United States. Instead of waiting until the cloud service is operational to have this conversation, it should start right away. An avoidable breach will cause the organisation to sustain a damaging loss.
Keeping up good data compliance procedures in the cloud has obvious advantages. Compliance can help organisations gain more control over their sensitive information and lower their risk of paying fines or facing other consequences for non-compliance.
7. Ensure Data Security
The set of technological tools, corporate guidelines, and operational practises used by an organisation to safeguard cloud-based systems and applications, along with the data they contain and the user access to them, is known as cloud data security.
Data security must be taken into account by businesses at every level of cloud computing and the data lifecycle, including the creation, implementation, and management of the cloud environment.
Consider putting cloud access and entitlements management systems in place to protect yourself from the always changing risks that the cloud presents.
Whether the data is on-premises or in the cloud, a comprehensive, identity-centered solution ensures that the company is consistently enforcing access control and implementing governance more intelligently. Automation and other elements that increase efficiency and save expenses are also advantageous to the organisation.
8. Use cloud automation
In challenging cloud environments, cloud security automation can help you keep your security posture. Enterprises can empower developers to instantly and automatically secure complex architecture by automating cloud security, all while accelerating the deployment process.
Infrastructure teams use tools and procedures to achieve cloud security automation, clearing their to-do list of numerous low-level or repetitive chores so they can concentrate on more important responsibilities. Both the deployment of cloud native applications and the provisioning of cloud infrastructure are automated using these techniques. Remedial actions are predefined to manage incident response processes, and production environments are monitored for security misconfigurations or other vulnerabilities. Last but not least, security monitoring automatically provides intelligence to DevSecOps teams, enabling them to counter threats and safeguard vital resources.
9. Cloud security training for employees
One of the main reasons for security breaches in the cloud is employee irresponsibility. Cybercriminals may gain access to sensitive data with a simple error, such as a weak password or incorrect network configuration. Employees can learn about the risks of cloud computing and how to prevent security breaches through training and awareness programmes on cloud security. Businesses may more effectively protect their data and lower the risk of security events by teaching staff members on security best practises and holding frequent training sessions and simulations. For example employees handling the AWS infrastructure should be trained on a course based on Architecting on AWS.
A prompt and efficient incident response is essential in the case of a security breach. Employees can learn how to recognise security events and react to them swiftly and efficiently with the aid of cloud security training programmes. By doing this, you may lessen the harm that a breach does and make sure that your company can resume regular operations as quickly as feasible.
10. Off-boarding Process for Departing Employees
Regardless of the situation, employers must take precautions to prevent departing employees from taking credentials that would allow them to continue accessing sensitive information including customer data, trade secrets, product specifications, and other intellectual property.
A crucial step is to save or restore the departing employee's files as soon as they are prepared to go, which is typically on their last day. This usually entails a few simple steps and can be accomplished by using an application that is installed on the employee's device to download the individual's files.
After the restoration process is finished, it's time to deactivate the user, which entails logging the user out of all devices and online sessions and denying access to all company networks, including cloud-based services. The former employee won't have access to any company apps or data resources anymore. Any accounts that are shared should have new passwords.
Gather any equipment that has been given out by the company, such as access badges, desktops, laptops, mobile phones, tablets, and external hard drives. Never rely on employees to recall returning these gadgets on their own.
It is inevitable that workers will depart organisations. These actions can help businesses safeguard their sensitive data from loss or unauthorised access.
Conclusion
When moving to the cloud, you must be prepared to put a thorough cloud security strategy in place right away. This begins with choosing the finest cloud service provider or providers, and is followed by the implementation of a plan integrating the appropriate technologies, processes, policies, and best practises. It is crucial that you recognise your joint duty and put compliance first.
One of the most important components of defence against cybercriminals in cloud security is your team, or the staff of your cloud provider. Ensure that your team is trained with latest and most relevant courses like the KnowledgeHut Cloud Computing course.
It's crucial to keep in mind that using the cloud to deliver your services is just as secure as doing it on-premises. In reality, many cloud service providers include cutting-edge security tools and software that you wouldn't otherwise have access to.
