Business leaders need to put cloud security at the top of their priority list as companies move more of their data and apps to the cloud. Proactive measures, security as code, user-centric security, and C-suite involvement, are essential for protecting companies from emerging threats.
Digitization is accelerating rapidly. But so are digital threats. Security threats are being exacerbated by trends like data access from mobile devices and remote workplaces and the sophistication of attacks. Additionally, businesses are accumulating enormous amounts of data and disseminating it both inside the company and outside with partners, suppliers, and other third parties.
The majority of business data is being stored in the cloud; companies are no longer holding it within their own walls. Therefore, cloud security has become one of the top concerns of the C-suite of data-driven enterprises.
Making Effective Cloud Security a Reality
For adequate cloud security, leaders must prioritize the following areas:
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User-Centric Security
The idea of a secure network perimeter makes no sense now because users can access data and applications in the cloud from any location. Since they are utilized everywhere, it is now necessary to safeguard apps and data wherever they are – simply put, the cloud. This is, in some ways the opposite of the old strategy, which was based on a data centre that housed a variety of services that customers connected to.
Consistent security across the corporate office or any other remote site is the first benefit of this inverted paradigm. Enterprises also benefit from cost savings, secure connectivity, and freedom from complexity when they employ cloud-based, user-centric security as a service rather than purchasing and maintaining security hardware and vast networks.
Security as Code
Enterprises must reconfigure systems and apps for security before moving workloads to the public cloud. This is crucial since a cloud breach is almost always caused by misconfiguration. Enterprises require new models and architectures to secure their data and apps because current cybersecurity strategies cannot secure configuration.
An effective strategy for protecting cloud workloads is to approach security as code. Security as code frees up security teams to operate at the “speed of the cloud” without being constrained by manual processes. It also integrates security into cloud workloads to reduce risk. Security as code addresses cyber risks by accelerating product innovation and cutting down on time to market.
Plan Ahead
The answer to data-related concerns is more data. Behavioral analytics can help track activity patterns to spot unusual behavior of employees and other actors. Additionally, these solutions help in user authentication.
However, keeping track of these various, sizable data sets in the cloud can be quite challenging. Solutions that make it possible to access data from anywhere in the enterprise from a single location and then scan, analyze, and visualize it in real-time can be pretty invaluable.
Employees who use remote, IoT-connected devices to access cloud data exacerbate the already high cyber risk for organizations. Since ubiquitous data access and remote work are trends that cannot be stopped, enterprises can only modify their security systems to safeguard themselves. Decentralized data risks can be decreased by taking proactive measures to implement Zero-Trust architecture. It also makes it possible for smarter policy enforcement, which leads to better governance.
Integrating Security into Technology and Culture
Cloud security has advanced significantly. In addition to providing extremely secure environments for hosting applications and data, hyperscalers and other providers also handle routine security-related tasks.
Also Read: Why Enterprises Need to Embrace a Cloud Security Maturity Model in 2022
A risk-based approach to automation can help thwart attacks that are engineered using digitally driven solutions. While automation can handle tasks like ransomware defense, Identity and Access Management (IAM), machine learning, AI, and advanced analytics can be used to identify suspicious activities in data and stop security incidents.
The main objective should be to integrate security into technology and culture. Organizations must inevitably rely on technology, machine intelligence, and automation to keep their operations, employees, and customers safe due to the tightening of regulatory requirements on the one hand and the cybersecurity skills gap on the other.
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