Migrating to the cloud can expose the business network to various new threats; CISOs should have strategic response plans implementation to ensure successful cloud migration without compromising on security.
Many enterprises have embrace successful cloud migration and have enhanced their business operations. Migrating to the cloud can bring many benefits to a business, including improved scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. However, it’s essential to ensure that the migration is done with deliberate best security practices to maintain compliance and privacy measures. There are a few critical factors in ensuring secure implementations during a cloud migration:
Classify data and compliance requirements
Cybercriminals are on the prowl to steal sensitive data, and cloud migration will expose the data to various threats. It is crucial for businesses to segment the data, determine the relevant compliance rules, and design effective strategies to meet all the compliance requirements. Ideally, all data is perfectly protected, but different measures must be taken depending on the sensitivity and legal requirements of different data types. There are industry-specific requirements like HIPPA for Healthcare or PCI of payments. Data classifications include Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or Material Nonpublic Information (MNPI). Then there are regional compliance standards like CCPA and GDRP. Each of these compliance frameworks outlines requirements rooted in what type of data an organization has, hence the need for precise data classification.
Once an organization has identified the types of data and what compliance requirements exist, there are several organizational points of focus that can ensure security is a priority in your company:
Conduct a thorough risk assessment
Post successful cloud migration, businesses will be exposed to various new threats and risks which can have devastating impacts on business continuity. Businesses need to have a strategic response plan implemented to mitigate the threats before they become a serious concern in cloud migration.
Also Read: Integrating AI into the Cyber Security Tech Stack to Enhance Resilience
“Have a plan for handling security incidents, including identifying the cause, mitigating the impact, and taking corrective action. Identify any potential security risks or vulnerabilities that might arise during the migration process, and develop a plan to address them, “Josh, CEO of Blue Orange Digital.
CISOs should determine all the potential attack surface areas that the business will be exposed to during or post-cloud migration.
Choose a compliance application
There are multiple compliance management tools in the marketplace that enables businesses to meet all the compliance requirements during the cloud migration. SecOps teams should explore, evaluate and implement tools that the organization’s compliance needs and scales with them.
“Ensure each tool has a requisite compliance certification (e.g., SOC, ISO, etc.),” adds josh.
Implement strong authentication and access controls
Organizations that need to ensure cloud migration should ensure that they allow access to the business network only to authorized users. It is crucial to have stringent policies enforced that allow access based on the job description of the user. Enterprises can leverage multi-factor authentication (MFA) and other controls to ensure that only authorized users can access the cloud environment.
Encrypt sensitive data
Encryption of sensitive data is one of the crucial aspects that SecOps teams need to consider while migrating to the cloud without compromising on security. Enterprises that are able to successfully able to encrypt their data will be less exposed to threats and risks.”Use encryption to protect data in transit and at rest in the cloud (end-to-end),” adds Josh.CISOs and CDOs should work cohesively to encrypt data that is in use, transit, and at rest to ensure comprehensive security.
Monitor and audit regularly
Once enterprises have successfully migrated to the cloud, they need to constantly track their business network for risks. Use tools to monitor the cloud environment for potential threats and conduct regular audits to ensure security controls are in place and functioning correctly.
By following these steps, businesses can confidently migrate to the cloud, knowing that their data and systems are secure.
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