Benefits of Cloud Security for Organisations

Investing in cloud infrastructure is the best way to achieve agility in the digital world. Hybrid work productivity is enhanced by moving data and applications to the cloud from on-premises hardware. Remote workers require high availability, secure connections, and access to data and apps anywhere. Cloud computing offers many benefits. However, the security of perimeters should be left to experts experienced in providing secure cloud services.

Even though most organisations are interested in moving to the cloud, many are reluctant to commit significant resources to it due to the risk of poor cloud deployments and the lack of cloud-savvy talent within their organization. In the last three years, many companies have implemented cloud solutions quickly and need adequate security controls to accommodate remote working. Cloud migrations hastily made can increase attack surfaces, lead to insecure data transfers, and create compliance issues.

Cloud solutions maximise benefits such as data availability, AI innovation, and data analytics. They also meet compliance requirements. Security must always be a priority. Gartner predicts that by 2025, "70%" of workloads will reside in the public cloud, requiring cloud security solutions to be implemented.

What is cloud security?

Cloud security protects cloud-based applications, services, and data using governance policies, technology, and threat management. It also includes defined processes and controls for accessibility. Organisations need to know how their security posture can be compromised at the edge as they expand cloud capabilities.

When you partner with an IT solutions provider, you can share the responsibility and costs of protecting your business-critical applications and data. This is something you could not afford otherwise. Cloud strategies are becoming more common for forward-looking business organizations. However, security solutions often need to be more cohesive, requiring improved interoperability. Cloud computing security delivered in an OpEx model will lower your upfront costs and allow you to scale up and down according to demand.

Security is essential to protecting and maximising cloud services' core capabilities and benefits. Cloud security solutions such as extended threat detection and response, endpoint management, and security monitoring can protect your edge. Everyone in the company, from the CEO to the software developers, must put security first regarding cloud services. A cloud-deployment expert IT solutions provider can help you build and implement a cloud strategy that ensures proper management and execution.

Cloud Security: 5 Benefits

• Security Democratisation

  Stefan Avgoustakis is Google's Cloud Security Lead in Australia and New Zealand. He says that cloud-based security's most significant benefit is its ability to function as a technological immune system. He stated in a recent webinar that "as a company, we ship hundreds of security updates to our customers each month." We want to ensure that there are He stated in a recent webinar that "as a company, we ship hundreds of security updates to our customers each month." We want to ensure that there are no "vulnerabilities."

  Cloud security allows patching operating systems, drivers, and hardware on an entire network. How can businesses achieve this using an on-premises solution? Avgoustakis says, "Unless your company has an army of security engineers who look after it 24/7, you can't. This approach allows customers to receive constant security updates and solve problems in real-time without opting in.

  A startup, small business, government, or banking organisation could use the same cloud infrastructure. You will receive the same level of security, no matter who you are. Many smaller businesses can benefit from moving their data to the cloud without having to spend much money or have an extensive security staff.

• Continuous Visibility

  In a recent webinar, Pouya Ghotbi, a security risk and compliance advisor at Amazon Web Services Public Sector and associate director of St. Bonaventure University's online MS in Cybersecurity, discussed a second benefit cloud computing offers: continuous visibility. Online business is always open, unlike brick-and-mortar locations. Security must be able to handle the constant demands.

  Before cloud security, companies manually configured visibility settings for their data sets and applications. The process could have been more convenient and less prone to user error. Ghotbi claims that "visibility" is built right into the cloud platform. You can access logs for applications, services, and user access. The cloud automatically logs every user's access, making it easy for security teams and IT departments to identify potential bugs and breaches.

  Teams can better identify threats and opportunities to improve security with continuous visibility. Instead of searching manually across all platforms, security analysts can search for threats simultaneously across several platforms.

• Increased Resistivity

  Cloud security is a more reliable way to secure your data than on-site security. Ghotbi says that a server's failure can cause immediate problems. It would be best to buy and reconfigure a new computer, including the software. Cloud security is built in."

  Cloud security solves many daily problems, such as bandwidth and reliability issues. A resilient system offers greater scalability and allows companies to grow faster without worrying about security. Cloud security systems are cost-effective because they operate under a "pay as you go" model. This model allows businesses to only pay for what they use, eliminating unnecessary costs and increasing them only as their business grows.

  Changing or upgrading cloud security can also be done with a few simple clicks, requiring comprehensive defence.

  In today's digital age, having a multi-layered security system is vital. If one layer is compromised, having more than one layer of protection increases the likelihood that another layer will detect and stop the attack. Cybercriminals tend to target businesses with fewer layers, as their attacks are likely to be successful. Cloud providers offer two types of defence: defence-in-depth, which includes every layer of security, and defence-in-width, a broad deployment that scales with the business's growth without redesigning or reconfiguring any applications. Avgoustakis said in the webinar: "You need at least four or five layers" of gateways and defenses. These include SSL, TLS, and web application firewalls. Cloud security systems already have these layers. You don't need to think twice about every purchase. Choose which services to enable.".

• Automated regulatory compliance

  It can be a full-time job to keep up with the regulatory changes. Cloud security gives teams the ability to integrate compliance into application coding. This eliminates the need for constant changes and updates. This automated compliance applies to both industry-specific regulations and general regulations. By choosing a reputable cloud provider, you can ensure that your business will always comply. It saves time and allows companies to focus on their core business while complying with their industry's or country's regulations.

• Reduced upfront costs

  Cloud security solutions are typically subscription-based, so you only pay for the services you use. This can save you a significant amount of money upfront, especially compared to the cost of purchasing and maintaining on-premises security solutions.

Four Challenges to Cloud Security

• Misconfigurations

  Businesses face some significant challenges as they rapidly adopt cloud technology. Avgoustakis, Ghotbi, and others agree that cloud security is most at risk today from misconfiguration. Customers often focus on speeding up the transition to the cloud and neglect to implement specific safeguards that prevent data from falling into the wrong hands.

• Unauthorised Access

  Also, security threats can arise when users are given fewer permissions. Ghotbi says, "In cloud computing, you can give specific access." Customers often need more permissions to simplify things. With these broad permissions, sensitive data could fall into the wrong hands. Cloud security offers the ability to customise permissions. However, it is essential to do your due diligence to ensure this customization works correctly.

• Insecure APIs or Interfaces

  Cloud security is a shared responsibility between clients and cloud providers. Developers are responsible for coding and building layers of security. The client is also responsible for protecting data by using cloud storage. Avgoustakis explains, "We place security capabilities before APIs, encryption, and authentication. You still have to protect any interfaces that you publish on the Internet. Many people assume that because something is in the cloud, it's okay to expose it.

  The Cloud Security Alliance ranks insecure APIs and interfaces as the second-most significant threat to cloud computing. Organisations are adopting APIs at a rapid pace, and any vulnerability can lead to data breaches.

  Forbes reports that 1 in 3 respondents cited 'identification software vulnerabilities' as the most critical security concern. This problem can be solved by hiring and training employees with a good understanding of cloud technology and cybersecurity. The gap between cloud developers and company technology experts narrows dramatically when they are both on the same page.

• Datasharing with external parties

  Cloud computing is more accessible, making it easier for unauthorised individuals to access sensitive data when shared externally. In its report for 2022, the CSA identifies accidental cloud data leakage as the 8th biggest threat to cloud computing. In the report, it is also stated that over 55% of companies have databases that are currently exposed on the Internet. Misconfiguration, weak passwords, and authentication are often the causes.

Security First Approach for Cloud Computing

It would be best if you tightened up the security of your cloud because there is a high risk of cyberattacks. Security failures can be avoided by integrating authentication controls, encryption, and firewalls. You should also enforce strict security policies and implement identity and access management.

Cloud security is more than just an IT problem. Cloud security is essential to your business strategy and serves as the framework for your overall security posture. The CEO should invite cloud security experts to a discussion to begin thoughtful cloud planning. Businesses currently managing multi-environment infrastructures alone can increase the core capabilities of their IT team with the help of an IT solutions provider who is experienced in providing efficient cloud security services.

Protect your cloud with PerfectionGeeks

PerfectionGeeks has many years of IT management experience and cybersecurity expertise, allowing us to help clients protect and optimise their digital environments. We can help you address cloud security issues. PerfectionGeeks supports our partners without shame with certified, experienced, and knowledgeable cloud architects and security engineers. Our global footprint of enterprise data centres reflects our commitment and investment in cloud and data security.

Our PerfectionGeeks cloud architects and security team have the passion, processes, expertise, and premier tools to fully support your cloud environment. Our teams constantly upgrade their skills with advanced certifications, and they have learned how to integrate cloud governance to serve our clients best. Security-first is about protecting your cloud from cyberattacks—our visibility, threat intelligence, and constant vigilance benefit cloud security solutions.