What Is Cloud Security? Definition, Best Practices & Types

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Cloud security is a set of standard controls, policies, and centralized cloud-based solutions combined together to protect your infrastructure, apps and data in a cloud-based platform. It helps organizations reduce internal and external issues by employing different cloud environment security measures against threats. Prioritizing cloud security provides you with a safe, reliable resource for your data while it travels to and sits in a remote storage location.

Why Cloud Security Is Important

Cloud security safeguards sensitive cloud information and enables secure access for authorized users. It addresses stringent compliance requirements, offering a structured framework for regulation adherence and thorough audits. As remote collaboration becomes more prevalent globally, cloud security secures access to information from anywhere in the world.

Here are a few reasons why prioritizing cloud security is crucial:

• Data security: Protects your data from unwanted access, securing the confidentiality of personal and commercial information. It defends you against any breaches that might damage sensitive information by employing strong security procedures.
• Assurance of privacy: Serves as a defender, guaranteeing that your personal and sensitive information is treated with the highest care. This increases the user and service provider’s peace of mind and trust.
• Continuity of operations: Maintains continuity for firms that use cloud services. Cloud security measures limit risks associated with data loss or service outages, allowing operations to continue smoothly even during unexpected problems.
• Compliance requirements adherence: Facilitates compliance with governing data handling and privacy requirements in various industries and jurisdictions. Establishes a systematic framework for overseeing and auditing data access and usage.
• Cyber threat mitigation: Shields you from cyber threats that can compromise millions of data, ranging from hacking and phishing to malware attacks. Functions as a protective barrier against malicious activities by identifying and neutralizing potential threats.
• Enhanced collaboration and remote access: Ensures the security of cloud-based platforms is imperative. Enables safe and protected access to data and applications globally by fostering collaborative environments without compromising safety.
• Scalability and flexibility: Assures that measures are designed to be scalable and adaptable, and that it provides a flexible and secure environment capable of adjusting to the changing requirements of an organization.
• Trust and reputation: Establishes practices so cloud service providers entrusted with user and client data can maximize its defense against a breach in security and reduce the potential to damage businesses’ reputation.

How Cloud Security Works

When securing data in the cloud, you integrate key cloud components with your organization’s policies and your cloud solutions. These form the foundation of an effective cloud security that provides you with data security and access control benefits. Although storing your data in the cloud still poses different challenges and risks, you can still address these issues through proper deployment of cloud tools and best practices.

Cloud security starts when the user and the cloud service provider (CSP) define their shared responsibilities. It requires a coordinated effort from both the CSP and the customer. Each party’s duties vary based on the cloud service paradigm (IaaS, PaaS, or SaaS). Customers are typically responsible for protecting their data, apps, and user access, but CSPs handle the underlying infrastructure, such as computing resources, storage, and physical network security.

Here’s a quick overview of how you and your CSP share these cloud security functions:

This division of responsibility guarantees that both parties contribute to a safe cloud infrastructure. Continuous monitoring further aids in the early discovery of suspicious behaviors and potential threats, so you can perform a timely response to limit potential risks. Together, these practices ensure that cloud environments are secure, compliant, and resilient to cyber threats.

4 Key Components of Cloud Security

Cloud security components are standard security elements that operate together to provide a strong cybersecurity posture for cloud settings. To secure sensitive information and maintain the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of cloud-based systems, consider a comprehensive solution that tackles identity access management (IAM), network defense, data protection, and application security.

Identity & Access Management (IAM)

To secure and regulate access, IAM verifies identities, defines permissions, and manages the lifespan of user accounts. It provides authentication methods like multi-factor authentication, regulates authorization by defining permissions, and manages account provisioning and deprovisioning to reduce unauthorized access and insider threats.

Here’s how its security aspects work:

• Authentication: Makes sure that only authorized individuals or systems can access resources in the cloud. Proper authentication mechanisms, such as multi-factor authentication, help verify the identity of users.
• Authorization: Defines and manages permissions, specifying what actions users or systems are allowed to perform. Enforce the principle of least privilege to reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
• Account provisioning and deprovisioning: Controls the creation, modification, and removal of user accounts. Timely de-provisioning is crucial to revoke access for employees who no longer need it, minimizing the risk of insider threats.

Network Security

Network security entails protecting cloud infrastructure by deploying perimeter defenses (firewalls, IDPS, VPNs), guaranteeing isolation through network segmentation (VLANs), and constantly monitoring traffic for anomalies. These methods prevent unwanted access, contain breaches, and allow for rapid threat detection and response, assuring data integrity, confidentiality, and availability.

These factors form an integrated network security approach for protecting cloud infrastructure:

• Perimeter security: Establishes and maintains the perimeter defenses of the cloud infrastructure. Firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and virtual private networks (VPNs) help prevent unauthorized access and protect against external threats.
• Isolation: Checks that if one part of the network is compromised, the rest remains secure. Limit the potential impact of a security breach through containment strategies like network segmentation and using virtual LANs (VLANs).
• Traffic monitoring and analysis: Helps detect anomalies and potential security incidents through continuous monitoring of network traffic. It allows for rapid response to mitigate threats before they escalate.

Data Security

Data security in the cloud entails protecting information throughout transmission, storage, and processing. Among the measures taken are encryption (in transit and at rest), access controls (IAM, MFA), data masking, and frequent compliance audits. Encryption prevents illegal access; DLP tools monitor and safeguard sensitive data; and backup and recovery methods reduce downtime and potential loss in the event of an incident.

Below are the common measures applied in data security:

• Encryption: Ensures that even if unauthorized parties gain access to data, they cannot understand or use it without the proper decryption keys. Protect sensitive information both in transit and at rest with data encryption tools.
• Data loss prevention (DLP): Helps identify, monitor, and protect sensitive data, preventing unauthorized access, sharing, or accidental exposure via DLP tools. Utilize tools for compliance with data protection regulations.
• Backup and recovery: Takes additional security measures so you can restore their data from backups in the event of a security incident or data loss. It minimizes downtime and potential data loss.

Application Security

Application security in the cloud entails protecting cloud-based applications against threats and vulnerabilities. Its goal is to secure code, APIs, and configurations against unwanted access and data breaches. Code scanning, API security, and regular audits offer long-term protection. Web application firewalls protect against XSS and SQL injection attacks by blocking HTTP traffic.

Here’s how the various elements of application security function:

• Code security: Helps identify and fix vulnerabilities in applications with secure coding practices and regular code reviews. It reduces the risk of exploitation by attackers seeking to compromise the integrity of the application.
• API security: Many cloud-based applications rely on application programming interfaces (APIs). Ensuring the security of these APIs prevents unauthorized access or manipulation of data and services.
• Web application firewalls (WAF): WAFs protect web applications from various security threats, such as cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection attacks. They help filter and monitor HTTP traffic between a web application and the internet.

What Are the Benefits of Cloud Security?

Implementing robust cloud security measures can help you improve your overall security posture by providing you with greater visibility, expediting backups and recovery procedures, assisting you with compliance adherence and more. To successfully minimize risks while meeting your organization’s goals, check if your cloud security procedures are aligned with your specific business objectives and regulatory needs.

Greater Visibility

In a cloud environment, you obtain a better understanding of your IT architecture. Cloud platforms provide powerful monitoring and logging features, allowing you to watch activities, discover anomalies, and assess your system’s security posture. The increased visibility improves your capacity to implement proactive security measures and respond quickly to possible attacks or vulnerabilities.

Seamless Backups & Recovery

You can benefit from automatic backups and recovery with cloud services. Simply back up your data and applications for prompt recovery in the event of data loss, system failures, or interruptions. This dependability supports company continuity while reducing downtime, improving overall operational efficiency and resilience.

Reliable Cloud Data Compliance

Many providers follow strong security and industry requirements for reliable cloud data compliance. Organizations that use cloud services can better meet industry-specific criteria by using these strategies. It maintains data integrity and confidentiality that reduce the risks associated with noncompliance and increase confidence among customers and stakeholders.

Robust Data Encryption

Cloud providers often provide encryption techniques to safeguard data both in transit and at rest. It protects critical information from unwanted access and improves the organization’s overall security posture.

Reduced Costs

Instead of investing in and maintaining on-premises infrastructure, your business may take advantage of cloud providers’ economies of scale. Additionally, cloud services are frequently offered on a pay-as-you-go basis, allowing enterprises to expand resources based on their need and potentially lower total IT expenses.

Advanced Incident Detection & Response

Cloud security systems frequently incorporate enhanced incident detection and response capabilities, which use machine learning algorithms to identify and neutralize security threats in real time, thereby minimizing possible damage. It helps you discover and neutralize possible dangers before they cause major damage.

5 Top Challenges & Risks of Cloud Security

Even though cloud security solutions are widely accessible in the market, there are still some challenges that companies face when it comes to protecting their data in the cloud. Some of the most common issues in cloud security include misconfiguration, unauthorized access, account hijacking, external data sharing, and unsecured third-party resources.

Misconfiguration

Misconfigurations occur when cloud resources aren’t correctly configured, resulting in security risks. Some examples are poorly set up access restrictions, improperly configured storage buckets, or incorrect network settings. Attackers may take advantage of these errors to obtain unauthorized access to or modify cloud resources.

Unauthorized Access

Malicious actors can obtain unauthorized access to sensitive data or resources if suitable access controls and authentication procedures are not in place. Unauthorized access might include exploiting weak passwords, hacked credentials, or other authentication flaws.

Hijacking of Accounts

Unauthorized persons obtain control of user accounts through account hijacking. It occurs as a result of phishing campaigns, compromised credentials, or other malicious activity. Once an account is compromised, attackers may get access to critical data and resources, creating a significant security risk.

External Sharing of Data

Cloud services frequently entail user and company cooperation and data exchange. It’s important to manage and govern external data exchange in order to avoid unintended disclosure of sensitive information. To prevent this risk, organizations must adopt appropriate access restrictions and encryption.

Unsecured Third-Party Resources

Many businesses employ cloud-based third-party services and apps. If these external resources’ security is not sufficiently examined and managed, they might cause a vulnerability. Third-party integrations and dependencies should be thoroughly vetted and managed for security.

Understand how the top cloud security threats, risks, and challenges occur and read our guide on how to solve these issues.

Best Practices for Securing Each Cloud Environment

Cloud environments are commonly classified into five types: public cloud, private cloud, hybrid cloud, multi-cloud, and multi-tenant cloud. Despite their distinct characteristics, these clouds have a common strategy for maintaining each environment’s security.

Public Cloud

Public cloud is a cloud computing service available to the general public over the internet. The shared responsibility model governs security duties in public cloud systems. The provider secures the infrastructure, while the consumer handles access, application connections, and data storage.

Apply these best practices:

• Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA): Strengthen user logins by providing an additional degree of safety beyond passwords. Reduce the risk of unwanted access by demanding various types of verification.
• Conduct regular updates and patching: Keep software and applications up to date to protect against known vulnerabilities. Regular updates guarantee that security patches are applied quickly, lowering the risk of exploitation.
• Maintain continuous monitoring and alerts: Monitor cloud resources in real time for suspicious activity and configure alerts for potential security breaches. Enable timely detection and response to attacks to improve your overall cloud security posture.

Private Cloud

A private cloud is a cloud computing environment that is dedicated to a single organization. It’s typically hosted on-premises and managed by the organization’s IT department. Private clouds, which are tailored to specific enterprises, provide greater security control, making them appropriate for sensitive data and applications, despite the fact that they require knowledge and cost.

Practice the following recommended methods:

• Isolate networks: Segment networks with VLANs to reduce attack surface and enforce security regulations. Customize the rules and access limits to increase isolation.
• Control user access: Use authentication and RBAC to control data access. See to it that only authorized users can access vital resources.
• Manage patches: Apply updates on a regular basis to resolve vulnerabilities and keep your system secure. Patching in a timely manner decreases the danger of exploitation.

Hybrid Cloud

Hybrid cloud security safeguards data and applications across private and public clouds, combining on-premises and cloud-based resources for a wide range of computing requirements with strong security. This method blends the scalability and flexibility of public clouds with data control on private infrastructure, combining on-premises controls with cloud-specific technologies to provide comprehensive protection.

Employ these techniques to secure your hybrid cloud:

• Secure your connection: Establish secure connections, such as VPNs or specialized network links, between on-premises and cloud settings. Encrypt data in transit to prevent interception or tampering.
• Create uniform security policies: Enforce consistent security policies for both on-premises and cloud components. Verify consistent protection to lower the likelihood of weaknesses or gaps.
• Deploy data management: Implement measures such as encryption, access controls, and data classification to ensure that data is transferred seamlessly and securely between environments.

Multi-Cloud

Multi-cloud is a type of cloud environment that uses services from several public providers or combines public and private clouds to provide flexibility to its users. Running programs across several cloud platforms requires consistent security measures. Businesses benefit from its scalability, but they must handle challenges with data protection across several cloud infrastructures.

Here are some standard security practices for a multi-cloud environment:

• Centralize your policy configuration: Consolidate policy configuration into a single console to maintain consistency in security policies across numerous cloud platforms. Simplify access controls, firewall rules, and compliance settings administration.
• Integrate DevSecOps practices: Incorporate security practices throughout the software development life cycle. Automate security testing, code scanning, and vulnerability assessments as part of the continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD).
• Implement data security using SaaS: Use Security as a Service (SaaS) solutions to protect data on several cloud platforms. Access encryption, data loss prevention (DLP), and firewalls through a unified interface for consistent protection and accessibility.

Multi-Tenant Cloud

Multi-tenancy in cloud computing enables many entities to share resources while keeping data separate. Because multiple entities use the same infrastructure, vulnerabilities or breaches impacting one tenant can potentially affect others. Because of its structure, you need careful adherence to its best practices. 

These additional actions can help to improve multi-tenant security:

• Employ virtualization security measures: Use techniques like hypervisor-based segmentation and virtual firewalls to isolate resources and secure multi-tenancy in the virtualized architecture.
• Apply tenant isolation: Apply network segmentation, access controls, and encryption to ensure strong tenant separation and prevent unwanted access to critical data or resources.
• Utilize cloud security solutions: Implement comprehensive security solutions such as cloud-based firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and encryption services to protect sensitive data in the cloud.

Explore the general cloud security best practices and tips to further enhance your cloud environment’s security measures.

4 Common Types of Cloud Security Solutions

Different cloud security solutions like CASB, SASE, CSPM, and CWPP work together to provide a complete and tiered approach to cloud security. Depending on an organization’s individual goals and difficulties, it may use a mix of these solutions to address various areas of cloud security, such as data protection, access control, threat detection, and compliance management.

Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB)

CASBs are security technologies that lie between an organization’s on-premises infrastructure and the infrastructure of the cloud provider. They provide you visibility and control over the data transmitted to and from cloud apps. CASBs aid in the enforcement of security policies, the monitoring of user behavior, and the prevention of data breaches, addressing issues about shadow IT, illegal access, and data leaking. 

These are our top picks for CASB solutions:

• Broadcom: Symantec CloudSOC CASB delivers comprehensive insight into cloud application security, which is critical for meeting regulatory requirements. It provides sophisticated content inspection and context analysis to monitor the movement of sensitive data. For pricing and demo information, contact Broadcom’s sales team.
• Netskope: A leading CASB provider, Netskope provides ongoing security assessments and compliance, as well as a comprehensive SASE solution. Notable features include Cloud Exchange for smooth tech interfaces and virus protection for email and storage services. Netskope’s sales team can provide price information through a demo or executive briefing.
• Proofpoint: Proofpoint’s CASB is focused on user and DLP protection, exposing shadow IT, and managing third-party SaaS usage. It provides numerous security integrations and identifies high-risk personnel, making it ideal for firms that prioritize employee safety. For pricing and a free trial, contact Proofpoint’s sales team.

Explore our comprehensive guide on the top CASB solutions, detailing key features, pros, cons, and more.

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)

SASE is a security architecture that integrates network security functions with WAN capabilities to serve enterprises’ dynamic, secure access requirements. Software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) is combined with security services such as secure web gateways, firewall-as-a-service, and zero-trust network access. SASE is especially important in the context of remote work and the growing usage of cloud services. Some of our top picks are:

• Cloudflare: Cloudflare One distinguishes itself as the best entry-level SASE solution by providing transparent pricing, simple deployment, and robust IoT compatibility. With a free tier for up to 50 users, it’s ideal for small organizations. The Cloudflare One Pay-as-you-go Tier costs $7 per user each month. 
• Cato: Cato SASE Cloud offers a streamlined deployment process with only two hardware configurations and automated connection setup. Its full-service offerings include end-to-end SASE administration, threat detection, and ISP management, making it the leading provider of comprehensive SASE solutions. For price information, contact Cato Sales. 
• VMware: VMware’s SASE product thrives in a wide range of technical scenarios with its extensive virtual network function (VNF) compatibility. Its functionalities enable seamless integration with a wide range of third-party security technologies. To accommodate 12 bandwidth levels, VMware offers 26 Edge hardware options ranging from $550 to $10,000.

Read our extensive reviews of the top SASE products and their best offerings to find the right solution for your business.

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)

CSPM solutions are designed to guarantee that a company’s cloud infrastructure is set in accordance with cloud security best practices and compliance standards. These tools continually monitor cloud setups, detect misconfigurations, and make remedial recommendations. CSPM aids in the prevention of security problems caused by incorrectly configured cloud resources. These are some of our recommended solutions:

• Palo Alto: Palo Alto Networks’ Prisma Cloud is the best overall CNAPP solution, providing top-tier cloud security posture monitoring across many environments. Pricing for complete capabilities across major public clouds varies; for example, the Enterprise Edition costs $18,000 for 100 credits via AWS Marketplace.
• Check Point: Check Point CloudGuard CSPM is a part of the CloudGuard Cloud Native Security Platform. It provides automated solutions that prioritize compliance. It caters to major cloud providers and Kubernetes users. Pricing varies depending on the feature set. Access to CNAPP Compliance & Network Security for one month and 25 assets costs $625 on AWS Marketplace.
• Lacework: Lacework unifies CSPM, vulnerability management, IaC security, and other features for major cloud providers and Kubernetes. It uses smart behavioral analysis to automate risk management and anomaly identification, assisted by machine learning. Lacework costs $1,500 per month, with a usage fee of $0.01 for every item purchased via Google Cloud Marketplace.

Compare other alternatives in our comprehensive guide on the top CSPM tools, covering their key strengths and features.

Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP)

CWPP solutions are intended to protect workloads (applications, processes, and services running in the cloud. They provide cloud workloads with capabilities such as threat detection, vulnerability management, and runtime protection. CWPP assists enterprises in protecting their cloud-hosted apps and data against a variety of cyber threats. Here are our chosen CWPP tools:

• AWS GuardDuty: AWS GuardDuty, designed specifically for AWS users, uses machine learning to detect vulnerabilities in AWS services. It continuously monitors accounts and workloads through anomaly detection and network monitoring. Their default level of service coverage costs $1.00+ per gigabyte per month.
• Microsoft Defender: Microsoft Defender for Cloud is suitable for Azure, providing powerful threat detection and adaptive security protections that are targeted to Azure workloads. With native integration, real-time threat information, and adaptive rules, it offers strong protection within the Azure environment. Prices start at $14.60 per server per month.
• Orca Security: Orca Security excels at cloud configuration security by providing comprehensive visibility and continuous monitoring across different platforms. Its agentless design and comprehensive features make it an appropriate choice for effective cloud workload protection. For a customized estimate, contact Orca Security Sales.

Discover more tools, their key features, pricing, and more in our detailed review of the top CWPP solutions available in the market today.

Future Trends in Cloud Security

Cloud security has progressed from an IT-specific concern to a critical consideration for all business leaders in the cloud age. As the cloud security workforce path intersects with future trends, investing in workforce training or collaborating with CSPs become ever more crucial. Confidential computing, incorporating DevSecOps into cloud pipelines, and utilizing LLMs in cloud services are among the emerging trends of cloud security today.

Confidential Computing

One of the emerging trends in cloud security, confidential computing encrypts data as it’s being processed rather than just at rest or in transit. Cloud providers accomplish this by utilizing trusted execution environments (TEEs), which create segregated enclaves in the CPU where sensitive activities can be carried out safely. This solution improves overall cloud security by protecting critical data from potential breaches and illegal access.

Integrating DevSecOps into the Cloud

DevSecOps integration transforms cloud app development by incorporating security measures across the entire development process. Bringing together developers, IT operations, and security teams improve application security while maintaining deployment speed. Integrating DevSecOps into the cloud pipeline includes shift-left security, automated testing, team collaboration, and other measures to smoothly integrate security into the development process.

Reliance to Large Language Models (LLMs)

Advanced natural language processing methods enable the integration of LLMs into cloud services. These models assess user queries and deliver contextually relevant responses, allowing for more natural interactions with cloud interfaces. Cloud solutions using LLMs provide intelligent support for troubleshooting, optimization, and configuration management, improving user experience and optimizing cloud operations with minimal human participation.

Bottom Line: Implement Enhanced Cloud Security Measures Now

Cloud security is a critical practice for securing sensitive data, maintaining regulatory compliance, and defending against a wide range of cyber attacks. Businesses today are increasingly adopting the cloud environment, so strong security measures are required to limit risks, ensure the integrity and confidentiality of organizational assets. Reinforce your strong cloud security posture with best practices and reliable cloud solutions.

Find the most suitable cloud provider by exploring our comprehensive guide on the best cloud security companies and vendors.

Kaye Timonera contributed to this article.