It is a known fact that the public cloud offers many advantages to organizations that adopt it. This list has no end, from scalability to flexibility and reliability to cost-efficiency. However, there are specific challenges that businesses must navigate to ensure a successful public cloud adoption. Due to the growing complexity of threats and the regulatory environment, compliance and protection of sensitive data are two key challenges businesses must recognize. To help you maintain a strong security posture in an ever-changing landscape, we have discussed some emerging trends and best practices in cloud security, in this blog.
Trend #1: Zero Trust Architecture
This is a security approach that has gained significant traction in recent times. Zero trust architecture operates under the assumption that access to resources should never be granted automatically, regardless of whether the user or the device is inside the organizational network. It works on the principle of continuous verification and stringent access controls. With the rise of cloud architecture, remote work, BYOD, and IoT, the network perimeter of organizations has become more porous and less defined. Zero Trust recognizes this change and doesn’t assume trust based on location.
Best Practices
● Verify the identity of devices and users before granting access to resources using robust authentication methods like multi-factor authentication (MFA).
● Grant the minimum access required for users, applications, and devices to perform their tasks. This reduces the attack surface and limits potential damage.
● Clearly define trust zones in your public cloud environment. For example, you must categorize resources, data, and applications based on their sensitivity and access requirements.
Trend #2: Container Security
This is a popular trend, particularly among organizations that have adopted containerization technologies like Docker and Kubernetes. To the uninitiated, containers offer a convenient and efficient way to package and deploy applications in public cloud environments. One of the unique aspects of a container is its short life cycle. This means they need to be frequently updated or patched. This immutable infrastructure elevates security by minimizing the attack surface and reducing the chances of unpatched vulnerabilities.
Best Practices
● Always use base images from trusted sources. More importantly, ensure that they are regularly updated and maintained.
● Integrate container image scanning tools into your CI/CD pipeline. This will help catch vulnerabilities before it is deployed.
● Run containers with the least necessary privileges. Unless necessary, do not use the root user within containers.
Trend #3: Serverless Architecture
Serverless architecture works on a simple principle. It reduces the attack surface by abstracting away infrastructure management. An organization may be responsible for securing its code and configuration, but it need not worry about managing or securing underlying servers. Also, since serverless architecture scales based on demand, it can quickly mitigate Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Also, since each serverless function runs in its isolated environment, the chances of lateral movement of attackers within an environment are minimized.
Best Practices
● Validate and sanitize input data to prevent injection attacks and data manipulation by malicious hackers. This is important because serverless functions often process input from various sources, including external clients.
● Securely manage environment variables, which can store sensitive configuration information by employing secret management solutions like AWS Secrets Manager.
● Implement rate limiting on serverless functions to protect against abuse and DDoS attacks. Set appropriate limits based on expected usage patterns.
Trend #4: Secure Access Service Edge
This holistic approach to security combines network and security services into a cloud-based architecture. It delivers robust security to organizations regardless of the location of users and devices. In other words, it ditches the traditional network perimeter model in favor of a perimeter-less approach. As you have guessed, zero trust architecture is part of SASE solutions.
Best Practices
● It would be best to secure all the remote access solutions within your SASE framework. Also, protect your remote users from threats by implementing VPN alternatives like ZTNA and SD-WAN.
● Deploy threat detection and response mechanisms within your SASE architecture. For instance, you can utilize SIEM tools and AI for anomaly detection.
● Execute various Data Loss Prevention (DLP) mechanisms and encryption within your SASE solution to protect data in transit and at rest.
About Cloudlytics
Bolster your cloud security strategy with Cloudlytics. Our team of experts is committed to your success, ensuring your data and operations remain protected and uninterrupted. Contact us now to discover how we can empower your journey into the future with robust cloud security measures.
