This blog is part of a series to help organizations of any size optimize their security. Our experts provide insights and recommendations based on common security use cases, customer questions, and security software developer needs.
When we think about the desired results for multi-cloud, it’s always the same: seamless integrations, full visibility, velocity to market, IT control, and value from technology investments. For many organizations, the rush to the cloud developed into cloud chaos: siloed groups, disjointed systems, shadow IT, and increased costs.
In these cases, multi-cloud has resulted in operations complexity that almost inherently leaves environments open to security vulnerabilities. If you’ve already done the basics such as creating a Security Operations Center (SOC), it’s time for additional steps. Luckily, implementing strategies to operate within multi-cloud environments more securely doesn’t have to wait until a full transformation initiative or break the budget.
10 strategies to secure your multi-cloud environment
1. Regular risk assessments: Identify your organization’s risk mitigation priorities with security assessments by a third party to understand the impact and likelihood of possible security gaps. An assessment of your IT environment and all vendor-managed assets will help your organization understand and identify data and its locations, critical applications, and potential attack areas. A risk assessment can also include a threat simulation to provide practice scenarios for your security team.
2. Multi-layered security architecture: Ensure that every layer and component of your infrastructure is secure. This includes the network, all applications, data, and access. Each layer adds a barrier to attacks, making it harder to breach an entire system.
3. Zero trust: Implement the zero trust model for all systems in which every interaction is authenticated and authorized. Zero trust is well-suited for multi-cloud environments’ diverse resources and should be an integral component of identity and access management (IAM) controls.
4. Network segmentation: Reduce the impact of a breach by isolating different parts of your multi-cloud environment to create security zones. This will help limit the movement of threat actors to additional areas of your network in the event of a breach and should be part of more comprehensive network security.
5. API security: Configure all APIs for authentication and authorization, appropriate input and validation, and limited requests in a given period. Shared, forgotten, and misconfigured APIs are a major cause of security incidents in all industries.
6. Security monitoring and incident response: Set up continuous monitoring using security information and event management (SIEM) and intrusion detection and prevention (IDS/IPS) tools. SIEM functions include log collection, correlation, alerting, incident response, and compliance monitoring. IDS/IPS are designed to detect and prevent unauthorized access and malicious activities within a network. Develop an incident response plan that outlines roles, responsibilities, and steps to take in the event of a breach.
7. Cloud-native security services: Leverage built-in security services offered by cloud providers. For example, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud both offer services for IAM, web application firewalls (WAF), and threat detection. It’s also important to understand which security responsibilities are vendor-managed by each cloud provider and which ones must be managed by the cloud customer.
8. Disaster recovery and business continuity: Develop a comprehensive disaster recovery plan that includes regular backups, failover procedures, and testing of recovery processes. Ensure business continuity by testing capabilities for disruptions.
9. Compliance and regulations: Understand the security requirements for your industry and implement the necessary controls. Doing this will demonstrate your security posture more effectively and easily for auditors and regulators. Regularly audit your environment to ensure ongoing compliance and evaluate the security practices of your cloud providers to ensure they meet industry certification standards.
10. Governance documentation: Document security procedures, guidelines, and policies for your IT environment. Keep these updated by assigning different sections of the documentation to different team members.
Teamwork to keep your multi-cloud environment secure
Implement a regular and continuing security training program for all employees, including additional coaching specifically for IT administrators and executive leaders with more access than a typical user at your organization. Phishing, baiting, impersonation, and quid pro quo attacks are just a few of the threats that can appear sophisticated and target anyone in your organization.
Ransomware attacks, for example, often involve social engineering to gain access to data, and it’s important to teach employees how to spot and respond to possible threats that require clicking on links or sharing sensitive information.
Training and awareness programs are an ongoing defense that can help employees identify and react to social engineering and other types of threats with safety in mind.
One key factor to implement when building and managing a secure multi-cloud environment
In a dynamic and evolving area like cybersecurity, the one thing to continuously integrate into all processes is consistency. Without consistency of governance and policies, audits and assessments, patching and updating, and ongoing training and communication programs, new vulnerabilities can spread and remain undetected for weeks or months.
Unified security management, reduced attack surface, simplified auditing and compliance, and more efficient incident response can be better achieved with consistent security practices. This approach will also help smooth operations over time as security professionals in your organization learn your model.
Consistent practices will help security professionals mitigate ongoing and new risks and maintain the skills they need should a breach or cyber attack occur.
Learn more about security for your unique environment
If you’re not sure about your security posture or the level of vulnerability in your organization’s IT environment, a security assessment can help you develop a clear view of your current state and the possible remediations needed. You can also rehearse real-time scenarios and threat-hunting through our Cyber Defense Simulation service. Visit the Professional Services for Security resources section for overviews of the different types of assessments available, and contact us at [email protected] to learn more.
For more support, read the other blogs in this series which include tips for building up cybersecurity skills, a review of the cybersecurity mesh architecture framework, and practical ways to secure APIs.
