What is Cloud Security?
Before defining cloud security, we should know what cloud computing is. To enable rapid innovation, flexible resources, and scale economies, cloud computing delivers computing services over the Internet (the “cloud”), encompassing servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence. Typically, we only have to pay for our cloud services, which lowers operational expenses and improves infrastructure management.
When it comes to cloud security is a branch of cyber security that is dedicated to protecting cloud computing infrastructure. This includes preserving data privacy and security across web-based platforms, systems, and applications. Whether individuals, small- to medium-sized businesses or enterprises, cloud service providers and users must collaborate to secure these systems. Further, cloud security collectively constitutes the technologies, protocols, and best practices that safeguard cloud computing environments, cloud-based applications, and cloud-stored data. Understanding precisely what has to be secured and the system components that must be handled is the first step in securing cloud services.
The following categories make up cloud security:
- Security of data
- Management of identities and access (IAM)
- Governance (policy on threat prevention, identification, and mitigation) (guidelines on threat prevention, detection, and comfort)
- Business continuity (BC) and data retention (DR) planning
- following the law
Data security
The technical side of threat prevention is involved in cloud security. Providers and clients can set barriers to prevent sensitive data from being accessed or seen using tools and technology. Encryption keys can decode your data. Your data will be illegible if lost or stolen. Security solutions for data transmission, including virtual private networks, are prioritised in cloud networks.
Identity and access management (IAM)
The user account accessibility privileges fall under this group. This also applies to managing user account authentication and authorisation. Access restrictions stop excellent and bad individuals from accessing and jeopardising sensitive data and systems. IAM includes methods like multi-factor authentication and password management.
Governance
This focuses on procedures for preventing, detecting, and mitigating threats. Threat intelligence for SMBs and organisations may assist with tracking and prioritising threats to keep critical systems carefully secured. However, emphasising safe user behaviour standards and training could be advantageous for individual cloud clients. These are particularly relevant in work situations, but all users can benefit from knowing the safe use guidelines and how to handle hazards.
Data retention (DR) and business continuity (BC) planning
Technical disaster recovery strategies are included in this category and will be helpful in the event of data loss. Any DR and BC plan must consist of techniques for data redundancy, such as backups. Having technical systems in place to guarantee continuous operations is also beneficial. Frameworks for validating backups and adequate employee recovery instructions are essential for a complete BC plan.
Legal compliance
The main focus here is maintaining user privacy as defined by governing agencies. Governments have recognised the significance of preventing the commercial exploitation of private user information. As a result, organisations must follow the regulations to uphold their principles. Data masking is one method for concealing identity in data by using encryption methods.
Cloud Security issues
A variety of cloud services, including IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, and models, including public, private, and hybrid, are used by organisations. These models and services suffer from several cloud security problems. Every service model has some related issues. Security issues are first viewed from the service provider’s perspective to ensure that the services they offer are secure and to manage consumer identification. The customer perspective is another viewpoint that confirms the level of security of the service being used.
Multi-tenancy
A cloud model is created for resource sharing, shared computation, memory, and storage. The efficient use of resources offered by multi-tenancy keeps costs down. It means sharing computing resources, services, and applications at the provider’s facilities with other tenants existing on the same physical or logical platform. As a result, it compromises data confidentiality, causing information to leak and data to be encrypted and increasing the likelihood of attacks.
Insider attacks
A cloud model is a multitenant-based paradigm managed solely by the provider. This threat materialises within the company. For cloud workers, there are no requirements or providers for recruiting. As a result, a third-party vendor can easily hack one company’s data, corrupt it, and then sell it to another company.
Outsider attacks
This is one of the most alarming problems in a corporation. Because it makes private company information public. Clouds differ from private networks as they have more interfaces than private networks. Therefore, hackers and attackers have an advantage in using the API’s flaws and may destroy connections. These attacks are less harmful than insider attacks because, in the latter, we are sometimes unable to detect the attack.
Figure 03: https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1403/1403.5627.pdf
Why Cloud security is important
- Protects against security breaches
We are aware that security breaches could occur with any internet-connected device. The study found that businesses store about 66% of their sensitive data in the cloud. Any organisation’s data and information are its most valuable asset. Therefore they must be protected. However, cloud-based data breaches happen in 40% of businesses. This demonstrates how crucial it is to ensure cloud security. Cloud security helps in disaster recovery management.
Disasters can strike anywhere, anytime, wiping out your company’s data. Companies must have a recovery plan in case of emergency. Cloud security is the best option for disaster recovery.
- Cloud security is much more cost-effective.
In the cloud, data breaches often cost $3.8 million. Instead of putting everything in danger, you may install cost-effective cloud security solutions that protect you from cyber-attacks. Cloud security won’t require any overhead or maintenance expenses.
- Ensures risk-free remote work management
A remote worker who works from a coffee shop or café might not apply the best security procedures and access the cloud using free public Wi-Fi. This poses a severe security risk, and cloud security may assist in mitigating that risk.
