Cloud security is about combining techniques to build a well-rounded, comprehensive strategy. Here, we’re taking a look at one of the strongest components of any cloud security solution: CSPM.
When moving to the cloud, digital security has got to be a top priority. Your data is no longer tucked away in your on-premises server where you can keep a close eye on it all day long. So every business really needs to be thinking about how they’re going to keep their information safe.
If you’ve been following our blog, you’ll know that we’ve already discussed a couple of ways you can do this. We’ve explored multi-factor authentication, which requires two or more forms of identity verification for access to the network. And we’ve looked at encryption, which makes data impossible to read without the relevant key. These methods can be hugely effective, but they’re both focused on reducing the risk of an intentional breach. They’re designed to make it harder for cybercriminals to hack into cloud environments, and gain access to sensitive and confidential organisational data.
But malicious behaviours aren’t the only risk.
In fact, while intentional breaches can – and certainly do – happen, human error is the biggest risk. Gartner research predicts, “Through 2025, 99% of cloud security failures will be the customer’s fault”, and names misconfigurations as one of the most likely ways that businesses can lose their cloud data.
What is cloud misconfiguration?
A common mistake that lots of businesses make when shifting to the cloud is to assume their cloud provider will handle all aspects of security for them. But the truth is that it’s a shared responsibility. This means that organisations have to take their own measures to keep their data safe. A big part of achieving that is configuring resource settings to adequately secure the cloud infrastructure,.
Unfortunately, that’s sometimes easier said than done.
One problem is that there can be very little centralised visibility over everything that’s going on. Think about your cloud environment: over a single day, your cloud can connect to – and disconnect from – hundreds of other networks. And you can be using a massive amount of different cloud resources, all of which are set up with different permissions, and configured in different ways.
Misconfigurations are, therefore, incredibly easy. And unfortunately, they can often go undetected for days or weeks. Sometimes for months; even years – or until it’s too late.
There is some good news, though: cloud security posture management can help.
How can CSPM help keep me safe?
Cloud security posture management, or CSPM, is a solution that combines artificial intelligence with task automation. It offers greater visibility into the cloud infrastructure, while also searching for misconfigurations and vulnerabilities across a wide range of different environments. These include infrastructure as a service (IaaS), software as a service (SaaS), and platform as a service (PaaS).
This solution works by using intelligent analysis to compare actual cloud configurations and settings in real time against both company-wide and industry-wide benchmarks. Inconsistencies are highlighted to ensure small issues can be fixed before they become big problems. It also continuously monitors risk, notifying businesses of potential vulnerabilities, and predicting future risks and digital hazards.
Closing the cloud gap
Worried there’s a gap between where you are now in terms of cloud security, and where you need to be? CSPM monitoring is one of the best ways to close that gap and strengthen your security position, and our IT Security Solutions are here to help. To find out more about keeping your cloud secure, get in touch with us.
