Cloud computing tools have primarily replaced servers and desktop software for rapidly deploying services services and applications, with their availability and reliable performance providing scalability at a low cost.
But the drive for performance and scalability can compromise security, with enterprises falling short of cloud tools they can manage and trust, leaving them open to threats that can grind business operations to a halt.
Enterprises make a big mistake putting security in the hands of their cloud provider, which are not to blame for user-orientated breaches. Gartner estimates that 99% of cloud data breaches will be the customer’s fault through 2025.
Simply put, the enterprise plays the most significant role in cloud security, so internal security practices must move at the speed of DevOps.
The challenge of cloud security
- Data privacy and loss – sudden changes in cloud configurations give opportunities to cybercriminals to compromise data.
- App vulnerability – codebases made up of source material are at risk with unpatched software.
- API – changes to configurations can create API vulnerabilities, enabling hackers to steal tokens and access services and data.
- Vendor lock-in –some vendors make it difficult to transfer services, increasing security risks when data leaves the cloud.
- Enabling growth while maintaining security – enterprises need agile security controls with a high level of automation to free up resources.
Keeping the cloud security train moving
Cloud security needs to move with DevOps to instantly protect cloud environments – a tall order when new security risks emerge each time there’s a change in a cloud service. Yet, the most secure enterprises take it in their stride.
As DevOps moves at a breakneck pace, security must keep up with adequately configured multi-cloud infrastructure and security mechanisms. The cloud has many services, platforms, technologies and tools to deploy applications, and multi-cloud creates several breach points that leave operations vulnerable.
Standardising security across all platforms is the way to go for a comprehensive security solution. Check Point CloudGuard is one such solution that transforms security with automation, enabling single-click and agile deployment models.
CloudGuard secures cloud-everything
CloudGuard is an enterprise software solution for securing multi-cloud environments. It integrates across all platforms, enabling threat prevention, cloud security posture management, cloud workload protection, cloud application security, and cloud intelligence and threat hunting for unified security controls.
CloudGuard offers security hardening, runtime code analysis, and web and API security – automated for efficiency. High Fidelity Posture Management (HFPM) prevents misconfigurations that open the door to threats.
DevOps teams love CloudGuard because it has auto-provisioning, auto-scaling and automatic policy updates, maintaining security in real-time. It works in the operational context of DevOps, enabling single-click and agile deployment and security posture pre-deployment and scale across all cloud assets.
Security experts love it because it detects activity anomalies with machine learning and threat research. Enterprises can roll out cloud services seamlessly, leaving CloudGuard to integrate protections and controls into CI/CD tools.
Then we have Check Point Infinity, designed for the complexities of growing connectivity and security across networks, including data centres and employees working from home. It combines Check Point Quantum, CloudGuard, Harmony and Infinity-Vision, consolidating all security into a unified architecture.
DSI offer a Free Cloud Security check-up – there is nothing to install, the assessment can be done remotely, and it has no impact on your cloud environment. This will give you a comprehensive report and a one-hour technical debrief on the identified issues.
Need help with the challenge of cloud security? Get in touch with us today.
