Managed Cloud Security Services

Cloud security is the implementation of security controls needed to protect confidential information stored within cloud environments and reduce the risk of data breaches.

Cloud computing brings with it a range of benefits including efficiency, scalability and cost savings, but organisations moving IT infrastructure into the cloud cannot afford to ignore the associated security risks.

Cloud security works by combining a range of security controls to harden network defences, improve security hygiene, enhance network visibility and facilitate the rapid detection, response to and remediation of threats and breaches.

As more and more critical systems and data is moved to the cloud, environments such as AWS, Azure and GCP become an increasingly attractive target for cybercriminals.

Cloud data breaches are one of the most widespread cloud computing security concerns. Unsecured cloud services can be compromised by cybercriminals, who may access modify, steal or amend confidential information. Other threats to cloud computing include ransomware and Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, which shut down cloud services by flooding them with network traffic.

Private cloud offers more control over security than public cloud, as it is run out of a company’s own datacentre, rather than storing data alongside that of other customers.

Most cloud services encode data in an encrypted form. Without a user’s specific decryption key, which is typically stored by the service provider and activated via login credentials, data is not readable. This offers a crucial layer of security, but it is not a silver bullet – keys can be stolen or misused and software flaws can leave user data vulnerable.

Most cloud service providers also have their own basic security functionality designed to help organisations combat the most common threats, but users of cloud computing have a responsibility to consider implementing additional security controls.

Just like with on-premise infrastructure, organisations cannot afford to focus solely on building security at the network perimeter – having visibility of network activity and the ability to detect and respond to threats is vital.

Cloud service providers like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform have their own shared responsibility models which state, in the simplest terms, that while the cloud provider is responsible for the security of the cloud, customers are responsible for the security of the data and applications they upload to it.

This means that each cloud provider will manage security controls across its host operating system and virtualisation layer, as well as managing the physical security of its data centres. Customers are responsible for identity and access management, patch management, firewall configuration and other network security measures.