Cloud security is a cybersecurity discipline dedicated to securing cloud computing systems. This discipline includes keeping data private and secure across infrastructure, applications, and online platforms.
Securing these systems involves efforts from cloud providers and the customers who use them, whether they are an individual, a small or medium-sized business, or an organization.
Businesses use a variety of terms to highlight their products, rather than NIST's more technical descriptions; from DBaaS (disaster recovery) to HSMaaS (hardware security module) as well as DBaaS (database) and finally XaaS (anything). Depending on what a company is promoting/selling, it can be difficult to determine if a product is SaaS or PaaS, but in the end, it is more important to understand what the contractual responsibilities of the cloud provider are.
Cloud providers extend their contracts to add security in cloud formations through services such as HSMaaS (hardware security module) or DRMaaS (digital rights management).
Cloud deployment models
Cloud architecture is the organization of components and subcomponents into a logical, efficient, and effective structure. This structure should allow the components to work together to achieve a goal, maximizing strengths and minimizing weaknesses.
The basic components required to create a cloud include networks, routers, switches, servers, and others such as firewalls and intrusion prevention systems. The cloud also includes all the elements inside the servers: the hypervisor, the virtual machines and, of course, the software. Cloud architecture also requires a cloud provider, a cloud architect, and a cloud broker to create, manage, sell, and buy cloud services.
Many terms related to cloud architecture just add the word “cloud” to an already familiar term, such as “cloud consumer”. If you understand the definition of "consumer," then the new term is clear: it refers to a consumer of cloud services rather than, say, phone services.
Cloud security is a shared responsibility between the cloud provider and the customer.
Cloud security practices are similar in many ways to traditional network and computer security practices, but there are some key differences. In contrast to conventional IT security, cloud security is often governed by a shared responsibility model where the cloud service provider is responsible for managing the security of the underlying infrastructure (e.g., cloud services), cloud storage, cloud computing services, cloud networking services), and the customer is responsible for managing the security of everything above the hypervisor (e.g., guest operating systems, users, applications, data).
Traditional computer security has undergone an immense evolution due to the shift to cloud-based computing. While cloud models allow for greater convenience, always-on connectivity requires new considerations to keep them secure. Cloud security, as a modernized cybersecurity solution, differs from legacy computing models in a few ways.
Solving most security problems in the cloud means that both users and cloud providers, in both personal and business environments, must be proactive about their own cybersecurity roles.
If you are unaware of its existence, how are you supposed to take the appropriate action? After all, weak cloud security can expose users and providers to all kinds of cybersecurity threats. Some common cloud security threats include:
Interconnection also poses problems for networks. Malicious actors often access with compromised or weak credentials. Once a hacker gains access to a network, he can easily spread and use the cloud's poorly protected interfaces to locate information in different databases and nodes.
Storage of data by third parties and access via the Internet also pose their own threats. If, for any reason, these services are interrupted, access to data may be lost. For example, an outage in the telephone network could mean that access to the cloud would not be possible at an essential time.
Cloud customers must institute various measures to protect both cloud-based applications and data and mitigate security risks. Common cloud security best practices include:
Businesses must observe various laws, regulations, and contracts. When you put your data and services in someone else's possession, the audits required to confirm compliance can become more complicated.
Ask yourself: “What worries me the most?”
This will help you determine what questions to ask your cloud provider. From a legal point of view, organizations must comply with:
Once the subject of compliance is identified, several actions can be taken, one of which is auditing. This should be conducted using a standardized approach and proven methodology, such as Accountants' SSAE 18 (Statement of Standards on Attestation Agreements, No. 18.)