Navigating and Resolving 7 Cybersecurity Barriers in Mixed Cloud Infrastructures
In today's digital landscape, businesses are increasingly relying on hybrid cloud environments to power their operations. However, managing the security and governance of these complex systems can be challenging. Here are some practices that can help address the common issues found in hybrid cloud environments.
Firstly, centralizing visibility and monitoring is crucial. By using observability platforms that unify telemetry data from both private and public cloud environments, businesses can eliminate network blind spots and enable comprehensive behavior monitoring across the entire hybrid cloud. This reduces security and compliance risks associated with disparate cloud environments [1].
Automating compliance and policy enforcement is another essential practice. Implementing automated tools to regularly audit, enforce, and update security and compliance policies dynamically as the hybrid environment changes helps ensure policy consistency and regulatory adherence [1][4].
Securing data in transit and at rest is also vital. Employing strong encryption standards such as Transport Layer Security (TLS) for data in transit and AES encryption for data at rest, combined with strict access controls and regular backups, secures hybrid cloud data comprehensively [1][4].
Identity and Access Management (IAM) plays a significant role in hybrid cloud security. Leveraging robust IAM tools that provide multi-factor authentication (MFA), role-based access control (RBAC), and fine-grained permission management helps reduce attack surfaces and facilitates auditing [2][5].
Network integration with strong secure connections is also important. Using VPNs, dedicated network connections, and high-speed WANs-enabled encrypted tunnels to seamlessly and securely link private and public cloud infrastructures maintains low latency, reliability, and protection across environments [3].
Collaborative team practices and skills development are equally important. Fostering cross-functional collaboration among IT, security, and business teams to align objectives and manage hybrid complexities effectively, and providing continuous training and centralized communication tools, can close the cloud skills gap and improve operational efficiency [2].
Deploying hybrid cloud orchestration and monitoring platforms that automate workload management, provide real-time insights, and optimize resource usage—facilitating proactive security, compliance, and performance management—is another effective strategy [4].
Optimizing workload placement is also key. Regularly evaluating and placing workloads considering cost, performance, security, and compliance needs—keeping sensitive applications on on-premises private clouds while leveraging public clouds for scalable, dynamic workloads—helps maintain a balanced and secure hybrid cloud environment [2].
Lastly, continuous policy review and security assessments are necessary to maintain strong governance and adapt to evolving risks. Scheduling ongoing security assessments and policy updates reflecting technology changes and compliance requirements ensures that businesses stay ahead of potential security threats [1][2][4].
These solutions form a robust strategy to close gaps in visibility, configuration, policy consistency, network integration, IAM, compliance, governance, and skills within hybrid cloud environments. They emphasize automation, centralized management, encryption, secure connectivity, and people-centered approaches as essential for hybrid cloud security and operational success.
However, challenges remain. For instance, a multi-cloud strategy may lack secure pathways for data traveling between connected systems, opening the door to interception and information leaks. Companies should invest in ongoing training programs and build cross-functional teams to address this skill gap, as 27% of organizations identify IT technicians as the biggest skill gaps in their teams in terms of hybrid cloud security [6].
In conclusion, while hybrid cloud environments offer numerous benefits, they also present unique security challenges. By implementing the practices outlined above, businesses can strengthen their hybrid cloud security posture and operate more securely and efficiently in this digital age.
References: [1] Cloud Security Alliance. (2021). Best Practices for Securing the Hybrid Cloud. Retrieved from https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/resources/best-practices-for-securing-the-hybrid-cloud/ [2] Forrester Consulting. (2020). Total Economic Impact™ Of Trend Micro Cloud One™ - A Forrester Consulting Study. Retrieved from https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/research-and-analysis/forrester-study-trend-micro-cloud-one [3] Cisco. (2020). The Essential Guide to Hybrid Cloud Security. Retrieved from https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/security/cloud-web-security-appliance/white-paper-c11-740430.html [4] IBM. (2020). Hybrid Cloud Security: A Blueprint for Success. Retrieved from https://www.ibm.com/cloud/learn/hybrid-cloud-security-blueprint [5] Okta. (2020). The Identity-First Cloud Strategy. Retrieved from https://www.okta.com/resources/identity-first-cloud-strategy/ [6] Cybersecurity Ventures. (2020). The Global Cybersecurity Skills Gap: A Look at the Numbers. Retrieved from https://cybersecurityventures.com/cybersecurity-skills-gap/
- To ensure comprehensive behavior monitoring across hybrid cloud environments, businesses can implement observability platforms that unify telemetry data from both private and public cloud environments, reducing security and compliance risks.
- Implementing automated tools for auditing, enforcing, and updating security and compliance policies can help maintain policy consistency and regulatory adherence in hybrid cloud environments.
- Securing data in hybrid cloud environments requires strong encryption standards like Transport Layer Security (TLS) for data in transit, AES encryption for data at rest, strict access controls, and regular backups.
- Identity and Access Management (IAM) tools that provide multi-factor authentication (MFA), role-based access control (RBAC), and fine-grained permission management can help reduce attack surfaces and facilitate auditing in a hybrid cloud setup.
- Secure network connections, such as VPNs, dedicated network connections, and encrypted tunnels, ensure low latency, reliability, and protection when linking private and public cloud infrastructures.
