What is Cloud Security?
Cloud Security is the collection of technologies and tools that protect data, applications and services in a cloud-based environment. It includes technical solutions like encryption and zero-trust protections as well as business practices and governance policies that ensure compliance and data protection.
Securing the cloud is complex and varied – backend development against security vulnerabilities lies largely in the hands of service providers, while clients must focus mostly on safe use habits, end-user hardware and proper cloud system configurations. Additional challenges include attacks on the infrastructure of the cloud itself, such as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that shut down servers and cause downtime. In addition, the location of the data in the cloud may affect regulatory compliance and privacy measures, depending on laws in the jurisdiction where it resides.
The technical side of cloud security focuses on the use of tools to create barriers between access and visibility of sensitive information. Examples of these tools include encryption, which scrambles data so that it can only be read by someone with the key. Encryption addresses both data at rest and in transit, and is especially important for multi-cloud environments.
Other technologies and practices to consider are data classification, governance, threat intelligence, continuous risk management monitoring, secure file sharing, and multi-cloud support. These are all essential components to a robust cloud security strategy. Having a centralized solution to manage these security controls, informed by real-world risk profiling is crucial for achieving frictionless cloud security.