What is Cloud Security?
Cloud Security provides the tools and processes to protect data, applications and workloads in multicloud environments. It includes identity and access management (IAM), continuous threat detection and protection, centralized risk assessment and remediation, and more. It also enables you to secure cloud assets, prevent data leaks and loss, and maintain regulatory compliance.
Many organizations rely on the cloud to back up important documents, develop and test software, and serve clients. This reliance increases the value of data stored in the cloud, which in turn increases the number and severity of cyberattacks targeted at those assets. Combined with a lack of visibility into cloud environments and the increasing prevalence of ephemeral resources like containers and serverless functions that demand protection and expand the attack surface, these issues create significant challenges for maintaining robust security measures.
Assess your options
Start with a clear understanding of the scope of the solution you need. Avoid tools that offer only a narrow view of your environment or focus solely on identifying vulnerabilities and threats, and instead consider comprehensive solutions that address all the major components of cloud security.
For example, a full IAM tool must enable SSO and MFA, support multiple types of authentication, and encrypt data at rest or in transit. A CASB must be capable of integrating with the APIs of multiple providers, enumerating all cloud storage services and leveraging native support for detecting and reporting on violations. A CWPP must provide contextual risk prioritization and include the capability to enforce RBAC permission audits.