What questions should you ask a cloud service provider during a security assessment?

1 Data Protection

One of the main concerns of cloud users is how their data is protected by the CSP. You should ask the CSP about their data encryption methods, both in transit and at rest, and whether they support your preferred encryption algorithms and key management practices. You should also ask about their data backup and recovery procedures, and how they ensure the integrity and availability of your data in case of a disaster or an outage. Additionally, you should ask about their data retention and deletion policies, and how they handle your data when you terminate the contract or switch to another provider.

2 Access Control

Another key aspect of cloud security is how the CSP manages the access to your data and resources. You should ask the CSP about their authentication and authorization mechanisms, and whether they support your identity and access management (IAM) systems and protocols, such as single sign-on (SSO), multifactor authentication (MFA), or role-based access control (RBAC). You should also ask about their logging and auditing capabilities, and how they monitor and report the activities and actions of their staff and your users. Furthermore, you should ask about their incident response and breach notification procedures, and how they communicate and cooperate with you in case of a security incident.

3 Compliance and Certification

Depending on your industry and location, you may need to comply with certain laws and regulations regarding data privacy, security, and governance. You should ask the CSP about their compliance and certification status, and whether they can provide evidence and documentation of their compliance with the relevant frameworks and standards, such as GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, or NIST SP 800-53. You should also ask about their audit and assessment frequency, and whether they allow you to conduct your own audits or third-party audits on their services and facilities.

4 Service Level Agreement

A service level agreement (SLA) is a contract that defines the expectations and obligations of both parties in a cloud service relationship. You should ask the CSP about their SLA terms and conditions, and whether they match your business needs and objectives. You should pay attention to their service availability and performance guarantees, and how they measure and report their service levels. You should also check their service continuity and resiliency plans, and how they handle service disruptions or failures. Moreover, you should review their service support and maintenance policies, and how they handle service changes or updates.

5 Security Architecture and Design

The security architecture and design of a CSP determines how they implement and integrate their security controls and features in their cloud service offerings. You should ask the CSP about their security architecture and design principles, and whether they follow the best practices and standards for cloud security, such as the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) or the NIST Cloud Computing Security Reference Architecture (NCC-SRA). You should also ask about their security testing and validation methods, and whether they use tools and techniques such as vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, or code review.

6 Security Culture and Awareness

The security culture and awareness of a CSP reflects how they value and prioritize security in their organization and operations. You should ask the CSP about their security culture and awareness programs, and whether they provide regular security training and education for their staff and customers. You should also ask about their security policies and procedures, and whether they align with your security expectations and standards. Additionally, you should ask about their security feedback and improvement mechanisms, and how they collect and incorporate the security suggestions and concerns of their staff and customers.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?