What are the key components of a secure cloud strategy?

Pillars of Cloud Security that should be addressed are > Improve Visibility > Security of Compute > Network Protection > Identity Security > Governance & Compliance > Monitoring and Logging > Disaster Recovery (if you are on multi tenant model what will be the priority assigned to your org) > SLA and Contracts especially for SaaS model

By default, Cloud is just someone else computers where we host our application or use theirs as SAAS. Most of the security police, procedures and standards which applies to on premises are equally applicable to cloud. Being someone else control the underlying infrastructure it’s better to follow best practices in cloud.

I believe Security Validation is an important event and should be part of framework to know the efficacy of the security controls.

A secure cloud strategy involves implementing a combination of technical, operational, and organizational measures to protect data, applications, and infrastructure in cloud environments. Here are key components of a secure cloud strategy: Data Encryption, IAM, Compliance, Incident Response Plan, Secure Development Practice and Continuous Security Audits (Just to mention few)

Cloud Security Framework has to be aligned with Cloud Strategy of the organisation. If the strategy doesn’t exist in documented form, at least the key aspects needs to be compiled from the respective stakeholders ( as much as possible) Cloud Security Framework needs to be developed following certain basic principles that needs to be part of the cloud control environment. The framework should address not just IaaS and PaaS only but also SaaS! Obviously in addition to the organizational business requirements, relevant regulatory mandates, the framework should define agile approaches in order to meet the expectations from technology transformation!

All the controls that are necessary to securely operate on-premises infrastructure should be applied on the Cloud Infrastructure irrespective of their differences

One way to help provide clarity on control alignment is map them back to the various information security programs. For example, controls that support or provide DLP, IAM, SOC, zero trust, businesses continuity and resiliency, risk management, asset management, etc. alignment with a framework such as NIST CSF can also be tremendously valuable so that you can now even further break down and understand detective capabilities vs protective, recovery, etc. you should be able to see where there is adequate coverage and where gaps and opportunities still exist. One last piece, think about where you are in the capability maturity journey, and where do you want to go so that you can start identifying actions to move the needle.

If you are going for a multi-cloud strategy, consider the following: - Technology is great - but don't forget about your people & processes. The best technology is useless if it's not being adopted. Involve your DevOps & IT team when evaluating & implementing cloud security controls - Can you controls cover multiple clouds in the same solution? This reduce administrative overheads and avoid-silo-creation - The native security controls of cloud providers have matured in recent years. Investigate how much the native controls can give you vs. what type of third-party controls you need to bring on board

Best security controls - - IAM and SSO Integration - Data Encryption - Transit/Rest - Firewalls/Security Rules - Logging/Audit and Monitoring - Baseline configs- OS Images and containers (K8s) - Automated Patch Management - Audit and Assurance - Network and App Security testing - SAST and DAST - CI/CD - Zero Trust

Cloud Security Measures are mainly built around 1) Network Security [ mainly configuring firewalls, security groups, and access control lists to control and monitor traffic between different components within the cloud environment] & 2) Regulatory compliance & Governance adherence which encompasses adherence/ strict compliance with industry or Govt/ regional IT Security regulations applicable to respective organization, such as GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI DSS.

Use two different RACI charts. Chart 1: what is the responsibility of the CSP and what is the responsibility of the Consumer Chart 2: which organization/department/team within the Consumer is responsible for what settings, data, payments, governance, etc. This should include all the Consumer items from Chart 1.

Cloud security has been transformed by technology transitions over the past few years, virtual firewalls, routers, switches, appliances and more. In form factors of Virtual Machines, Containers and cloud native apps from the cloud store. The technology to pull your security governance and policies from your Datacenter into the cloud has never been so easy. Yet we still don't do it. Cloud providers have done such a good job securing their infrastructure that I think customers wrongly believe this security is meant for their workload and data. The shared responsibility model has gone a long way in helping customers understand that this just is not the case.

Enforcing CSP is imperative implementing processes and tools robust Security Monitoring and Logging & Immediate Incident Response and Recovery. -Implement tools to continuously monitor activities within the cloud environment, generating alerts for suspicious or unauthorized behaviour. - Process & steps to maintain detailed logs of events and actions for auditing, analysis, and forensic purposes is vital . - Deploying Incident response plans outlining the steps to be taken in the event of a security incident, ensuring a swift and effective response is crucial

"We use the cloud, which means we've transferred the security risk". You may have heard this before, but it's sadly not the truth. While it is true that cloud providers have responsibility for some functions, such as ensuring the infrastructure is updated in SaaS formats, it's critical to understand the shared responsibility matrix for each service you are utilizing.

Navigating cloud security responsibilities is a critical aspect of a cloud strategy. This is a partnership where understanding the shared responsibility model is key. While CSPs fortify the infrastructure, your focus is on safeguarding data, applications, and access management. Clarity in this partnership is crucial – it's about knowing where your provider's security role ends and where yours begins. Regular engagement with your CSP to understand updates and changes in their security offerings ensures that your security measures are always in sync, creating a unified defense against threats.

In today's day and age, establishing a robust cloud security culture is vital for success. To start with - conduct regular employee training on risks and best practices. - Clearly communicate and enforce policies with leadership support. - Foster cross-functional collaboration, incentivize adherence, and conduct frequent audits. - Provide incident response training, maintain continuous communication, and adopt a zero-trust model. - Implement automated security measures and user-friendly tools. - Establish feedback mechanisms and stay current with industry standards for ongoing improvement. -- This approach creates a security-aware culture adaptable to the dynamic cloud environment.

Improving cloud security culture involves fostering a mindset where security is everyone's responsibility. It starts with robust training programs for employees at all levels, promoting awareness of security best practices, encouraging a proactive approach to reporting potential risks, establishing clear security policies and guidelines, and regularly communicating the importance of security within the organization. Creating a culture of transparency and accountability regarding security measures also contributes to a stronger overall security posture.

One of the key risks of Cloud Security is "Shadow Cloud". In large enterprises, anyone with a credit card can purchase cloud storage or a SaaS solution and start adding data into it. There are ways to address this through SASE and CASB, but the best way is through cultural change management. If you make your Cloud Security Strategy too restrictive, people will find ways around it. You need to find a way to balance business needs with security controls.

I'd extend this to 'Cloud security familiarity' for your security operations centre (SOC) team. Cloud monitoring & cloud incidents can feel 'alien' to your SOC team when comparing it to traditional security incidents. Investigating persistency on a serverless AWS function is very different to investigating a malware on a laptop for example. You will rely on the people in your security monitoring function on detecting and responding to cloud incident - no matter if they are in-house, outsourced, full-time professionals or doing this as part of a broader role. Acknowledge that they will need training and education to deal with cloud security. Don't just provide them with tools - give them the knowledge & skills they need to succeed.

Robust Cloud Security Culture can be enforced mainly via Detailed Employees training & Awareness on Security-awareness . Providing periodic & ongoing security training to employees, Vendors & Clients , covering best practices, potential risks, will enhance in maintaining a secure cloud environment.

Cloud adoption needs a deep dive! Before diving in, assess your organization's readiness across people, tech, and processes. A thorough risk assessment is crucial before cloud adoption. This involves evaluating: 1. People: Does your team, including cyber security, possess the skills to navigate a cloud-native future? 2. Technology: Can your critical applications migrate seamlessly? Are there compatibility hurdles? 3. Processes: Prepare for significant workflow shifts. Train users and adapt processes to ensure smooth transitions. Remember, security and data protection remain your responsibility, even in the cloud.

Cloud-native security tools: Utilizing cloud-native security tools that provide real-time visibility, threat detection, and incident response capabilities. Security automation and orchestration: Automating security tasks and workflows to improve efficiency, reduce human error, and enhance overall security posture.

Improving the security posture by using the established tools at our disposal is great. I want to add a proposal to change the way we think about how AI can help us in this field. Deploying the strength of AI to identify and monitor threats and develop effective playbooks to our threat landscape has got to become more widespread. Some of this will need open source content to allow developers build better. I think some of our practitioner and certification bodies/forums need to find their roles in managing access to and curating content which can be used for this purpose. The innovation challenge for security is to verify the credibility of the author. We need reference points to identify where and how we can/should Innovate.

Deploying state of the art on Robust backup and recovery mechanisms with advanced backup solutions with features like incremental backups, versioning, and geographic redundancy to ensure data integrity and availability. Also the org should deploy periodic testing & mock drills of backup processes to validate the framework's effectiveness and to identify any potential issues proactively for continuous improvement of the Security system in place

Innovation can add value, but there are no guarantees. Any innovation should be done with caution. This is particularly important for cloud security innovation because adopting new technologies, methods, or solutions can enhance existing problems and make them worse. Any security process being considered for innovation will benefit from sound documentation of the inputs, outputs, and dependencies related to the process. In my experience, enterprise architecture frameworks like TOGAF for SABSA provide the foundation for detailed analysis of business and security processes that allows an organization to confirm the value of innovation in advance. Bonus: Good metrics help justify innovation by demonstrating value with real numbers.

A good secure cloud strategy should include: i)Minimum baseline security controls ii) Data security and protection strategy iii) Addressing concerns related to privacy, data processing and involvement of any PII iv) Understanding of data localisation and sovereignty mandated by the government and industry regulator v) mechanism to continuously assess security threat & vulnerability vi) addressing unified and extended threat detection & response structure for cloud vii) maturing security posture with workload protection as two sides of same coin

Visibility, viability, visibility. If you don't have visibility over your cloud environment, you are not able to even begin securing it. For me, visibility over the cloud environment means I'm able to instantly get answers to complex questions: "How many S3 buckets do we have with write access to more than 3 accounts?", "What are the 5 oldest AMI images with publicly accessible EC2 instances in my production environment?". If you it takes you more than 10 seconds to answer these questions, you don't have visibility over your cloud environment.

In my previous engagements with service providers, many have recommended that Zero trust is the preferred approach for a secured environment. I agree with that approach.

Cloud is a different beast compared to on-prem. - Start by understanding the shared responsibility model, distinguishing between what is covered by your cloud provider and your own obligations. - Get familiar with cloud-native security tools and those offered by CSPs. For example, your EDR agents most likely will not be as effective or even functional on cloud. - Invest in Cloud Security Posture Monitoring (CSPM) to prioritize continuous compliance monitoring, as cloud environments are fluid and require ongoing attention. - Hire cloud security engineers and up-skill your security team to get familiar with your CSP’s features, deployments, automations and security.

In addition to the alignment with the overall Technology, Cloud and Security Strategy, a secure cloud strategy involves several key components: 1. robust data encryption, 2. strong access controls, 3. regular security audits, 4. compliance with regulations, 5. disaster recovery planning, and 6. employee training on security best practices.