Security in a Multi-Cloud world

Over 50% of the average enterprise's workloads now run in external cloud environments. Many enterprises are adopting Multi-Cloud strategies to ensure they optimise their IT environments and get the best out of their private and public cloud estates. Workloads can be deployed in different platforms according to their application and specific requirements which can include many different factors and priorities such as performance, speed of deployment, cost, criticality, management etc.

Organisations now commonly have workloads deployed in multiple clouds include Microsoft Azure, AWS and Private cloud hosted by their local MSP.

To be successful, IT now needs to consider the many challenges that will affect how they will manage and secure their multi-cloud environment. Challenges like minimising any downtime will be exasperated in a hybrid, multi-cloud environment.

Technology alone will not ease management and security burdens. Companies must adapt processes and personnel to embrace cloud complexity and prepare IT operations for multi-cloud deployments.

A recent article by Nemertes Research* cites three steps to help organisations on their journey:

1.  Design a formal workload placement process – to decide which workloads should be placed in a given cloud environment whether public or private and whether in-house staff or a local MSP will manage these environments.

2.  Make onboarding cloud-aware - Onboarding a new workload for cloud must include mapping out the other systems it relies on, both in the same cloud and in any other cloud, as well as knowing what systems will rely, in turn, on it.

3.     IT operations for multi-cloud requires the right skills - Organisations must be equipped with the proper cloud professionals including Cloud solution architects, Cloud integration specialists and Cloud security specialists

There is no magic solution for creating a more skilled workforce that are more security conscious and the solution is not more technical knowledge. Common security challenges such as weak leadership, lack of financial support or a mediocre security culture within an organisation are personnel and politics problems that often dominate.  Organisations should also consider leveraging the expertise and experience of a local MSP to manage and protect their Multi-cloud environments.

To learn more about CentriLogic, their Security Assessment Services or other Managed Services, please contact [email protected]

* https://searchcloudsecurity.techtarget.com/tip/3-steps-to-prepare-IT-operations-for-multi-cloud