Organizations are moving their applications and workloads to the cloud, aware of security risks inherent in cloud computing as well as the migration process. Concerns related to security from the side of CSPs more than the risks that they can control on their side. According to studies, 93% of cybersecurity professionals are concerned about the security of their public cloud.
Many organizations are increasing their investment and evolving their cloud environments to leverage the technology for driving their business forward. Over 70% of organizations across the globe already have a portion of their infrastructure in the cloud, according to a recent IDG report. However, to create a consistent security posture of the local and cloud-based resources remains one of the critical challenges for these organizations.
Key Security Concerns Involved in Cloud Migration
Not all security policies are implemented seamlessly and successfully, particularly in the case of multi-cloud environments and using a wide range of tools. This is mainly because most vendor solutions do not underpin every major cloud platform. As a result, challenges are faced in terms of policy definition and enforcement consistency, as applications and workflows move between multiple cloud environments. This further results in
blind spots and security gaps, which could be exploited by attackers.
Careful preparation is required in migrating services, applications or infrastructures to the cloud without adding to the potential for attacks or security overhead. A sound understanding of the fact that clear communication between businesses is key to any type of cloud-based deployment is the first step. Also, a successful cloud migration involves a successful migration of security to the cloud, which enables organizations to manage and deploy a consistent, single security framework.
Steps to be Considered by Organizations in their Cloud Migration Strategy
Streamlining Pre-Migration Data Security
The risk of carrying flawed data security practices exists in the move to the cloud. It is therefore critical to carry out a throughput review of every user account and access right, to ensure the elimination of outdated credentials and insecure access protocols. When the data and business systems are centralized with a single or multiple cloud providers, it is highly likely that the single stray user account will become the pain point of the overall security system.
Setting Security Boundaries
Lack of fundamental understanding of the way cloud security operates is one of the huge mistakes made by organizations while planning for cloud migration. Partnering with reputable CSPs is not enough for keeping the business data secure. Although CSPs are responsible for network and operational security, they do not take the blame for the security problems arising from the side of the customer.
It has been seen that businesses fail in setting up the right procedures for handling the cloud data security aspects. It is vital for businesses to delegate the responsibility of setting up these procedures to the right professionals. Organizations must limit access to indispensable administrative functions, such as the data storage configuration and credential control, to individuals well-trained for handling these tasks.
Disaster Recovery and High Availability
The availability of cloud-based resources also remains a key concern for most organizations that eye cloud solutions post-addressing security issues. It is imperative that they decide whether their security solutions meet new performance requirements or is there a need for dynamic scaling. Finally, the organizations must consider aspects such as load balancing and flow symmetry, particularly in the case of legacy applications. This will help them in maintaining protection, performance, and availability even as using dynamic cloud-based services.
To sum up, the process of cloud migration can be deceptively simplistic, however, many organizations had to pay for rushing into new cloud solutions without considering the challenges carefully. Careful preparation prior to any cloud migration move can save reputation, time, and money while enabling to gain a competitive edge in the fast-growing digital landscape.
