A few years ago, the cloud was a novelty, but times have changed. Now, organizations are making the most of their cloud environment. Organizations are also looking for direction for multi-cloud environments.
According to Forbes, more than 90% of large enterprises have started using multi-cloud infrastructure. Some of the reasons why these companies choose a multi-cloud approach include avoiding single points of failure, preventing vendor lock-in, and adopting a more tailored approach to their processes.
However, multi-cloud environments can't escape security threats. Toyota announced in 2023 that the company was facing a data breach due to a misconfiguration of the cloud. The leak leaked the data of 260,000 car owners. The automaker discovered a security vulnerability while investigating its cloud environment.
Adopting a multi-cloud approach isn't easy. Multi-cloud environments must be closely monitored to prevent security breaches. There are a few practical steps you can take to ensure your multi-cloud setup remains secure. Let's dive into them here.
Perform a comprehensive risk analysis when considering a multi-cloud environment. Evaluate each cloud provider's security policies and compliance standards. It's crucial to check the regions where your cloud security provider operates and understand the privacy laws in those areas.
Assess whether your organization's security requirements meet the existing standards of your chosen cloud service provider. Also, evaluate how well their platform integrates with your current tools and platforms.
In a multi-cloud setup, it's critical to sync security settings across all cloud platforms. This can be achieved through automated tools. These tools are key to maintaining a consistent security policy across different cloud providers using a common definition.
Automation tools simplify tasks based on your business needs and provide a robust approach to cloud security management. They are constantly checking your cloud infrastructure for any anomalies or vulnerabilities, alerting you to potential threats. You can even set up predefined security actions to quickly respond to breaches, ensuring a strong, proactive security posture for your multi-cloud environment.
Create a unified security framework that aligns with your cloud infrastructure and fits your business workloads. The best way to do this is to use a centralized dashboard where you can check your cloud security status. This allows you to adjust your security rules and policies to your requirements. Another benefit of having a centralized dashboard is to get a single view of all security incidents and incidents across your cloud infrastructure.
Securing your multi-cloud setup isn't an easy task. It involves monitoring and assessing potential threats around the clock (24/7). Examine cloud service provider risks, automate and orchestrate security measures, and bring together security policies and settings across your multi-cloud setup. These simple but critical steps will help you protect against cloud security threats. Learn more about cloud-native solutions here.