Robert Presley, Author at Neudesic

There are many benefits of adopting a cloud-based IT service model, whether SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, or a hybrid. One major reason is enhanced IT security; any major cloud service provider, including Microsoft Azure, has built their operations to comply with U.S. Department of Defense standards. They follow the latest best practices to keep their systems and user data secure. They offer deep security expertise and 24/7 resources to anticipate issues before they occur and respond promptly to emerging threats and vulnerabilities – coupled with modern AI and Machine Learning security technologies.

But what is the extent of security protection that your cloud provider manages versus your organization’s responsibility? The answer isn’t always clear-cut. The security protection you receive from a cloud provider can vary greatly depending on which service model and service options you’ve selected. That’s why it’s important to know who’s responsible for what – and where you might be vulnerable.

Hosting contracts vary – and many cloud service providers offer add-on security options – but here are some general guidelines and recommendations:

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
For IaaS services, your cloud vendor provides only the physical or virtual infrastructure. That means you’re in charge of the network and system infrastructure, applications, and data – and the security responsibilities that go with them. As an IaaS customer, it is your job to deploy and monitor the identity and access management tools you need to authenticate users and secure endpoints. In terms of data security, you are solely responsible for measures such as data collection, encryption, and monitoring.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)
If you’re operating in a PaaS environment, your cloud provider manages the entire infrastructure, including databases and other middleware. Your team manages the application and data content. That means you have primary responsibility for access management, while your cloud provider should be providing API security and auditing. While you supply the data, your provider oversees securing those databases. In addition to databases and middleware, PaaS services have evolved for Identity Solutions, namely “easy-auth” or Modern Authentication and customers should be taking advantage of their cloud provider’s serverless code functions to eliminate the need for username and password authentication dependencies.

Software as a Service (SaaS)
For SaaS services, your cloud provider provides everything from the infrastructure to the application. You’re responsible for providing the data and user access. You can be sure your SaaS provider has taken all proper application security measures, including source code analysis, vulnerability testing, secure deployment, and runtime threat protection. For your part, ensure the security of the endpoints used to access your cloud solutions. If your SaaS provider doesn’t offer identity and access management as part of their solution, deploy your own tools.

How can you be sure your IT security is adequate?
As you can see, security measures are a shared responsibility in cloud service models, and it’s essential to understand how robust your security protections are and which aspects of security your organization is responsible for.

In the Azure environment, a good starting point is your Microsoft Secure Score. At a glance, its dashboard enables you to gauge the current state of your organization’s security posture and alert you to responsibilities requiring your attention.

You can then build on your Secure Score findings by engaging a security services provider to perform a thorough security assessment. For example, Neudesic’s comprehensive security assessment service will analyze all aspects of your – identities, devices, servers, data, applications, infrastructure, and networks – helping you identify and mitigate risks and providing an actionable list of recommendations to put your security strategy on solid footing. Click here to learn more.

Because we’ve worked with thousands of companies of all sizes across all industries, we know all too well how challenging it can be for enterprises to define their strategic goals and objectives – not to mention implementing their plans on their own.

Take security, for example. Everyone recognizes how essential it is, but few know how to move forward. Working with our clients, we’ve identified the following seven obstacles that frequently stand in the way:

You’re too busy operating in reactive mode. It’s very easy to find yourself taking a largely reactive, piecemeal approach to IT security. Repeatedly, your team discovers a new threat or vulnerability, then seeks a solution to mitigate it. Following this approach leaves little time for what will serve you better: a manageable, consistent, and properly funded security plan based on a well-thought-out long-term strategy.
You’re short on strategic expertise. The bigger the enterprise, the easier it is to justify a dedicated IT security strategist. However, security is only one of your IT team’s many critical responsibilities; you might not have an individual on staff with the experience and bandwidth to formulate a solid, long-term security strategy.
You don’t have reliable data on the costs and risks associated with your current security posture. Before you can develop an effective, long-term security strategy, it’s essential to know all the ramifications of your current state of security. If you could quantify and weigh those costs and risks, you would have a much better idea of how best to pursue your security strategy and how much to invest in it. How much risk mitigation are you getting for your current spend? How much risk exposure are you willing to tolerate? What are the real costs – in remediation, lost revenue, reputational damage, and more – in the event of a data breach? How does that compare with the cost of developing and implementing a more comprehensive security strategy? When the answers to these questions are hard to find, it’s difficult to plan and budget.
You’re unclear on how best to protect your data and intellectual property. You know your data and IP are vulnerable – but you’re a bit overwhelmed by the number and variety of security solutions promising to increase your protection and how best to proceed. Should malware defenses be your #1 priority? Is a Zero Trust approach right for you? As the threat landscape evolves, will some new solution emerge that will make today’s security investments obsolete? These and other questions may be causing you to delay action while your vulnerability remains inadequately addressed.
Your current mix of platforms, service providers, and their security options are difficult to manage. When all your systems were on premises, it was much easier to maintain and enforce consistent security policies. Not anymore. Your current environment is likely a mix of platforms and systems from various service providers, each with its own security options that may or may not conform to your existing security policies. Keeping abreast of the security options of various providers and services, and ensuring configurations conform to established security policies, is a constant challenge.
You don’t have the processes and capabilities in place to establish and oversee security operations. New security threats emerge and vulnerabilities are discovered on an alarmingly frequent basis. You can’t anticipate and respond to these issues in a coherent and manageable fashion without the right capabilities and consistent processes to address them. It’s the only way to make your security operations as effective and responsive as you need them to be.
You need assistance upskilling resources, tools, and skills to implement a proper security strategy. Many obstacles can arise along your way from “what” (strategy) to “how” (implementation). This is especially true in the dynamic, relentless world of IT security, where previously solid competencies can become quickly outdated. You can’t move forward until you’re equipped with the up-to-the-minute capabilities to turn your strategy into action.

With these kinds of obstacles in the way, it’s no wonder if your IT security goals remain elusive. The key to achieving them is to take a measured, comprehensive approach – and the best way to begin is with a security assessment. Our security assessment can help you understand your risks and vulnerabilities, establish your priorities, gain insights, and get the expert recommendations you need to move forward. Go here to learn more.