The rise of multi-cloud in the last couple of years has had customers and enterprises asking cloud vendors how their data is protected across their devices.
Security is a key area of focus for multi-cloud vendors, as data is no longer primarily hosted onsite in private data centers and instead moved to not one but multiple clouds. This transition poses a number of challenges and opportunities for enterprises, customers and multi-cloud vendors alike.
SEE: Mobile device security policy (TechRepublic Premium)
Jump to:
- Top multi-cloud security vendors
- What is multi-cloud security?
- What are the best practices for multi-cloud security?
- The most common pitfalls of multi-cloud security
- Conclusion
Top multi-cloud security vendors
There are several multi-cloud security solutions available in the market today, and each solution provides a unique set of features and capabilities. When choosing providers, consider security governance and compliance regulations, service level agreements and data residency requirements.
Amazon Web Services
Amazon Web Services is one of the most popular cloud platforms on the market because it’s versatile and affordable. The platform can be used to host websites, store data, process applications and more.
Because AWS is so popular, businesses will likely need at least some level of AWS security solutions. AWS has a good reputation for security solutions for networks and applications as well as data and compliance. These include services like AWS Web Application Firewall, AWS Secrets Manager, AWS Audit Manager and AWS Shield.
In addition to its power and versatility, AWS offers a low cost per gigabyte. Users save money by using AWS instead of other more expensive options like colocation facilities or private clouds and data centers.
AWS is the most enterprise-ready of all the multi-cloud security providers, so if you’re looking for a reliable cloud platform that offers plenty of features at an affordable price point, then look no further than this service.
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure provides businesses with the ability to deploy applications across multiple clouds, whether public or on-premises. This gives businesses more flexibility in terms of where they can store their applications and how they can scale them.
Azure also offers features such as automatic scaling, disaster recovery and security redundancy. The platform is a popular choice for companies that need to increase their agility and efficiency when it comes to deploying applications. Azure is popular for use cases that involve integrating Microsoft tools and products such as Office 365, SharePoint and Microsoft Teams.
Google Cloud Platform
Google Cloud Platform provides businesses with a suite of cloud-based services that make it easy to create, deploy and manage applications.
Google Cloud Platform offers a variety of security services that make it easy to create, deploy and manage applications in a secure manner. These security services include Security Foundation for providing recommendations to achieve good security posture, RCaC for automating the compliance function for agile workloads, Compute Engine for running traditional web applications on virtual machines and the Software Delivery Shield for protecting software delivery end-to-end across the entire software development lifecycle.
Businesses can also use these services to improve their security position by using Google’s security features such as Google Workspace Security and two-factor authentication. Google Cloud Platform is a reliable platform that makes it easy to create scalable applications quickly and easily.
Cloudflare
Cloudflare is one of the top providers of multi-cloud security solutions, offering various products to help businesses protect their data across different platforms. They offer tools such as DDoS mitigation, website firewalls and content delivery networks. By protecting data across multiple platforms, businesses can avoid exposure to data breaches that may occur on one platform.
Additionally, by using Cloudflare’s CDN services, websites can improve their loading speeds for users across different devices and networks. Cloudflare also offers a free plan that allows businesses to test out their products before committing to a subscription. This allows businesses to determine if the solution meets their needs before upgrading or switching to a more comprehensive plan.
Oracle
Oracle offers a variety of security products and services to help businesses protect their data across multiple clouds. Security security solutions include the Oracle Cloud Security Suite, which provides comprehensive security for data in the cloud, such as Network Firewall, Vulnerability Scanning and Security Zones. These help organizations secure their data at rest on the cloud.
Oracle also offers consulting and support services to help businesses get started with these technologies. Oracle’s products are designed to work with a variety of cloud providers, making it easy for businesses to implement their solutions.
IBM
IBM is one of the leading providers of multi-cloud security solutions, which means they can help businesses secure their data no matter where it is located. IBM’s cloud-based security solutions provide real-time protection against cyberattacks, making them a top choice for businesses needing an easy solution to protect their data.
IBM offers security services for Application Security, Data Security, Threat Management and Identity and Access Management. These services work together to provide visibility and control in maintaining a strong security profile.
IBM’s experience in IT and cybersecurity makes them an ideal provider for companies that need comprehensive security coverage irrespective of where data resides.
What is multi-cloud security?
Multi-cloud security allows customers and enterprises to use different types of clouds or hyperscalers to store, access and retrieve their data and applications in a secure, reliable and cost-effective manner.
This is important because it ensures that if one cloud fails or experiences an outage, then the data, applications and services can be accessed from other alternative cloud providers with ease and without compromising data security and quality of service. As a result, businesses can more easily keep their data secure irrespective of what cloud vendor they are using at any given time.
Multi-cloud security also lets businesses switch between different clouds without adversely affecting application uptime, data governance and compliance requirements. Multi-cloud security is governed by Cloud Security Standards and Control Frameworks that include GDPR, System and Organization Controls Reporting, and the PCI DSS.
What are the best practices for multi-cloud security?
Use secure passwords
A strong password is essential for protecting data against unauthorized access. Organizations should enforce policies that ensure unique passwords for each account and secure storage. In conjunction with the use of multi-factor authentication, this prevents bad actors from unauthorized access.
Encrypt files
Sensitive information needs to be kept confidential and encrypted before it is uploaded to the cloud. This helps protect data from prying eyes online, and anyone that tries to retrieve these files without the right encryption keys will not do so successfully.
Monitor the health of cloud servers
Keeping an eye on the status of organizations’ cloud servers regularly helps detect security issues early and resolve them before they become bigger problems. This prevents costly outages and breaches of service level agreements.
Implementing security into DevOps
By integrating security into the software development process, organizations can ensure that their applications are built with security in mind from the start. This helps prevent vulnerabilities from being introduced during coding and testing and streamlines the process of fixing them before they become production issues. Multi-cloud security is important for businesses because it helps protect data across different platforms.
The most common pitfalls of multi-cloud security
Not knowing where your data is
Data can be spread out across multiple clouds without the owner’s knowledge. This makes it difficult to keep track of and manage, increasing the chances of sensitive data being leaked or falling into the wrong hands.
Lack of visibility and control:
Organizations often lack visibility and control over their data when it is stored in the cloud. This can lead to data being mishandled or misused without the owner’s knowledge.
Not having a plan for data loss
Data loss can occur for a variety of reasons, such as human error, hardware failure, or malicious attacks. Without a plan in place for how to deal with this, organizations can find themselves in a difficult situation.
Not having a trained staff
Many organizations do not have the necessary personnel to properly manage their cloud infrastructure. This can lead to problems such as data being stored in insecure locations or not being properly backed up.
Conclusion
Multi-cloud security providers are continuing to constantly innovate to provide the highest level of data protection for customers and enterprises while making it easier to access and consume this data securely. Explore the different multi-cloud security providers to determine the best fit for your needs.
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