What is cloud security?

An effective cloud security strategy, which often includes a cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP), provides robust protection for sensitive data, applications, and infrastructure, so organizations are able to safely use the scalability, flexibility, and efficiency of cloud computing while mitigating risks and addressing compliance.

Implementing cloud security delivers the following benefits:

Cost efficiency. By minimizing the need for on-premises security infrastructure and enabling automated threat detection, cloud security reduces operational costs while maximizing efficiency.

Improved collaboration. Secure access controls and encrypted communication channels foster seamless collaboration across teams, regardless of location.

More secure development. Cloud security prevents vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and secrets in code while securing the software supply chain throughout the development lifecycle.

Reduced risk. Proactive monitoring and automated risk management minimize potential attack surfaces and enhance overall security posture.

Enhanced data protection. Advanced encryption and access controls help protect sensitive data from unauthorized access and breaches.

Faster threat remediation. Automated detection and response mechanisms allow organizations to identify and remediate threats in real time, minimizing potential impact.

Advanced threat detection and response. AI-driven threat intelligence helps organizations detect and mitigate sophisticated attacks, such as zero-day vulnerabilities and ransomware.

Visibility into sensitive data. Cloud security offers deep insights into sensitive data locations, access patterns, and potential exposure risks for better management.

Cloud security is crucial for protecting sensitive data and applications hosted in cloud environments. As businesses increasingly rely on the cloud for storage, processing, and collaboration, they face risks like unauthorized access, data breaches, data leaks, and cyberattacks.

Effective cloud security includes measures such as encryption, access controls, and real-time threat detection and response to help safeguard sensitive information and maintain the integrity of critical applications. End-to-end solutions that protect multicloud environments are also essential.

Generative AI is becoming an important tool in cloud security. Generative AI detects and respond to threats in real time, minimizing the risk of data breaches. It also enhances threat intelligence by analyzing vast amounts of data to identify patterns and anomalies that traditional security measures might miss.

Robust cloud security helps businesses improve visibility into their environments and avoid or quickly recover from disruptions, helping to minimize downtime and maintain continuous access to critical systems and data. This resilience is essential for maintaining trust with customers and sustaining long-term success.

Cloud security is guided by bringing security in earlier, taking a proactive approach to continuously reduce risks, and remediating faster with unified security.

Cloud security relies on a suite of tools and technologies designed to safeguard resources. These include firewalls for network protection, encryption to secure data in transit and at rest, and identity and access management (IAM) systems to control user permissions. Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) monitor cloud environments for suspicious activity, while endpoint security checks to make sure that devices accessing the cloud are secure.

Another approach involves a generative AI-powered cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP). A CNAPP acts as a single command center where multiple cloud security solutions are consolidated under one umbrella. These include cloud security posture management (CSPM), multipipeline DevOps security, cloud workload protection platforms (CWPPs), cloud detection and response (CDR), cloud infrastructure entitlement management (CIEM), and cloud service network security (CSNS). A CNAPP detects and mitigates vulnerabilities across the entire software lifecycle, providing robust security against evolving threats. CNAPPs use generative AI to provide real-time insights, automated threat detection, and proactive risk management, reducing the attack surface and enhancing resilience in dynamic cloud-native environments.

Clear policies and procedures are needed for cloud security. Organizations must establish rules for data access, storage, and sharing, so that employees and partners follow best practices. Regular security assessments and audits identify vulnerabilities, while incident response plans support swift action during breaches. Policies also include compliance measures to meet legal and regulatory standards, as well as procedures for regular backups to help with data recovery in the event of an attack or failure.

Cloud security is built on a shared responsibility model, which divides security duties between the cloud service provider (CSP) and the customer. The CSP is typically responsible for securing the infrastructure, including hardware, networking, and physical data centers. Customers, on the other hand, are responsible for securing their own data, applications, and user access. For example, in a software as a service (SaaS) environment, the provider secures the application itself, but the customer must manage user permissions and secure their data within the application. This collaborative approach allows both parties to contribute to a robust security posture.

By integrating advanced technologies, implementing comprehensive policies, and adhering to the shared responsibility model, cloud security creates a resilient environment that protects against modern cyberthreats.

While offering scalability and flexibility, hybrid and multicloud environments also introduce security risks and threats. Here are some common challenges:

Expanded attack surface. More cloud-native development means that data, apps, and infrastructure are increasingly distributed—which creates more entry points for attackers to exploit.

New attack surfaces resulting from generative AI. While it can dramatically increase productivity, generative AI also has the potential to introduce security risks, including accidental data exposure. People uploading sensitive information to train generative AI models might inadvertently expose critical data.

Data breaches and leaks. Cloud storage and databases are common targets for attackers. Misconfigurations, such as leaving sensitive data in public-facing buckets, weak encryption, or compromised credentials, might lead to data breaches or accidental leaks.

Evolving compliance regulations. Failure to comply with evolving regulations can bring hefty fines, legal penalties, and loss of customer trust. Multicloud environments increase complexity with shared responsibility models and varying security standards across CSPs.

Cloud configuration errors. Misconfigurations in cloud services—due to improper access controls or lack of expertise or oversight—can lead to data breaches and compliance violations. Examples of configuration errors include unsecured storage buckets, overly permissive IAM policies, or exposed management consoles.

Insider threats. Insider threats—whether malicious or accidental—pose significant risks. Employees, contractors, or partners with privileged access to cloud environments might intentionally or inadvertently expose sensitive data, misconfigure settings, or introduce vulnerabilities.

Cloud security requires a range of specialized tools and technologies to address threats across diverse environments. Here’s an overview:

Cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP). CNAPP is a unified framework that integrates multiple security components to provide comprehensive protection across cloud-native environments, from development to runtime. CNAPP includes:

• Cloud security posture management (CSPM) to identify and remediate misconfigurations, compliance issues, and risks in cloud infrastructure to maintain secure environments.
• Infrastructure as code security that supports secure configurations in templates by detecting vulnerabilities and enforcing policies before deployment.
• Data security posture management (DSPM), which focuses on discovering, classifying, and securing sensitive data across cloud environments to prevent unauthorized access and leaks.
• DevOps security with continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline hardening to secure the software development lifecycle by integrating security checks into CI/CD pipelines, including dependency scanning and runtime vulnerability assessments for vulnerability management.
• AI-powered security posture management (AI-SPM) that leverages AI to predict, detect, and respond to threats in real time, providing advanced risk insights and automated remediation.
• Cloud infrastructure entitlement management (CIEM) and exposure management to manage and restrict excessive permissions in cloud environments, reducing the attack surface by only granting least-privilege access.
   

Security information and event management (SIEM). SIEM aggregates, analyzes, and correlates logs and security events from multiple sources to provide real-time monitoring, incident detection, and compliance reporting.

Extended detection and response (XDR). XDR unifies threat detection, response, and remediation across endpoints, networks, and cloud environments, enabling a holistic view of attacks and faster response times.

Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPSs). IDPSs monitor and analyze network traffic for suspicious activity, identifying potential intrusions or policy violations. Prevention mechanisms block detected threats in real time.

Endpoint protection platforms (EPPs). EPPs secure devices connected to cloud environments by protecting against malware, ransomware, and unauthorized access. Advanced platforms include behavioral analysis and machine learning for enhanced protection.

Data loss prevention (DLP). DLP tools prevent sensitive data from being accessed, shared, or transmitted in unauthorized ways. They enforce policies on data at rest, in motion, or in use, supporting compliance and mitigating breaches.

Endpoint detection and response (EDR). EDR is a security solution that monitors and analyzes endpoint activity in real time to detect, investigate, and respond to threats such as malware, ransomware, and unauthorized access.

Security exposure management (SEM). SEM enriches asset information with security context that helps proactively manage attack surfaces, protect critical assets, and explore and mitigate exposure risk.