As cloud infrastructure becomes more important, securing it has become a key issue for government agencies. Therefore, implementing cloud-native security is a key focus.
Vulnerabilities in cloud systems and environments expose government agencies to similarly serious threats given the potential uses and the volume and sensitivity of data, Palo Alto Networks reports. The ongoing cloud trend makes this area of risk even more serious. Several factors have driven the accelerated migration to the cloud, including significant technological advances, the impact of COVID on workforce provisioning, and ever-present challenges in hiring IT and security teams.
Securing the cloud
As governments and businesses alike move more systems to the cloud, errors and vulnerabilities can put applications and data at risk. When assembling the defense arsenal, there are several interconnected areas to focus on to combat these risks. According to Palo Alto Networks, the following four aspects are particularly relevant:
- The "Shift Left" safety concept provides for security testing and validation earlier in the cloud-native development process. Cloud-native development brings with it new development resources, such as: B. Infrastructure as Code (IaC) files, container image specifications, APIs for microservices, and cloud deployment artifacts, to name a few. With these new assets come new attack vectors. These new attack vectors, combined with the speed and scale of the cloud, require that vulnerabilities and security risks are not left to the security team or SOC to address during operational deployment. The attack vectors should preferably be identified and addressed by the developers during the development process. By shifting the timeline for identifying and remediating security issues “to the left” on the timeline, agencies can reduce both the cost of remediation and the risk of an incident in cloud-native applications.
- As already mentioned, the development of cloud-native applications generates unique resources for cloud-native deployments. The process for developing, testing, and deploying such applications is also different and leads to different security risks. These require “cloud-aware” or cloud-native security solutions to address them. Whether it's vulnerabilities in containerized applications, misconfigurations in cloud infrastructure, cloud-enabled malware, overprivileged cloud permissions, or insecure APIs supporting microservice-based architectures, these risks cannot be remedied by traditional security solutions. Only cloud-native security solutions have the cloud awareness, scalability, and end-to-end application lifecycle coverage to address these risks from development through deployment.
- A recent McKinsey study concludedthat "the budgets of many, if not most, Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) are understated." This can lead to difficult decisions about where to invest. It can mean new projects need to be scaled to accommodate the breadth and training of the cybersecurity team. In addition, new and creative approaches may be required to attract additional funding for security investments, including technology upgrade funds or grants. Gartner's recent Cloud Native-Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) report is a good resource to start the process of brainstorming the necessary investments.
- Zero Trust is a strategic approach to cybersecurity, which secures an organization by eliminating implicit trust and continuously scrutinizing every phase of a digital interaction. This approach includes securing on-premises, cloud, or public multi-cloud environments. Zero trust is as relevant to the cloud world as it is to traditional environments. In a multi-cloud world, compliance and visibility are the cornerstones of maintaining a Zero Trust approach. Practice shows that inconsistencies in the configurations of different cloud platforms can lead to a significantly increased risk.
About Palo Alto Networks Palo Alto Networks, the global leader in cybersecurity solutions, is shaping the cloud-based future with technologies that transform the way people and businesses work. Our mission is to be the preferred cybersecurity partner and protect our digital way of life. We help you address the world's biggest security challenges with continuous innovation leveraging the latest breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, analytics, automation, and orchestration. By delivering an integrated platform and empowering a growing ecosystem of partners, we are the leaders in protecting tens of thousands of businesses across clouds, networks and mobile devices. Our vision is a world where every day is safer than the one before.