Hybrid Cloud Security

What is hybrid cloud security?

Hybrid cloud security begins at the hardware level, located on-premises. Here, servers and bare-metal hardware contain all enterprise data, from code to databases to storage and other resources. And since this information is made available through one or several data centers and cloud environments, it is encrypted so only valid users and applications access and use it, typically through some form of zero-trust protocol.

On the perimeter, edge cloud servers and application containers undergo microsegmentation, meaning data is divided into groups and specific workloads, effectively isolating them with specific security controls. These “demilitarized zones” limit a cyberthreat’s ability to move through a data center. Firewalls add additional layers of protection, further separating cloud environments from on-premises resources, and can be implemented at several layers, including the hypervisor and operating system.

To safeguard data, apps, and infrastructure in private and public clouds, hybrid cloud security includes many critical components. These components include:

• Identity and access management (IAM): Implementing strong IAM rules and controls to authenticate users and manage resource access independent of location or cloud environment.
• Data encryption: Encryption methods protect data while it's being sent and stored, keeping private data safe from unauthorized interception.
• Network security: Using firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems, and VPNs to safeguard on-premises and cloud communications.
• Compliance and governance: Creating policies and processes to comply with legislation, industry standards, and governance frameworks to enforce security controls and best practices.
• Security monitoring and incident response: Detecting and responding to security risks quickly to minimize the effect of breaches or security events.

Hybrid cloud security strategy combines components to safeguard data and applications in a hybrid environment.

Benefits of hybrid cloud security include:

• Managed security risk: This allows less sensitive data to be processed in public clouds and more sensitive data to be stored in private clouds, streamlining security management.
• Flexibility and scalability: Organizations can select the optimal environment for each work and adjust their resource levels in response to demand.
• Cost-effectiveness: Businesses can save money by using a combination of public and private clouds and paying only for what they need.
• Compliance and control: Hybrid clouds may be configured to fulfill multiple compliance requirements, giving businesses control over data storage and processing.
• Disaster recovery: An array of disaster recovery options ensures organizational continuity in the event of a system breakdown.
• Innovation and agility: Public cloud environments enable rapid deployment and testing of new apps.

Hybrid cloud security challenges:

• Complexity: To maintain uniform rules and controls, managing security in various contexts can be complicated, requiring specific knowledge and equipment.
• Data Protection: As data is dispersed across various platforms, ensuring data protection and privacy becomes increasingly complex, necessitating effective encryption and access control systems.
• Compliance: Legal requirements can be hard to meet in different cloud settings because rules can change based on where data is stored and processed.
• Interoperability: Integrating security solutions and protocols between on-premises infrastructure and public cloud services can be challenging, causing compatibility concerns and risks.
• Visibility and Control: In a hybrid environment, enhanced monitoring and management capabilities are needed to detect and respond to security risks.

Best practices for hybrid cloud security:

• Comprehensive risk assessment and unified policy: To start, fully assess both on-premises and cloud settings. This will help you create a unified security policy.
• Strong identity and access management (IAM): Manage user access across hybrid resources to ensure only authorized users can access critical data and apps.
• Data encryption and continuous monitoring: Encrypt data in transit and at rest and use continuous monitoring technologies to detect and respond to security risks.
• Compliance and regular audits: Continuous monitoring and security audits uncover and fix vulnerabilities to ensure compliance with legislation and industry standards.
• Adopt zero-trust security features: The best way to avoid unauthorized or unverified users and applications from accessing your infrastructure: trust no one. The core principle of zero-trust security is not letting users or programs interact with cloud resources until their identity is vetted, whether through multi-factor identification or other techniques.
• Deploy artificial intelligence (AI): Manual monitoring of a hybrid cloud environment can be a time-consuming task. But AI can detect, protect, and resolve potential security threats like malware or identify at-risk data. AI can also be used as an automation tool that can take over basic, low-level tasks such as real-time packet scanning, empowering IT teams to focus on greater, high-level concerns.