Hybrid Cloud Security: Safeguarding Your Data Infrastructure

‍

As adopting hybrid cloud environments becomes increasingly more mainstream, it will become paramount to institute heightened security measures. Check out these four aspects to understand how to protect your data infrastructure!

‍

Understanding Hybrid Cloud Security

‍

Hybrid cloud security refers to the set of practices, technologies, and policies designed to protect data and applications across a hybrid cloud environment. Unlike traditional IT infrastructures in your organizational structure, hybrid cloud environments distribute workloads across diverse platforms. Since these hybrid clouds span numerous locations, safeguarding them becomes a unique challenge. It’s not like you can just build a physical fortified wall and expect everything to be secured. Depending on the industry you are in, there may be certain levels of access only a few in your organization should have access to. It’s also important to define what security standards must be met, and these should be outlined in your SLA (Service Level Agreement), if you have one.

‍

Below are the four topics to educate your security team on when it comes to protecting your data infrastructure:  

‍

1) Key Components

‍

Some key components of hybrid cloud security include:

‍

a. Data Encryption and Access Control: Encrypting data mitigates the chance that any data could be unveiled. By encrypting data at rest and in motion, your organization ensures confidentiality and integrity, preventing unauthorized access and data breaches. Ensure you encrypt your data at rest encompasses partition encryption, which safeguards your computer while it’s turned off, hardware encryption to safeguard your hard drive from unauthorized access and encrypting root volumes without the need to manually input passwords. Protecting your data in motion puts your data at a higher risk of being intercepted and altered, but this can be fixed using Internet Protocol Security (IPsec). Access control mechanisms enforce policies to govern who can access specific resources, adding an essential layer of protection.  

‍

b. Identity and Access Management (IAM): IAM solutions manage user identities, roles, and access across hybrid cloud environments. Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) and stringent password policies mitigates the risk of unauthorized access.

‍

c. Network Security: Ensure you prioritize secure network communications between on-prem infrastructure and cloud services. Techniques such as virtual private networks (VPNs), secure sockets layer (SSL), and transport layer security (TLS) protocols should be leveraged to safeguard data transmission and prevent interception attacks from malicious actors.  

‍

d. Compliance and Governance: Having a governance framework that adheres to regulatory requirements and industry standards (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, etc.) is essential for protection of sensitive data and ensures that security measures align with organizational policies and legal obligations.

‍

e. Monitoring and Incident Response: Continuous monitoring of hybrid cloud environments will detect potential security threats as they occur. Automated incident response mechanisms enable expedited action to mitigate risks, reduce impact, and restore operations.

‍

2) Challenges

‍

Managing security across multiple platforms necessitates an intrinsic understanding of the security features and configurations within your environment. The integration of security controls across hybrid environments is inherently complex and may demand substantial resources to be exhausted. Additionally, data sovereignty presents various challenges.  

‍

Changing data residency laws worldwide affects where data is stored and processed, prompting organizations to navigate legal frameworks to ensure compliance with regional data protection regulations. Next, having a plan in place for vendor management is imperative if your top priority is to protect your data. Effective coordination of security efforts with various cloud service providers (CSPs) requires precise communication and collaboration. There are certain vendor management practices that ensure security responsibilities are explicitly defined and upheld by all parties involved. By adopting this approach, you are guaranteed a more fortified security structure.

‍

3) Best Practices

‍

To enhance hybrid cloud security, organizations should undergo the following best practices. First, instituting zero-trust principles will operate under the assumption that threats exist both inside and outside the network. Implementing strict access controls, undergoing continuous authentication, and developing least privilege access policies minimize the potential for an attack and enhance hybrid cloud security.  

‍

Next in line is container security. As containerized applications become embraced by organizations across the spectrum, securing containers becomes crucial. Implementing container-specific security measures, such as image scanning, runtime protection, and network segmentation, helps reduce container vulnerabilities. As artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) become more prevalent, leveraging them for threat detection will enhance security measures. AI-powered analytics are a powerful engine that works to identify unusual behavioral patterns, detect threats as they occur, and enable an accelerated response to security incidents.  

‍

Finally, security audits should be conducted regularly in coordination with penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses that may lie within your hybrid cloud. It’s imperative to address these gaps in security to reduce the likelihood of reoccurring cyber-attacks.

‍

‍

4) Future Trends

‍

There are several trends and associated innovations that may shape the future of hybrid cloud security. For starters, edge computing will emerge as a prominent player, so securing distributed computing resources at the network edge will become vital.  

‍

Next, implementation of security measures for edge devices and gateways will ensure a better model for data protection and resilience. Integrating security practices into DevOps processes (DevSecOps) will facilitate increased collaboration between development, operations, and security teams. Additionally, the automation of security testing and deployment ensures continuous security across hybrid cloud environments.

Finally, with the advent of quantum computing, quantum-safe cryptography will become necessary to withstand future cryptographic threats. Organizations should prepare for transitioning to quantum-resistant algorithms to protect sensitive hybrid cloud data.

‍

Conclusion

‍

In conclusion, hybrid cloud security involves an integrated approach with preventive policies, technologies, and strategies. By prioritizing stringent security measures, organizations can discover the power of their hybrid cloud environments while safeguarding their most valuable asset: data. Embracing continuous innovation enables businesses like yours to steer the increasingly innovative technological landscape. As AI makes cyber security more difficult, organizations like yours must adapt and stay ahead of the curve. By embracing a proactive approach to hybrid cloud security, your data will continue to be safe.

‍

‍

About DataStrike ‍

‍

DataStrike is the industry leader in 100% onshore data infrastructure services and enables companies to harness IT changes as a catalyst for growth. With a network of highly specialized experts, strategic partnerships with the world's biggest technology providers, and a platform-agnostic approach, DataStrike provides innovative solutions and practical guidance to accelerate digital transformation initiatives and drive better business outcomes for small-to mid-sized businesses. Click here to learn more about our service offerings.

‍