The pandemic has become a catalyst for digital transformation. The sudden and pressing need for remote work has led to the large-scale adoption of cloud infrastructure. The benefits are undeniable: increased adaptability and scalability, on-the-go access to resources, less administrative overhead, and reduced expenditure on physical IT infrastructure.
Cloud infrastructure is here to stay. Gartner predicts that public cloud spending will exceed 45% of all enterprise IT spending in the next 5 years. However, the rapid growth in cloud adoption isn't quite matched by the advancements in cloud security. A poll conducted by the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) revealed that approximately 60% of the respondents cited cloud network security as a major concern. These concerns are justified by numerous high-profile cloud data breaches, most notably involving industry giants like Kaseya, Accenture, and Facebook.
According to a white paper published by the CSA, the absence of an identity and access management (IAM) solution and misconfigured cloud settings are the two biggest threats to cloud security today. It is challenging to keep security in mind while migrating to the cloud because not only is cloud technology relatively nascent but is also advancing very rapidly.
Network security has traditionally meant the establishment of a network perimeter as the main point of defense. This castle-and-moat approach does not work in cloud environments, where access to network resources cannot be limited to physical proximity. Adding to the insecurity is the tendency toward multi-cloud environments, which makes the network perimeter even more nebulous. On account of its nature, cloud security must take a data-centric stance rather than depending on a well-defined perimeter. IAM must be enforced at the most fundamental level. Ensuring proper cloud configuration and infrastructure management is also crucial.
IAM is essentially a framework that helps organize and control the complex maze of human and non-human agents, endpoints, applications, services, and resources, based on the company's policies, while also being compliant with local legislation. While there is no one-size-fits-all fix, there are several widely used frameworks, laws, research analyses, and guidelines that form the scaffolding of cloud IAM solutions, including:
These and several other laws and guidelines are taken into account while developing an IAM solution. The end product must provide centralized control of identities and roles, along with the visibility needed for their proper management. Access must be granted according to organizational policies, while also ensuring minimal privilege creep. Gartner recommends selecting an IAM solution that also works with a CASB to ensure visibility and control over the network.
Zero Trust network architecture is another strategy to keep in mind while designing an IAM solution. The fundamental principle of Zero Trust is the maxim "never trust, always verify," which eliminates implicit trust and improves security throughout the entire network by creating a more dynamic response to each request for resources. With Zero Trust, an organization uses a user-to-application method, rather than a network-centric one, to authenticate users based on identity, context, and the resources they are requesting.
When done well, an IAM solution offers advantages such as:
A newer class of technologies known as cloud workload protection platforms, or CWPPs, can offer next-generation cybersecurity measures. Public cloud providers like AWS normally offer rudimentary tools for IAM and cloud configuration, but a CWPP meets next-level requirements. For instance, CWPPs can ensure that compliance baselines are met while scanning for infrastructure misconfigurations. CWPP services include threat and risk detection for public and private clouds, VMs, containers, and other cloud-native applications.
The other major way to tighten cloud security is by adequately encrypting the data on the cloud. According to Gartner, 99% of cloud security failures through 2025 will be due to misconfigurations and human error. This can be mitigated to a great extent by providing cloud security training to IT employees. According to a report by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, or (ISC)², six out of ten IT workers would feel more at ease using cloud technology if they received enough training to advance their skills. Empowering security teams by providing them with adequate knowledge not only improves cloud security but also improves the likelihood of detecting potential breaches. Happily, things look promising on this end as the (ISC)² has found that 57% of organizations are planning to increase their cloud security budget this year.
In order to create a strong cloud security posture, security teams need to switch from a traditional perimeter-based approach to one that is data-oriented and uses layered security. A good IAM solution holds critical importance in this endeavor. Protecting against stolen credentials and improper cloud infrastructure configurations is also of utmost importance. However, the ultimate objective of IAM ought to be achieving complete visibility of resources and those who can access them, as well as precise threat identification, containment, and prevention.
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