Search results

Azure Security Best Practices: Don't Get Caught with Your Cloud Pants Down   Executive Summary   The cloud isn't some futuristic fantasy... Cloud Security Azure Security Best Practices Asher Benbenisty 2 min read Asher Benbenisty Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 11/25/24 Published Azure Security Best Practices: Don't Get Caught with Your Cloud Pants Down Executive Summary The cloud isn't some futuristic fantasy anymore, folks. It's the backbone of modern business, and Azure is charging hard, fueled by AI, to potentially dethrone AWS by 2026. But with this breakneck adoption comes a harsh reality: security can't be an afterthought. This article dives deep into why robust security practices are non-negotiable in Azure and how tools like Microsoft Sentinel and Defender XDR can be your digital bodyguards. Introduction Let's face it, organizations are flocking to the cloud like moths to a digital flame. Why? Cost savings, streamlined operations, and the ability to scale at warp speed. We're talking serious money here – a projected $805 billion spent on public cloud services in 2024! The cloud's not just disrupting the game; it is the game. And the playing field is shifting. AWS might be the king of the hill right now, but Azure's hot on its heels, thanks to some serious AI muscle. ( As of 2024, they hold market shares of 31%, 24%, and 11%, respectively .) Forbes even predicts an Azure takeover by 2026. Exciting times, right? Hold your horses. This rapid cloud adoption has a dark side. Security threats are lurking around every corner, and sticking to best practices is more crucial than ever. Cloud service managers, listen up: you need to wrap your heads around the shared responsibility model (Figure 1). Think of it like this: you and Azure are partners in crime prevention. You're both responsible for keeping your digital assets safe, but you need to know who's holding which piece of the security puzzle. Don't assume security is built-in – it's a team effort, and you need to pull your weight. Figure 1: The shared responsibility model Azure's Security Architecture: A Fortress in the Cloud Okay, I get it. The shared responsibility model can feel like navigating a maze blindfolded. But here's the deal: whether you're dabbling in IaaS, PaaS, or SaaS, Azure's got your infrastructure covered. Their global network of data centers is built like Fort Knox, meeting industry standards like ISO/IEC 27001:2022 , HIPAA , and NIST SP 800-53 . But remember your part of the bargain! Azure provides a killer arsenal of security products to protect your workloads, both in Azure and beyond. Figure 2: Azure’s security architecture Take Microsoft Sentinel, for example. This superhero of a tool automatically sniffs out threats, investigates them, and neutralizes them before they can wreak havoc. It's like having a 24/7 security team with superhuman senses. And don't forget about Microsoft Defender XDR. This comprehensive security suite is like a digital Swiss Army knife, protecting your identities, endpoints, applications, email, and cloud apps. It's got your back, no matter where you turn. With Sentinel and Defender XDR in your corner, you're well-equipped to tackle the security challenges that come with cloud adoption. But don't get complacent! Let's dive into some core security best practices that will make your Azure environment an impenetrable fortress. Core Security Best Practices: Lock Down Your Secrets Protecting Secrets: Best Practices Using Azure Key Vault We all have secrets, right? In the digital world, those secrets are things like passwords, API keys, and encryption keys. You can't just leave them lying around for any cybercriminal to snatch. That's where Azure Key Vault comes in. This secure vault is like a digital safe deposit box for your sensitive data. It uses hardware security modules (HSMs) to keep your secrets locked down tight, even if someone manages to breach your defenses. Big names like Victoria's Secret & Co , Evup, and Sage trust Key Vault to keep their secrets safe. Figure 3: A new Key Vault named “algosec-kv” Here's a pro tip: once you've stashed your secrets in Key Vault, use a managed identity to access them. This eliminates the need to hardcode credentials in your code, minimizing the risk of exposure. var client = new SecretClient(new Uri("https://. vault.azure.net/ "), new DefaultAzureCredential(),options); KeyVaultSecret secret = client.GetSecret(""); string secretValue = secret.Value; Key Vault is a fantastic tool, but it's not a silver bullet. Download our checklist of additional best practices to keep your secrets safe: Database and Data Security: More Than Just Locking the Door Azure offers a smorgasbord of data storage solutions, from Azure SQL Database to Azure Blob Storage. But securing your data isn't just about protecting it at rest. You need to think about data in use and data in transit, too. Download our checklist for a full action plan: Identity Management: Who Are You, and What Are You Doing Here? Encryption is great, but it's only half the battle. You need to know who's accessing your resources and what they're doing. That's where identity access management (IAM) comes in. Think of IAM as a digital bouncer, controlling access to your network resources. It's all about verifying identities and granting the right level of access – no more, no less. Zero-trust network access (ZTNA) is your secret weapon here. It's like having a security checkpoint at every corner of your network, ensuring that only authorized users can access your resources. Figure 4: Zero-trust security architecture Remember the Capital One breach? A misconfigured firewall and overly broad permissions led to a massive data leak. Don't let that be you! Follow Azure's IAM documentation to build a robust and secure identity management system. Network Security: Building a Digital Moat Your network architecture is the foundation of your security posture. Choose wisely, my friends! The hub-spoke model is a popular choice in Azure, centralizing common services in a secure hub and isolating workloads in separate spokes. Figure 5: Hub-spoke network architecture in Azure (Source: Azure documentation ) For a checklist of how the hub-spoke model can boosts your security, download our checklist here. Digital Realty , a real estate investment giant, uses the hub-spoke model to secure its global portal and REST APIs. It's a testament to the power of this architecture for both security and performance. Figure 6: Digital Realty’s use of hub-spoke architecture (Adapted from Microsoft Customer Stories ) Operational Security: Stay Vigilant, Stay Secure (Continued) When a security incident strikes, your response time is critical. Think of operational security as your digital first aid kit. It's about minimizing human error and automating processes to speed up threat detection and response. We've already talked about MFA, password management, and the dynamic duo of Defender XDR and Sentinel. Download our checklist for a few more operational security essentials to add to your arsenal. Figure 7: Build-deploy workflow automation (Source: Azure documentation ) Think of these best practices as guardrails, guiding you toward secure decisions. But remember, flexibility is key. Adapt these practices to your specific environment and architecture. Conclusion As Azure's popularity skyrockets, so do the stakes. The shared responsibility model means you're not off the hook when it comes to security. Azure provides powerful tools like Sentinel and Defender XDR, but it's up to you to use them wisely and follow best practices. Protect your secrets like they're buried treasure, secure your data with Fort Knox-level encryption, implement identity management that would make a border patrol agent proud, and build a network architecture that's a digital fortress. And don't forget about operational security – it's the glue that holds it all together. But let's be real, managing security policies across multiple clouds can be a nightmare. That's where tools like AlgoSec CloudFlow come in. They provide a clear view of your security landscape, helping you identify vulnerabilities and streamline policy management. It's like having a security command center for your entire cloud infrastructure. So, what are you waiting for? Request a demo today and let AlgoSec help you build an Azure environment that's so secure, even the most determined cybercriminals will be left scratching their heads. Schedule a demo Related Articles Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Convergence didn’t fail, compliance did. Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

Driving Security Through Observability: Transforming Application Risk into Resilience WhitePaper Download PDF Schedule time with one of our experts Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Discover Algosec's expert services for optimizing network security, automating policies, reducing risks, and ensuring continuous compliance. Enterprise cybersecurity 
services Learn how our services benefit any corporate using a business-level firewall network AlgoSec professional services Learn more AlgoSec resident
engineer Learn more AlgoSec designated support engineer Learn more AlgoSec support programs Learn more Training services and certification courses Learn more Schedule time with one of our experts Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Our Values Download PDF Schedule time with one of our experts Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Secure your application delivery pipeline Download PDF Schedule time with one of our experts Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Webinars Cloud migrations made simpler: Safe, Secure and Successful Migrations Migrating applications to the cloud – without creating security holes, application outages or violating compliance – is within reach! In this webinar, Avivi Siman-Tov, Director of Product at AlgoSec, will guide you how to simplify and accelerate large-scale complex application migration projects. The webinar will cover: Why organizations choose to migrate their applications to the cloud What is required in order to move the security portion of your application and how long it may take Challenges and solutions to lower the cost, better prepare for the migration and reduce the risks involved How to deliver unified security policy management across the hybrid cloud environment October 28, 2020 Avivi Siman Tov Director of Product Relevant resources Cloud atlas: how to accelerate application migrations to the cloud Keep Reading A 3 Layered Approach to Application Migration Download (Multiligual) Migrating Application Connectivity to the Cloud Keep Reading CouchTalk: Software Defined Networks (SDN) – Migration, Security and Management Watch Video Choose a better way to manage your network Choose a better way to manage your network Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

AlgoSec - Deloitte datasheet Download PDF Schedule time with one of our experts Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Top 5 misconfigurations to avoid for robust security Multi-cloud environments have become the backbone of modern enterprise IT, offering... Cloud Security 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Iris Stein 2 min read Iris Stein Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 6/23/25 Published Top 5 misconfigurations to avoid for robust security Multi-cloud environments have become the backbone of modern enterprise IT, offering unparalleled flexibility, scalability, and access to a diverse array of innovative services. This distributed architecture empowers organizations to avoid vendor lock-in, optimize costs, and leverage specialized functionalities from different providers. However, this very strength introduces a significant challenge: increased complexity in security management. The diverse security models, APIs, and configuration nuances of each cloud provider, when combined, create a fertile ground for misconfigurations. A single oversight can cascade into severe security vulnerabilities, lead to compliance violations, and even result in costly downtime and reputational damage. At AlgoSec, we have extensive experience in navigating the intricacies of multi-cloud security. Our observations reveal recurring patterns of misconfigurations that undermine even the most well-intentioned security strategies. To help you fortify your multi-cloud defences, we've compiled the top five multi-cloud misconfigurations that organizations absolutely must avoid. 1. Over-permissive policies: The gateway to unauthorized access One of the most pervasive and dangerous misconfigurations is the granting of overly broad or permissive access policies. In the rush to deploy applications or enable collaboration, it's common for organizations to assign excessive permissions to users, services, or applications. This "everyone can do everything" approach creates a vast attack surface, making it alarmingly easy for unauthorized individuals or compromised credentials to gain access to sensitive resources across your various cloud environments. The principle of least privilege (PoLP) is paramount here. Every user, application, and service should only be granted the minimum necessary permissions to perform its intended function. This includes granular control over network access, data manipulation, and resource management. Regularly review and audit your Identity and Access Management (IAM) policies across all your cloud providers. Tools that offer centralized visibility into entitlements and highlight deviations can be invaluable in identifying and rectifying these critical vulnerabilities before they are exploited. 2. Inadequate network segmentation: Lateral movement made easy In a multi-cloud environment, a flat network architecture is an open invitation for attackers. Without proper network segmentation, a breach in one part of your cloud infrastructure can easily lead to lateral movement across your entire environment. Mixing production, development, and sensitive data workloads within the same network segment significantly increases the risk of an attacker pivoting from a less secure development environment to a critical production database. Effective network segmentation involves logically isolating different environments, applications, and data sets. This can be achieved through Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs), subnets, security groups, network access control lists (NACLs), and micro-segmentation techniques. The goal is to create granular perimeters around critical assets, limiting the blast radius of any potential breach. By restricting traffic flows between different segments and enforcing strict ingress and egress rules, you can significantly hinder an attacker's ability to move freely within your cloud estate. 3. Unsecured storage buckets: A goldmine for data breaches Cloud storage services, such as Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, and Google Cloud Storage, offer incredible scalability and accessibility. However, their misconfiguration remains a leading cause of data breaches. Publicly accessible storage buckets, often configured inadvertently, expose vast amounts of sensitive data to the internet. This includes customer information, proprietary code, intellectual property, and even internal credentials. It is imperative to always double-check and regularly audit the access controls and encryption settings of all your storage buckets across every cloud provider. Implement strong bucket policies, restrict public access by default, and enforce encryption at rest and in transit. Consider using multifactor authentication for access to storage, and leverage tools that continuously monitor for publicly exposed buckets and alert you to any misconfigurations. Regular data classification and tagging can also help in identifying and prioritizing the protection of highly sensitive data stored in the cloud. 4. Lack of centralized visibility: Flying blind in a complex landscape Managing security in a multi-cloud environment without a unified, centralized view of your security posture is akin to flying blind. The disparate dashboards, logs, and security tools provided by individual cloud providers make it incredibly challenging to gain a holistic understanding of your security landscape. This fragmented visibility makes it nearly impossible to identify widespread misconfigurations, enforce consistent security policies across different clouds, and respond effectively and swiftly to emerging threats. A centralized security management platform is crucial for multi-cloud environments. Such a platform should provide comprehensive discovery of all your cloud assets, enable continuous risk assessment, and offer unified policy management across your entire multi-cloud estate. This centralized view allows security teams to identify inconsistencies, track changes, and ensure that security policies are applied uniformly, regardless of the underlying cloud provider. Without this overarching perspective, organizations are perpetually playing catch-up, reacting to incidents rather than proactively preventing them. 5. Neglecting Shadow IT: The unseen security gaps Shadow IT refers to unsanctioned cloud deployments, applications, or services that are used within an organization without the knowledge or approval of the IT or security departments. While seemingly innocuous, shadow IT can introduce significant and often unmanaged security gaps. These unauthorized resources often lack proper security configurations, patching, and monitoring, making them easy targets for attackers. To mitigate the risks of shadow IT, organizations need robust discovery mechanisms that can identify all cloud resources, whether sanctioned or not. Once discovered, these resources must be brought under proper security governance, including regular monitoring, configuration management, and adherence to organizational security policies. Implementing cloud access security brokers (CASBs) and network traffic analysis tools can help in identifying and gaining control over shadow IT instances. Educating employees about the risks of unauthorized cloud usage is also a vital step in fostering a more secure multi-cloud environment. Proactive management with AlgoSec Cloud Enterprise Navigating the complex and ever-evolving multi-cloud landscape demands more than just awareness of these pitfalls; it requires deep visibility and proactive management. This is precisely where AlgoSec Cloud Enterprise excels. Our solution provides comprehensive discovery of all your cloud assets across various providers, offering a unified view of your entire multi-cloud estate. It enables continuous risk assessment by identifying misconfigurations, policy violations, and potential vulnerabilities. Furthermore, AlgoSec Cloud Enterprise empowers automated policy enforcement, ensuring consistent security postures and helping you eliminate misconfigurations before they can be exploited. By providing this robust framework for security management, AlgoSec helps organizations maintain a strong and resilient security posture in their multi-cloud journey. Stay secure out there! The multi-cloud journey offers immense opportunities, but only with diligent attention to security and proactive management can you truly unlock its full potential while safeguarding your critical assets. Schedule a demo Related Articles Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Convergence didn’t fail, compliance did. Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

Explore Algosec's customer success stories to see how organizations worldwide improve security, compliance, and efficiency with our solutions. VERIZON HELPS CLIENTS IMPROVE SECURITY AND BUSINESS AGILITY USING ALGOSEC Organization Verizon Industry Telecom Headquarters NJ, USA Download case study Share Customer
success stories "I selected AlgoSec’s Security Management Solution because the reporting is very trustworthy, it helps reduce the operational workload for network security administrators, and ultimately it improves performance and security." AlgoSec Business Impact Reduce the workload for the operations team and improve efficiency Provide comprehensive trustworthy reporting on change management Improve overall network performance and security Background Verizon is one of the world’s largest global communications companies and an international technology innovator. Verizon provides products and services related to networks, cloud, machine to machine and mobile technologies; data, hosting and storage; and managed security, as well as other wired and wireless offerings to business and government clients around the world. The company’s Global IP Network connects people and businesses in 2,700 cities and 150 countries. Challenge Verizon’s professional services consultants find that their clients too often focus on compliance to the detriment of security and operational issues. “From an auditing perspective, if the firewall is up and running some clients think they are more or less okay,” says Stefano Ciminelli, EMEA Practice Manager, Business Resiliency & Optimization at Verizon Business. Ciminelli warns that clients also need to be certain that “the firewall policies do not contain mistakes—those that could bring down their business. It’s not just a problem of protecting the IT systems, it’s really a matter of protecting the business,” he notes. Firewall management can also create tension between the network security group and business managers. “You always have the network security people focused on IT and the business people who like to focus on change management. Often these two groups don’t really communicate or understand each other easily,” Ciminelli adds.Moreover, many companies have several people devoted to managing firewalls and “firefighting,” “because they simply do not have the right tools,” says Ciminelli. Solution Ciminelli and his team at Verizon wanted to provide their clients with a way to address IT and security issues and, at the same time, automate change management workflows in order to support business continuity.“You want to be operationally efficient; you want to be secure; and especially, you want to help your business do their business. But, when it comes to network firewall management and analysis, you actually have few tools available that help you meet all those goals,” says Ciminelli. From the security manager’s perspective, AlgoSec’s Security Management Solution was the top choice. “The reporting is very trustworthy, it helps reduce the operational workload for network security administrators, and ultimately it improves performance and security,” Ciminelli states. “You can find a lot of vendors for security products in the market. But I don’t want to just sell products. I am entrusted to recommend quality services, so I rely on an extremely trustworthy partner like AlgoSec.” Results Ciminelli reports that when his customers invest in AlgoSec, “they are very happy because they can proactively manage their firewalls.” More importantly, though, “they are not forced to change a rule, close their eyes, cross their fingers and hope that everything is going to be okay.” Customers can trust AlgoSec’s reports to show how a rule change will affect access and their overall security before a change is made, and that there will be no surprises after the fact. The ability to share information between IT and business managers has also provided some unexpected benefits for Ciminelli. “When it comes to asking for additional budget, for instance, IT can now prove value and that makes life easier for everybody,” he notes. Customer service ranks high in Ciminelli’s priorities—and AlgoSec consistently delivers. “Whenever I have a problem I always get very efficient and proactive technical support from the AlgoSec team. This is one of the primary reasons I continue to advise my customers to purchase AlgoSec,” he says. Ciminelli urges his clients and other companies to think broadly about the real purpose of firewall policy management. “What you want is not just a well configured firewall, you want good long-term security management.” The goal is to have a firewall that provides excellent protection as the company grows, needs change, and applications are deployed, changed or decommissioned. Ciminelli’s final recommendation? “Using AlgoSec products and relying on good professional services to help you, that is really the smart choice.” Schedule time with one of our experts

Get in touch with Algosec for product inquiries, support, and more. Contact us to learn how we can help streamline your network security management. Contact us Global HQ: USA
Ridgefield Park, NJ 65 Challenger Rd, Suite 310 Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660 USA Tel: +1-888-358-3696 Australia 401 Darling Street Level 1 Balmain NSW 2041 Australia France [email protected] +33-685-738885 Germany | Austria
Switzerland [email protected] +49 69 1200 63341 India 2nd floor, AIHP Tower, 249G-Udyog Vihar Phase-4, Gurugram, Haryana, 122015, India Singapore 12 Marina Boulevard #17-01 Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 3, Singapore 018982 +65 6809 5133 R&D center: Israel 94 Shlomo Shmeltzer St., Brosh Building, Park Ofer Petach Tikva 4970602, Israel +972-3-921-7377 USA - Atlanta, GA 6525 The Corners Pkwy NW, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 UK [email protected] No.1 Royal Exchange. London EC3V 3DG, United Kingdom Didn't find what you want? Locate a partner in your area Send us a note Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* Long answer Send message

Case Study Soitron Siber Güvenlik Servisleri Download PDF Schedule time with one of our experts Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Security Policy Management with Professor Wool Micro-Segmentation Implementing a micro-segmentation strategy in the data center blocks lateral movement and helps protect the organization from cyberthreats. Watch this whiteboard video series on micro-segmentation and learn why and how to segment the data center, how to future-proof your policies and about the ongoing maintenance of a micro-segmented data center. Lesson 1 In this video, Prof. Wool introduces micro-segmentation: reasons for segmenting the data center, challenges, required steps when deploying a micro-segmentation strategy, and how to future-proof your policies. Introduction to Micro-segmentation Watch Lesson 2 Watch Prof. Wool as he shares tips on how to prepare for network segmentation by identifying the segment borders. Micro-segmentation – Mapping Existing Applications Watch Lesson 3 Watch this Prof. Wool video to learn how to define logical segments within a micro-segmentation project. Micro-segmentation – Defining Logical Segments Watch Lesson 4 In this video, Prof. Wool demonstrates how to generate a filtering policy during a micro-segmentation project. Micro-segmentation – Generating a Filtering Policy Watch Lesson 5 Watch this Prof. Wool video to learn about the ongoing maintenance of your data center upon completion of a micro-segmentation project. Micro-segmentation Ongoing Maintenance Watch Have a Question for Professor Wool? Ask him now Choose a better way to manage your network Choose a better way to manage your network Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue