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Organizations transitioning to the cloud require robust security concepts to protect their most critical assets, including business... Cloud Security Top Two Cloud Security Concepts You Won’t Want to Overlook Rony Moshkovich 2 min read Rony Moshkovich 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 11/24/22 Published Organizations transitioning to the cloud require robust security concepts to protect their most critical assets, including business applications and sensitive data. Rony Moshkovitch, Prevasio’s co-founder, explains these concepts and why reinforcing a DevSecOps culture would help organizations strike the right balance between security and agility. In the post-COVID era, enterprise cloud adoption has grown rapidly. Per a 2022 security survey , over 98% of organizations use some form of cloud-based infrastructure. But 27% have also experienced a cloud security incident in the previous 12 months. So, what can organizations do to protect their critical business applications and sensitive data in the cloud? Why Consider Paved Road, Guardrails, and Least Privilege Access for Cloud Security It is in the organization’s best interest to allow developers to expedite the lifecycle of an application. At the same time, it’s the security teams’ job to facilitate this process in tandem with the developers to help them deliver a more secure application on time. As organizations migrate their applications and workloads to a multi-cloud platform, it’s incumbent to use a Shift left approach to DevSecOps. This enables security teams to build tools, and develop best practices and guidelines that enable the DevOps teams to effectively own the security process during the application development stage without spending time responding to risk and compliance violations issued by the security teams. This is where Paved Road, Guardrails and Least Privilege could add value to your DevSecOps. Concept 1: The Paved Road + Guardrails Approach Suppose your security team builds numerous tools, establishes best practices, and provides expert guidance. These resources enable your developers to use the cloud safely and protect all enterprise assets and data without spending all their time or energy on these tasks. They can achieve these objectives because the security team has built a “paved road” with strong “guardrails” for the entire organization to follow and adopt. By following and implementing good practices, such as building an asset inventory, creating safe templates, and conducting risk analyses for each cloud and cloud service, the security team enables developers to execute their own tasks quickly and safely. Security staff will implement strong controls that no one can violate or bypass. They will also clearly define a controlled exception process, so every exception is clearly tracked and accountability is always maintained. Over time, your organization may work with more cloud vendors and use more cloud services. In this expanding cloud landscape, the paved road and guardrails will allow users to do their jobs effectively in a security-controlled manner because security is already “baked in” to everything they work with. Moreover, they will be prevented from doing anything that may increase the organization’s risk of breaches, thus keeping you safe from the bad guys. How Paved Road Security and Guardrails Can Be Applied Successfully Example 1: Set Baked-in Security Controls Remember to bake security into reusable Terraform templates or AWS CloudFormation modules of paved roads. You may apply this tactic to provision new infrastructure, create new storage buckets, or adopt new cloud services. When you create a paved road and implement appropriate guardrails, all your golden modules and templates are already secure from the outset – safeguarding your assets and preventing undesirable security events. Example 2: Introducing Security Standardizations When creating resource functions with built-in security standards, developers should adhere to these standards to confidently configure required resources without introducing security issues into the cloud ecosystem. Example 3: Automating Security with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) IaC is a way to manage and provision new infrastructure by coding specifications instead of following manual processes. To create a paved road for IaC, the security team can introduce tagging to provision and track cloud resources. They can also incorporate strong security guardrails into the development environment to secure the new infrastructure right from the outset. Concept 2: The Principle of Least Privileged Access (PoLP) The Principle of Least Privilege Access (PoLP) is often synonymous with Zero Trust. PoLP is about ensuring that a user can only access the resources they need to complete a required task. The idea is to prevent the misuse of critical systems and data and reduce the attack surface to decrease the probability of breaches. How Can PoLP Be Applied Successfully Example 1: Ring-fencing critical assets This is the process of isolating specific “crown jewel” applications so that even if an attacker could make it into your environment, they would be unable to reach that data or application. As few people as possible would be given credentials that allow access, therefore following least privilege access rules. Crown jewel applications could be anything from where sensitive customer data is stored, to business-critical systems and processes. Example 2: Establishing Role Based Access Control (RABC) Based on the role that they hold at the company, RBAC or role-based access control allows specific access to certain data or applications, or parts of the network. This goes hand in hand with the principle of least privilege, and means that if credentials are stolen, the attackers are limited to what access the employee in question holds. As this is based on users, you could isolate privileged user sessions specifically to keep them with an extra layer of protection. Only if an administrator account or one with wide access privilege is stolen, would the business be in real trouble. Example 3: Isolate applications, tiers, users, or data This task is usually done with micro-segmentation, where specific applications, users, data, or any other element of the business is protected from an attack with internal, next-gen firewalls. Risk is reduced in a similar way to the examples above, where the requisite access needed is provided using the principle of least privilege to allow access to only those who need it, and no one else. In some situations, you might need to allow elevated privileges for a short period of time, for example during an emergency. Watch out for privilege creep, where users gain more access over time without any corrective oversight. Conclusion and Next Steps Paved Road, Guardrails and PoLP concepts are all essential for a strong cloud security posture. By adopting these concepts, your organization can move to the next stage of cloud security maturity and create a culture of security-minded responsibility at every level of the enterprise. The Prevasio cloud security platform allows you to apply these concepts across your entire cloud estate while securing your most critical applications. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 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 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

Knowing how to select and position security capabilities in different cloud deployment models is critical to comprehensive security... Cloud Security Understanding Security Considerations in IaaS/PaaS/SaaS Deployments Rony Moshkovich 2 min read Rony Moshkovich 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 11/24/22 Published Knowing how to select and position security capabilities in different cloud deployment models is critical to comprehensive security across your organization. Implementing the right pattern allows you to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of cloud data assets. It can also improve incident response to security threats. Additionally, security teams and cloud security architects no longer have to rely on pre-set security templates or approaches built for on-premises environments. Instead, they must adapt to the specific security demands of the cloud and integrate them with the overall cloud strategy. This can be accomplished by re-evaluating defense mechanisms and combining cloud-native security and vendor tools. Here, we’ll break down the security requirements and best practices for cloud service models like IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. Do you have cloud security architects on board? We’ll also cover their roles and the importance of leveraging native security tools specific to each model. Managing Separation of Responsibilities with the Cloud Service Provider Secure cloud deployments start with understanding responsibilities. Where do you stand, and what is expected of you? There are certain security responsibilities the cloud security provider takes care of and those that the customer handles. This division of responsibilities means adjusting focus and using different measures to ensure security is necessary. Therefore, organizations must consider implementing compensating controls and alternative security measures to make up for any limitations in the cloud service provider’s security offerings. Security Considerations for SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) Deployments The specific security requirements in SaaS deployments may vary between services. However, it’s important to consider the following areas: Data protection During cloud deployments, protecting data assets is a tough nut to crack for many organizations. As a SaaS provider, ensuring data protection is crucial because you handle and store sensitive customer data. Encryption must be implemented for data in transit and at rest. Protecting data at rest is the cloud provider’s responsibility, whereas you are responsible for data in transit. The cloud provider implements security measures like encryption, access controls, and physical security to protect the data stored in their infrastructure. On the other hand, it’s your responsibility to implement secure communication protocols like encryption, ensuring data remains protected when it moves between your SaaS application. Additionally, best practice solutions may offer you the option of managing your encryption keys so that cloud operations staff cannot decrypt customer data. Interfacing with the Cloud Service There are a number of security considerations to keep in mind when interacting with a SaaS deployment. These include validating data inputs, implementing secure APIs, and securing communication channels. It’s crucial to use secure protocols like HTTPS and to ensure that the necessary authentication and authorization mechanisms are in place. You may also want to review and monitor access logs frequently to spot and address any suspicious activity. Application Security in SaaS During SaaS deployments, it’s essential to ensure application security. For instance, secure coding practices, continuous vulnerability assessments, and comprehensive application testing all contribute to effective SaaS application security. Cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection are some of the common web application cyber-attacks today. You can improve the application’s security posture by implementing the right input validation, regular security patches from the SaaS provider, and web application firewalls (WAFs). Cloud Identity and Access Controls Here, you must define how cloud services will integrate and federate with existing enterprise identity and access management (IAM) systems. This ensures a consistent and secure access control framework. Implementing strong authentication mechanisms like multifactor authentication (MFA) and enforcing proper access controls based on roles and responsibilities are necessary security requirements. You should also consider using Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) tools to provide adaptive and risk-based access controls. Regulatory Compliance Using a cloud service doesn’t exempt one from regulatory compliance, and cloud architects must design the SaaS architecture to align with these requirements. But why are these stringent requirements there in the first place? The purpose of these regulations is to protect consumer privacy by enforcing confidentiality, integrity, availability, and accountability. So, achieving compliance means you meet these regulations. It demonstrates that your applications and tech stack maintain secure privacy levels. Failure to comply could cost money in the form of fines, legal action, and a damaged reputation. You don’t want that. Security Considerations for PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) Deployments PaaS security considerations during deployments will address all the SaaS areas. But as a PaaS customer, there are slight differences you should know. For example, more options exist to configure how data is protected and who can do what with it. As such, the responsibility of user permissions may be given to you. On the other hand, some PaaS providers may have built-in tools and mechanisms for managing user permissions. So, what are the other key areas you want to address to ensure a secure environment for PaaS deployments? We’ll start with the application security. Application Security The customer is responsible for securing the applications they build and deploy on the PaaS platform. Securing application platforms is necessary, and cloud architects must ensure this from the design and development stage. So, what do you do to ensure application security? It all starts from the onset. From secure coding practices, addressing application vulnerabilities, and conducting regular security testing. You’ll often find that most security vulnerabilities are introduced from the early stages of software development. If you can identify and fix potential flaws using penetration testing and threat modeling practices, you’re on your way to successful deployment. Data Security PaaS cloud security deployments offer more flexibility and allow customers control over their data and user entitlements. What this means is you can build and deploy your own applications on the platform. You can configure security measures and controls within your applications by defining who has access to applications, what they can do, and how data is protected. Here, cloud security architects and security teams can ensure data classification and access controls, determining appropriate encryption keys management practices, secure data integration and APIs, and data governance. Ultimately, configuring data protection mechanisms and user permissions provides customers with greater customization and control. Platform Security The platform itself, including the operating system, underlying infrastructure, data centers, and middleware, need to be protected. This is the responsibility of the PaaS provider. They must ensure that the components that keep the platform up are functional at all times. Network Security In PaaS environments, identity and roles are primarily used for network security to determine access to resources and data in the PaaS platform. As such, the most important factor to consider in this case is verifying the user identity and managing access based on their roles and permissions. Rather than relying on traditional network security measures like perimeter controls, IDS/IPS, and traffic monitoring, there is a shift to user-centric access controls. Security Considerations for IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service) Cloud Deployments When it comes to application and software security, IaaS security during cloud deployment is similar. If you’re an IaaS customer, there are slight differences in how IaaS cloud deployment is handled. For example, while the cloud provider handles the hypervisor or virtualized layer, everything else is the customers’ responsibility. So, you must secure the cloud deployment by implementing appropriate security measures to safeguard their applications and data. Due to different deployment patterns, some security tools that work well for SaaS may not be suitable for IaaS. For example, we discussed how CASB could be excellent for cloud identity, data, and access controls in SaaS applications. However, this may not be effective in IaaS environments. Your cloud architects and security teams must understand these differences when deploying IaaS. They should consider alternative or additional security measures in certain areas to ensure more robust security during cloud deployments. These areas are: Access Management IaaS deployment requires you to consider several identity and access management (IAM) dimensions. For example, cloud architects must consider access to the operating system, including applications and middleware installed on them. Additionally, they must also consider privileged access, such as root or administrative access at the OS level. Keep in mind that IaaS has additional access layers. These consist of access to the IaaS console and other cloud provider features that may offer insights about or impact the operation of cloud resources. For example, key management and auditing and resource configuration and hardening. It’s important to clarify who has access to these areas and what they can do. Regular Patching There are more responsibilities for you. The IaaS customer is responsible for keeping workloads updated and maintained. This typically includes the OS itself and any additional software installed on the virtual machines. Therefore, cloud architects must apply the same vigilance to cloud workloads as they would to on-premises servers regarding patching and maintenance. This ensures proactive, consistent, and timely updates that ensure the security and stability of cloud workloads. Network Security IaaS customers must configure and manage security mechanisms within their virtual networks. This includes setting firewalls, using intrusion detection and intrusion prevention systems (IDS/IPS), establishing secure connections (VPN), and network monitoring. On the other hand, the cloud provider ensures network security for the underlying network infrastructure, like routers and switches. They also ensure physical security by protecting network infrastructure from unauthorized access. Data Protection While IaaS providers ensure the physical security of data centers, IaaS customers must secure their own data in the IaaS environment. They need to protect data stored in databases, virtual machines (VMs), and any other storage system provisioned by the IaaS provider. Some IaaS providers, especially large ones, offer encryption capabilities for the VMs created on their platform. This feature is typically free or low-priced. It’s up to you to decide whether managing your own encryption keys is more effective or to choose the provider’s offerings. If you decide to go for this feature, it’s important to clarify how encrypting data at rest may affect other services from the IaaS provider, such as backup and recovery. Leveraging Native Cloud Security Tools Just like the encryption feature, some cloud service providers offer a range of native tools to help customers enforce effective security. These tools are available for IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS cloud services. While customers may decide not to use them, the low financial and operational impact of native cloud security tools on businesses makes them a smart decision. It allows you to address several security requirements quickly and easily due to seamless control integration. However, it’s still important to decide which controls are useful and where they are needed. Conclusion Cloud security architecture is always evolving. And this continuous change makes cloud environments more complex and dynamic. From misconfigurations to data loss, many challenges can make secure cloud deployments for IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS services more challenging. Prevasio, an AlgoSec company, is your trusted cloud security partner that helps your organization streamline cloud deployments. Our cloud-native application provides increased risk visibility and control over security and compliance requirements. Contact us now to learn more about how you can expedite your cloud security operations. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 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 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

Insecure Service Protocols and Ports Okay, we all have them… they’re everyone’s dirty little network security secrets that we try not to... Risk Management and Vulnerabilities Removing insecure protocols In networks Matthew Pascucci 2 min read Matthew Pascucci 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 7/15/14 Published Insecure Service Protocols and Ports Okay, we all have them… they’re everyone’s dirty little network security secrets that we try not to talk about. They’re the protocols that we don’t mention in a security audit or to other people in the industry for fear that we’ll be publicly embarrassed. Yes, I’m talking about cleartext protocols which are running rampant across many networks. They’re in place because they work, and they work well, so no one has had a reason to upgrade them. Why upgrade something if it’s working right? Wrong. These protocols need to go the way of records, 8-tracks and cassettes (many of these protocols were fittingly developed during the same era). You’re putting your business and data at serious risk by running these insecure protocols. There are many insecure protocols that are exposing your data in cleartext, but let’s focus on the three most widely used ones: FTP, Telnet and SNMP. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) This is by far the most popular of the insecure protocols in use today. It’s the king of all cleartext protocols and one that needs to be smitten from your network before it’s too late. The problem with FTP is that all authentication is done in cleartext which leaves little room for the security of your data. To put things into perspective, FTP was first released in 1971, almost 45 years ago. In 1971 the price of gas was 40 cents a gallon, Disneyland had just opened and a company called FedEx was established. People, this was a long time ago. You need to migrate from FTP and start using an updated and more secure method for file transfers, such as HTTPS, SFTP or FTPS. These three protocols use encryption on the wire and during authentication to secure the transfer of files and login. Telnet If FTP is the king of all insecure file transfer protocols then telnet is supreme ruler of all cleartext network terminal protocols. Just like FTP, telnet was one of the first protocols that allowed you to remotely administer equipment. It became the defacto standard until it was discovered that it passes authentication using cleartext. At this point you need to hunt down all equipment that is still running telnet and replace it with SSH, which uses encryption to protect authentication and data transfer. This shouldn’t be a huge change unless your gear cannot support SSH. Many appliances or networking gear running telnet will either need the service enabled or the OS upgraded. If both of these options are not appropriate, you need to get new equipment, case closed. I know money is an issue at times, but if you’re running a 45 year old protocol on your network with the inability to update it, you need to rethink your priorities. The last thing you want is an attacker gaining control of your network via telnet. Its game over at this point. SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) This is one of those sneaky protocols that you don’t think is going to rear its ugly head and bite you, but it can! escortdate escorts . There are multiple versions of SNMP, and you need to be particularly careful with versions 1 and 2. For those not familiar with SNMP, it’s a protocol that enables the management and monitoring of remote systems. Once again, the strings can be sent via cleartext, and if you have access to these credentials you can connect to the system and start gaining a foothold on the network, including managing, applying new configurations or gaining in-depth monitoring details of the network. In short, it a great help for attackers if they can get hold of these credentials. Luckily version 3.0 of SNMP has enhanced security that protects you from these types of attacks. So you must review your network and make sure that SNMP v1 and v2 are not being used. These are just three of the more popular but insecure protocols that are still in heavy use across many networks today. By performing an audit of your firewalls and systems to identify these protocols, preferably using an automated tool such as AlgoSec Firewall Analyzer , you should be able to pretty quickly create a list of these protocols in use across your network. It’s also important to proactively analyze every change to your firewall policy (again preferably with an automated tool for security change management ) to make sure no one introduces insecure protocol access without proper visibility and approval. Finally, don’t feel bad telling a vendor or client that you won’t send data using these protocols. If they’re making you use them, there’s a good chance that there are other security issues going on in their network that you should be concerned about. It’s time to get rid of these protocols. They’ve had their usefulness, but the time has come for them to be sunset for good. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 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 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

For your organization to implement robust security policies, it must have clear information on the security risks it is exposed to. An... Uncategorized How to Perform a Network Security Risk Assessment in 6 Steps Tsippi Dach 2 min read Tsippi Dach 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 1/18/24 Published For your organization to implement robust security policies, it must have clear information on the security risks it is exposed to. An effective IT security plan must take the organization’s unique set of systems and technologies into account. This helps security professionals decide where to deploy limited resources for improving security processes. Cybersecurity risk assessments provide clear, actionable data about the quality and success of the organization’s current security measures. They offer insight into the potential impact of security threats across the entire organization, giving security leaders the information they need to manage risk more effectively. Conducting a comprehensive cyber risk assessment can help you improve your organization’s security posture, address security-related production bottlenecks in business operations, and make sure security team budgets are wisely spent. This kind of assessment is also a vital step in the compliance process . Organizations must undergo information security risk assessments in order to meet regulatory requirements set by different authorities and frameworks, including: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) What is a Security Risk Assessment? Your organization’s security risk assessment is a formal document that identifies, evaluates, and prioritizes cyber threats according to their potential impact on business operations. Categorizing threats this way allows cybersecurity leaders to manage the risk level associated with them in a proactive, strategic way. The assessment provides valuable data about vulnerabilities in business systems and the likelihood of cyber attacks against those systems. It also provides context into mitigation strategies for identified risks, which helps security leaders make informed decisions during the risk management process. For example, a security risk assessment may find that the organization needs to be more reliant on its firewalls and access control solutions . If a threat actor uses phishing or social engineering to bypass these defenses (or take control of them entirely), the entire organization could suffer a catastrophic data breach. In this case, the assessment may recommend investing in penetration testing and advanced incident response capabilities. Organizations that neglect to invest in network security risk assessments won’t know their weaknesses until after they are actively exploited. By the time hackers launch a ransomware attack, it’s too late to consider whether your antivirus systems are properly configured against malware. Who Should Perform Your Organization’s Cyber Risk Assessment? A dedicated internal team should take ownership over the risk assessment process . The process will require technical personnel with a deep understanding of the organization’s IT infrastructure. Executive stakeholders should also be involved because they understand how information flows in the context of the organization’s business logic, and can provide broad insight into its risk management strategy . Small businesses may not have the resources necessary to conduct a comprehensive risk analysis internally. While a variety of assessment tools and solutions are available on the market, partnering with a reputable managed security service provider is the best way to ensure an accurate outcome. Adhering to a consistent methodology is vital, and experienced vulnerability assessment professionals ensure the best results. How to Conduct a Network Security Risk Assessment 1. Develop a comprehensive asset map The first step is accurately mapping out your organization’s network assets. If you don’t have a clear idea of exactly what systems, tools, and applications the organization uses, you won’t be able to manage the risks associated with them. Keep in mind that human user accounts should be counted as assets as well. The Verizon 2023 Data Breach Investigation Report shows that the human element is involved in more than a quarter of all data breaches. The better you understand your organization’s human users and their privilege profiles, the more effectively you can protect them from potential threats and secure critical assets effectively. Ideally, all of your organization’s users should be assigned and managed through a centralized system. For Windows-based networks, Active Directory is usually the solution that comes to mind. Your organization may have a different system in place if it uses a different operating system. Also, don’t forget about information assets like trade secrets and intellectual property. Cybercriminals may target these assets in order to extort the organization. Your asset map should show you exactly where these critical assets are stored, and provide context into which users have permission to access them. Log and track every single asset in a central database that you can quickly access and easily update. Assign security value to each asset as you go and categorize them by access level . Here’s an example of how you might want to structure that categorization: Public data. This is data you’ve intentionally made available to the public. It includes web page content, marketing brochures, and any other information of no consequence in a data breach scenario. Confidential data. This data is not publicly available. If the organization shares it with third parties, it is only under a non-disclosure agreement. Sensitive technical or financial information may end up in this category. Internal use only. This term refers to data that is not allowed outside the company, even under non-disclosure terms. It might include employee pay structures, long-term strategy documents, or product research data. Intellectual property. Any trade secrets, issued patents, or copyrighted assets are intellectual property. The value of the organization depends in some way on this information remaining confidential. Compliance restricted data. This category includes any data that is protected by regulatory or legal obligations. For a HIPAA-compliant organization, that would include patient data, medical histories, and protected personal information. This database will be one of the most important security assessment tools you use throughout the next seven steps. 2. Identify security threats and vulnerabilities Once you have a comprehensive asset inventory, you can begin identifying risks and vulnerabilities for each asset. There are many different types of tests and risk assessment tools you can use for this step. Automating the process whenever possible is highly recommended, since it may otherwise become a lengthy and time-consuming manual task. Vulnerability scanning tools can automatically assess your network and applications for vulnerabilities associated with known threats. The scan’s results will tell you exactly what kinds of threats your information systems are susceptible to, and provide some information about how you can remediate them. Be aware that these scans can only determine your vulnerability to known threats. They won’t detect insider threats , zero-day vulnerabilities and some scanners may overlook security tool misconfigurations that attackers can take advantage of. You may also wish to conduct a security gap analysis. This will provide you with comprehensive information about how your current security program compares to an established standard like CMMC or PCI DSS. This won’t help protect against zero-day threats, but it can uncover information security management problems and misconfigurations that would otherwise go unnoticed. To take this step to the next level, you can conduct penetration testing against the systems and assets your organization uses. This will validate vulnerability scan and gap analysis data while potentially uncovering unknown vulnerabilities in the process. Pentesting replicates real attacks on your systems, providing deep insight into just how feasible those attacks may be from a threat actor’s perspective. When assessing the different risks your organization faces, try to answer the following questions: What is the most likely business outcome associated with this risk? Will the impact of this risk include permanent damage, like destroyed data? Would your organization be subject to fines for compliance violations associated with this risk? Could your organization face additional legal liabilities if someone exploited this risk? 3. Prioritize risks according to severity and likelihood Once you’ve conducted vulnerability scans and assessed the different risks that could impact your organization, you will be left with a long list of potential threats. This list will include more risks and hazards than you could possibly address all at once. The next step is to go through the list and prioritize each risk according to its potential impact and how likely it is to happen. If you implemented penetration testing in the previous step, you should have precise data on how likely certain attacks are to take place. Your team will tell you how many steps they took to compromise confidential data, which authentication systems they had to bypass, and what other security functionalities they disabled. Every additional step reduces the likelihood of a cybercriminal carrying out the attack successfully. If you do not implement penetration testing, you will have to conduct an audit to assess the likelihood of attackers exploiting your organization’s vulnerabilities. Industry-wide threat intelligence data can give you an idea of how frequent certain types of attacks are. During this step, you’ll have to balance the likelihood of exploitation with the severity of the potential impact for each risk. This will require research into the remediation costs associated with many cyberattacks. Remediation costs should include business impact – such as downtime, legal liabilities, and reputational damage – as well as the cost of paying employees to carry out remediation tasks. Assigning internal IT employees to remediation tasks implies the opportunity cost of diverting them from their usual responsibilities. The more completely you assess these costs, the more accurate your assessment will be. 4. Develop security controls in response to risks Now that you have a comprehensive overview of the risks your organization is exposed to, you can begin developing security controls to address them. These controls should provide visibility and functionality to your security processes, allowing you to prevent attackers from exploiting your information systems and detect them when they make an attempt. There are three main types of security control available to the typical organization: Physical controls prevent unauthorized access to sensitive locations and hardware assets. Security cameras, door locks, and live guards all contribute to physical security. These controls prevent external attacks from taking place on premises. Administrative controls are policies, practices, and workflows that secure business assets and provide visibility into workplace processes. These are vital for protecting against credential-based attacks and malicious insiders. Technical controls include purpose-built security tools like hardware firewalls, encrypted data storage solutions, and antivirus software. Depending on their configuration, these controls can address almost any type of threat. These categories have further sub-categories that describe how the control interacts with the threat it is protecting against. Most controls protect against more than one type of risk, and many controls will protect against different risks in different ways. Here are some of the functions of different controls that you should keep in mind: Detection-based controls trigger alerts when they discover unauthorized activity happening on the network. Intrusion detection systems (IDS) and security information and event management (SIEM) platforms are examples of detection-based solutions. When you configure one of these systems to detect a known risk, you are implementing a detection-based technical control. Prevention-based controls block unauthorized activity from taking place altogether. Authentication protocols and firewall rules are common examples of prevention-based security controls. When you update your organization’s password policy, you are implementing a prevention-based administrative control. Correction and compensation-based controls focus on remediating the effects of cyberattacks once they occur. Disaster recovery systems and business continuity solutions are examples. When you copy a backup database to an on-premises server, you are establishing physical compensation-based controls that will help you recover from potential threats. 5. Document the results and create a remediation plan Once you’ve assessed your organization’s exposure to different risks and developed security controls to address those risks, you are ready to condense them into a cohesive remediation plan . You will use the data you’ve gathered so far to justify the recommendations you make, so it’s a good idea to present that data visually. Consider creating a risk matrix to show how individual risks compare to one another based on their severity and likelihood. High-impact risks that have a high likelihood of occurring should draw more time and attention than risks that are either low-impact, unlikely, or both. Your remediation plan will document the steps that security teams will need to take when responding to each incident you describe. If multiple options exist for a particular vulnerability, you may add a cost/benefit analysis of multiple approaches. This should provide you with an accurate way to quantify the cost of certain cyberattacks and provide a comparative cost for implementing controls against that type of attack. Comparing the cost of remediation with the cost of implementing controls should show some obvious options for cybersecurity investment. It’s easy to make the case for securing against high-severity, high-likelihood attacks with high remediation costs and low control costs. Implementing security patches is an example of this kind of security control that costs very little but provides a great deal of value in this context. Depending on your organization’s security risk profile, you may uncover other opportunities to improve security quickly. You will probably also find opportunities that are more difficult or expensive to carry out. You will have to pitch these opportunities to stakeholders and make the case for their approval. 6. Implement recommendations and evaluate the effectiveness of your assessment Once you have approval to implement your recommendations, it’s time for action. Your security team can now assign each item in the remediation plan to the team member responsible and oversee their completion. Be sure to allow a realistic time frame for each step in the process to be completed – especially if your team is not actively executing every task on its own. You should also include steps for monitoring the effectiveness of their efforts and documenting the changes they make to your security posture. This will provide you with key performance metrics that you can compare with future network security assessments moving forward, and help you demonstrate the value of your remediation efforts overall. Once you have implemented the recommendations, you can monitor and optimize the performance of your information systems to ensure your security posture adapts to new threats as they emerge. Risk assessments are not static processes, and you should be prepared to conduct internal audits and simulate the impact of configuration changes on your current deployment. You may wish to repeat your risk evaluation and gap analysis step to find out how much your organization’s security posture has changed. You can use automated tools like AlgoSec to conduct configuration simulations and optimize the way your network responds to new and emerging threats. Investing time and energy into these tasks now will lessen the burden of your next network security risk assessment and make it easier for you to gain approval for the recommendations you make in the future. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 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 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

In today’s digital world, is your data 100% secure? As more people and businesses use cloud services to handle their data,... Cloud Security Your Complete Guide to Cloud Security Architecture Rony Moshkovich 2 min read Rony Moshkovich 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 7/4/23 Published In today’s digital world, is your data 100% secure? As more people and businesses use cloud services to handle their data, vulnerabilities multiply. Around six out of ten companies have moved to the cloud, according to Statista . So keeping data safe is now a crucial concern for most large companies – in 2022, the average data leak cost companies $4.35 million . This is where cloud security architecture comes in. Done well, it protects cloud-based data from hackers, leaks, and other online threats. To give you a thorough understanding of cloud security architecture, we’ll look at; What cloud security architecture is The top risks for your cloud How to build your cloud security How to choose a CPSM (Cloud Security Posture Management) tool Let’s jump in What is cloud security architecture? Let’s start with a definition: “Cloud security architecture is the umbrella term used to describe all hardware, software and infrastructure that protects the cloud environment and its components, such as data, workloads, containers, virtual machines and APIs.” ( source ) Cloud security architecture is a framework to protect data stored or used in the cloud. It includes ways to keep data safe, such as controlling access, encrypting sensitive information, and ensuring the network is secure. The framework has to be comprehensive because the cloud can be vulnerable to different types of attacks. Three key principles behind cloud security Although cloud security sounds complex, it can be broken down into three key ideas. These are known as the ‘CIA triad’, and they are; Confidentiality Integrity Availability ‘The CIA Triad’ Image source Confidentiality Confidentiality is concerned with data protection. If only the correct people can access important information, breaches will be reduced. There are many ways to do this, like encryption, access control, and user authentication. Integrity Integrity means making sure data stays accurate throughout its lifecycle. Organizations can use checksums and digital signatures to ensure that data doesn’t get changed or deleted. These protect against data corruption and make sure that information stays reliable. Availability Availability is about ensuring data and resources are available when people need them. To do this, you need a robust infrastructure and ways to switch to backup systems when required. Availability also means designing systems that can handle ‘dos attacks’ and will interrupt service. However, these three principles are just the start of a strong cloud infrastructure. The next step is for the cloud provider and customer to understand their security responsibilities. A model developed to do this is called the ‘Shared Responsibility Model.’ Understanding the Shared Responsibility Model Big companies like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform offer public cloud services. These companies have a culture of being security-minded , but security isn’t their responsibility alone. Companies that use these services also share responsibility for handling data. The division of responsibility depends on the service model a customer chooses. This division led Amazon AWS to create a ‘shared responsibility model’ that outlines these. Image Source There are three main kinds of cloud service models and associated duties: 1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), 2. Platform as a Service (PaaS) 3. Software as a Service (SaaS). Each type gives different levels of control and flexibility. 1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) With IaaS, the provider gives users virtual servers, storage, and networking resources. Users control operating systems, but the provider manages the basic infrastructure. Customers must have good security measures, like access controls and data encryption. They also need to handle software updates and security patches. 2. Platform as a Service (PaaS) PaaS lets users create and run apps without worrying about having hardware on-premises. The provider handles infrastructure like servers, storage, and networking. Customers still need to control access and keep data safe. 3. Software as a Service (SaaS) SaaS lets users access apps without having to manage any software themselves. The provider handles everything, like updates, security, and basic infrastructure. Users can access the software through their browser and start using it immediately. But customers still need to manage their data and ensure secure access. Top six cybersecurity risks As more companies move their data and apps to the cloud, there are more chances for security to occur. Although cybersecurity risks change over time , some common cloud security risks are: 1. Human error 99% of all cloud security incidents from now until 2025 are expected to result from human error. Errors can be minor, like using weak passwords or accidentally sharing sensitive information. They can also be bigger, like setting up security incorrectly. To lower the risk of human error, organizations can take several actions. For example, educating employees, using automation, and having good change management procedures. 2. Denial-of-service attacks DoS attacks stop a service from working by sending too many requests. This can make essential apps, data, and resources unavailable in the cloud. DDoS attacks are more advanced than DoS attacks, and can be very destructive. To protect against these attacks, organizations should use cloud-based DDoS protection. They can also install firewalls and intrusion prevention systems to secure cloud resources. 3. Hardware strength The strength of the physical hardware used for cloud services is critical. Companies should look carefully at their cloud service providers (CSPs) hardware offering. Users can also use special devices called hardware security modules (HSMs). These are used to protect encryption codes and ensure data security. 4. Insider attacks Insider attacks could be led by current or former employees, or key service providers. These are incredibly expensive, costing companies $15.38 million on average in 2021 . To stop these attacks, organizations should have strict access control policies. These could include checking access regularly and watching for strange user behavior. They should also only give users access to what they need for their job. 5. Shadow IT Shadow IT is when people use unauthorized apps, devices, or services. Easy-to-use cloud services are an obvious cause of shadow IT. This can lead to data breaches , compliance issues, and security problems. Organizations should have clear rules about using cloud services. All policies should be run through a centralized IT control to handle this. 6. Cloud edge When we process data closer to us, rather than in a data center, we refer to the data as being in the cloud edge. The issue? The cloud edge can be attacked more easily. There are simply more places to attack, and sensitive data might be stored in less secure spots. Companies should ensure security policies cover edge devices and networks. They should encrypt all data, and use the latest application security patches. Six steps to secure your cloud Now we know the biggest security risks, we can look at how to secure our cloud architecture against them. An important aspect of cloud security practices is managing access your cloud resources. Deciding who can access and what they can do can make a crucial difference to security. Identity and Access Management (IAM) security models can help with this. Companies can do this by controlling user access based on roles and responsibilities. Security requirements of IAM include: 1. Authentication Authentication is simply checking user identity when they access your data. At a superficial level, this means asking for a username and password. More advanced methods include multi-factor authentication for apps or user segmentation. Multi-factor authentication requires users to provide two or more types of proof. 2. Authorization Authorization means allowing access to resources based on user roles and permissions. This ensures that users can only use the data and services they need for their job. Limiting access reduces the risk of unauthorized users. Role-based access control (RBAC) is one way to do this in a cloud environment. This is where users are granted access based on their job roles. 3. Auditing Auditing involves monitoring and recording user activities in a cloud environment. This helps find possible security problems and keeps an access log. Organizations can identify unusual patterns or suspicious behavior by regularly reviewing access logs. 4. Encryption at rest and in transit Data at rest is data when it’s not being used, and data in transit is data being sent between devices or users. Encryption is a way to protect data from unauthorized access. This is done by converting it into a code that can only be read by someone with the right key to unlock it. When data is stored in the cloud, it’s important to encrypt it to protect it from prying eyes. Many cloud service providers have built-in encryption features for data at rest. For data in transit, encryption methods like SSL/TLS help prevent interception. This ensures that sensitive information remains secure as it moves across networks. 5. Network security and firewalls Good network security controls are essential for keeping a cloud environment safe. One of the key network security measures is using firewalls to control traffic. Firewalls are gatekeepers, blocking certain types of connections based on rules. Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) are another important network security tool. IDPS tools watch network traffic for signs of bad activity, like hacking or malware. They then can automatically block or alert administrators about potential threats. This helps organizations respond quickly to security incidents and minimize damage. 6. Versioning and logging Versioning is tracking different versions of cloud resources, like apps and data. This allows companies to roll back to a previous version in case of a security incident or data breach. By maintaining a version history, organizations can identify and address security vulnerabilities. How a CSPM can help protect your cloud security A Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) tool helpful to safeguard cloud security. These security tools monitor your cloud environment to find and fix potential problems. Selecting the right one is essential for maintaining the security of your cloud. A CSPM tool like Prevasio management service can help you and your cloud environment. It can provide alerts, notifying you of any concerns with security policies. This allows you to address problems quickly and efficiently. Here are some of the features that Prevasio offers: Agentless CSPM solution Secure multi-cloud environments within 3 minutes Coverage across multi-cloud, multi-accounts, cloud-native services, and cloud applications Prioritized risk list based on CIS benchmarks Uncover hidden backdoors in container environments Identify misconfigurations and security threats Dynamic behavior analysis for container security issues Static analysis for container vulnerabilities and malware All these allow you to fix information security issues quickly to avoid data loss. Investing in a reliable CSPM tool is a wise decision for any company that relies on cloud technology. Final Words As the cloud computing security landscape evolves, so must cloud security architects. All companies need to be proactive in addressing their data vulnerabilities. Advanced security tools such as Prevasio make protecting cloud environments easier. Having firm security policies avoids unnecessary financial and reputational risk. This combination of strict rules and effective tools is the best way to stay secure. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 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 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

Cloud security is one of the big buzzwords in the security space along with big data and others. So we’ll try to tackle where cloud... Information Security Cloud Security: Current Status, Trends and Tips Kyle Wickert 2 min read Kyle Wickert 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 6/25/13 Published Cloud security is one of the big buzzwords in the security space along with big data and others. So we’ll try to tackle where cloud security is today, where its heading as well as outline challenges and offer tips for CIOs and CSOs looking to experiment with putting more systems and data in the cloud. The cloud is viewed by many as a solution to reducing IT costs and ultimately has led many organizations to accept data risks they would not consider acceptable in their own environments. In our State of Network Security 2013 Survey , we asked security professionals how many security controls were in the cloud and 60 percent of respondents reported having less than a quarter of their security controls in the cloud – and in North America the larger the organization, the less security controls in the cloud. Certainly some security controls just aren’t meant for the cloud, but I think this highlights the uncertainty around the cloud, especially for larger organizations. Current State of Cloud Security Cloud security has clearly emerged with both a technological and business case, but from a security perspective, it’s still a bit in a state of flux. A key challenges that many information security professionals are struggling with is how to classify the cloud and define the appropriate type of controls to secure data entering the cloud. While oftentimes the cloud is classified as a trusted network, the cloud is inherently untrusted since it is not simply an extension of the organization, but it’s an entirely separate environment that is out of the organization’s control. Today “the cloud” can mean a lot of things: a cloud could be a state-of-the-art data center or a server rack in a farm house holding your organization’s data. One of the biggest reasons that organizations entertain the idea of putting more systems, data and controls in the cloud is because of the certain cost savings. One tip would be to run a true cost-benefit-risk analysis that factors in the value of the data being sent into the cloud. There is value to be gained from sending non-sensitive data into the cloud, but when it comes to more sensitive information, the security costs will increase to the point where the analysis may suggest keeping in-house. Cloud Security Trends Here are several trends to look for when it comes to cloud security: Data security is moving to the forefront, as security teams refocus their efforts in securing the data itself instead of simply the servers it resides on. A greater focus is being put on efforts such as securing data-at-rest, thus mitigating the need to some degree the reliance on system administrators to maintain OS level controls, often outside the scope of management for information security teams. With more data breaches occurring each day, I think we will see a trend in collecting less data where is it simply not required. Systems that are processing or storing sensitive data, by their very nature, incur a high cost to IT departments, so we’ll see more effort being placed on business analysis and system architecture to avoid collecting data that may not be required for the business task. Gartner Research recently noted that by 2019, 90 percent of organizations will have personal data on IT systems they don’t own or control! Today, content and cloud providers typically use legal means to mitigate the impact of any potential breaches or loss of data. I think as cloud services mature, we’ll see more of a shift to a model where it’s not just these vendors offering software as a service, but also includes security controls in conjunction with their services. More pressure from security teams will be put on content providers to provide such things as dedicated database tiers, to isolate their organization’s data within the cloud itself. Cloud Security Tips Make sure you classify data before even considering sending it for processing or storage in the cloud. If data is deemed too sensitive, the risks of sending this data into the cloud must be weighed closely against the costs of appropriately securing it in the cloud. Once information is sent into the cloud, there is no going back! So make sure you’ve run a comprehensive analysis of what you’re putting in the cloud and vet your vendors carefully as cloud service providers use varying architectures, processes, and procedures that may place your data in many precarious places. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 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 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

Recommendations from Rajpreet Kaur, Senior Principal Analyst at Gartner, in her recent blog on remote working, and a perspective on how... Security Policy Management Deploying NSPM to Implement a Gartner Analyst’s Work from Home Network Security Advice Jeffrey Starr 2 min read Jeffrey Starr 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 4/27/20 Published Recommendations from Rajpreet Kaur, Senior Principal Analyst at Gartner, in her recent blog on remote working, and a perspective on how Network Security Policy Management systems can help enterprises act upon this guidance The COVID-19 pandemic has been the catalyst for a global migration to remote home working. Managing and mitigating the network security risks this presents, on such an unprecedented scale and for a long period of time, poses a significant challenge even for companies that had remote access working plans in place before the pandemic. Not only are cybercriminals taking advantage of network insecurities to leverage attacks, they are also exploiting human anxiety around the crisis to break through security barriers. In fact, a recent survey found that 40 percent of companies reported seeing increased cyberattacks as they enable remote working. So how should organizations manage their security during these massive changes in network usage? In a recent blog , Rajpreet Kaur , Gartner Senior Principal Analyst, and a specialized expert on both hybrid environment network security and NSPM tools, offered recommendations to organizations on how to handle remote infrastructure security challenges, many of which closely align with a focus on network policy automation and application security. Here’s how network security policy management systems can support and enable Rajpreet Kaur’s key recommendations. 1. Don’t panic and start moving things to the cloud without a proper architectural design in place. Panicking and starting a large-scale move to the cloud without a proper plan in place can lead to poor security controls and ill-prepared migration. Before moving to the cloud, organizations must consider their network’s architectural design, which should always start with analysis. The analytical and discovery capabilities of NSPM systems automate this process by discovering and mapping network connectivity and providing a network map, which helps you to understand your network components, making migrations easier, faster and glitch-free. 2. Design a proper network security architecture and plan considering limited disruption and supporting work from home. Implementing these immediate and urgent network changes can only be done effectively and securely with robust change management processes. As with network analysis, NSPM automation capabilities are also vital in rapid change management. Security automation dramatically accelerates change processes, with request generation to implementation time drastically shortened and enables better enforcement and auditing for regulatory compliance. It also helps organizations overcome skill gaps and staffing limitations, which may have already been impacted by the current crisis. NSPM solutions enable full end-to-end change analysis and automation, including what if security checks, automation design, push of changes, and full documentation and audit trail. This ensures that changes can be implemented rapidly, and applied consistently and efficiently, with a full audit trail of every change. 3. Plan for what you need now, don’t try to implement a long-term strategic solution to fix your immediate needs. The current widespread move to home working is adding an extra layer of complexity to remote network security, since organizations are finding themselves having to implement new security policies and roll out adoption in a very short timeframe. Considering this, it’s important for organizations to focus on short-term needs, rather than attempting to develop a long-term strategic solution. Trying to develop a long-term solution in such a short window can be overwhelming and increase the risk of opening security vulnerabilities. Using NSPM speeds up the configuration and implementation process, allowing you to get your remote network security firewall policies up and running as soon as possible, with minimum disruption to your remote workforce. Once you have dealt with the critical immediate needs, you can then focus on developing a more long-term strategy. 4. Try to support your existing work from home employees by doing minimal changes to the existing architecture, like meeting throughput requirements and upgrading the equipment or restricting the access to a group of employees at times. Managing application connectivity and accessibility is key to ensuring minimal work disruption as employees move to remote working. An effective NSPM solution allows you to discover, identify and map business applications to ensure that they are safe and have the necessary connectivity flows. Having such a view of all the applications that are accessing the network allows security teams to map the workflow and provides visibility of the application’s required connectivity in order to minimise outages. 5. For any new network changes and upgrades, or new deployments, consider developing a work from home first strategy. Developing a work from home (WFH) strategy has never been more essential. The challenge is that WFH is a more vulnerable environment; employees are accessing sensitive data from a range of home devices, via outside networks, that may not have the same security controls. On top of this, cyber threats have already seen a sharp increase as cybercriminals exploit the widespread anxiety and vulnerabilities caused by the global crisis. IT security and networking staff are therefore having to do more, with the same staffing levels, whilst also navigating the challenges of doing this remotely from home. NSPM capabilities can help in overcoming these WFH issues. Security teams may, for example, need to change many Firewall rules to allow secure access to sensitive data. An effective NSPM solution can facilitate this and enable fast deployment by providing the ability to make changes to applications’ firewall openings from a single management interface. 6. Enhance security around public facing applications to protect against COVID-19 related cyber-attacks. With the move to remote working, organizations are increasingly relying on applications to carry out their work from home. Ensuring that business-critical applications stay available and secure while shifting to remote work is key to avoiding workflow disruption. It’s essential to take an application centric approach to application security, and an effective NSPM solution can help you to better manage and secure your business-critical applications . As discussed above, application visibility is key here. NSPM systems provides comprehensive application visibility, security operation teams can monitor critical applications for risks and vulnerabilities to ensure that they are safe. Gartner’s Rajpreet Kaur has delivered a good combination of practical and timely guidance along with the logical insights underlying the useful recommendations. These tips bring helpful guidance on the Work from Home security challenge that stands out for its clear relevance when there is now so much other noise out there. A robust NSPM can help you rapidly implement these invaluable recommendations. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 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 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

Security Policy Management with Professor Wool Advanced Cyber Threat and Incident Management Advanced Cyber Threat and Incident Management is a whiteboard-style series of lessons that examine some of the challenges and provide technical tips for helping organizations detect and quickly respond to cyber-attacks while minimizing the impact on the business. Lesson 1 SIEM solutions collect and analyze logs generated by the technology infrastructure, security systems and business applications. The Security Operations Center (SOC) team uses this information to identify and flag suspicious activity for further investigation. In this lesson, Professor Wool explains why it’s important to connect the information collected by the SIEM with other databases that provide information on application connectivity, in order to make informed decisions on the level of risk to the business, and the steps the SOC needs to take to neutralize the attack. How to bring business context into incident response Watch Lesson 2 In this lesson Professor Wool discusses the need for reachability analysis in order to assess the severity of the threat and potential impact of an incident. Professor Wool explains how to use traffic simulations to map connectivity paths to/from compromised servers and to/from the internet. By mapping the potential lateral movement paths of an attacker across the network, the SOC team can, for example, proactively take action to prevent data exfiltration or block incoming communications with Command and Control servers. Bringing reachability analysis into incident response 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

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As your organization adopts a hybrid IT infrastructure, there are more ways for hackers to steal your sensitive data. This is why cloud... Cloud Security Cloud Application Security: Threats, Benefits, & Solutions Rony Moshkovich 2 min read Rony Moshkovich 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 6/29/23 Published As your organization adopts a hybrid IT infrastructure, there are more ways for hackers to steal your sensitive data. This is why cloud application security is a critical part of data protection. It allows you to secure your cloud-based applications from cyber threats while ensuring your data is safe. This post will walk you through cloud application security, including its importance. We will also discuss the main cloud application security threats and how to mitigate them. What is Cloud Application Security Cloud application security refers to the security measures taken to protect cloud-based assets throughout their development lifecycle. These security measures are a framework of policies, tools, and controls that protect your cloud against cyber threats. Here is a list of security measures that cloud application security may involve: Compliance with industry standards such as CIS benchmarks to prevent data breaches. Identity management and access controls to prevent unauthorized access to your cloud-based apps. Data encryption and tokenization to protect sensitive data. Vulnerability management through vulnerability scanning and penetration testing. Network perimeter security, such as firewalls, to prevent unwanted access. The following are some of the assets that cloud security affects: Third-party cloud providers like Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google GCP. Collaborative applications like Slack and Microsoft Teams. Data Servers. Computer Networks. Why is Cloud Application Security Important Cloud application security is becoming more relevant as businesses migrated their data to the cloud in recent years. This is especially true for companies with a multi-cloud environment. These types of environments create a larger attack surface for hackers to exploit. According to IBM , the cost of a data breach in 2022 was $4.35 million. And this represents an increase of 2.6% from the previous year. The report also revealed that it took an average of 287 days to find and stop a data breach in a cloud environment. This time is enough for hackers to steal sensitive data and really damage your assets. Here are more things that can go wrong if organizations don’t pay attention to cloud security: Brand image damage: A security breach may cause a brand’s reputation to suffer and a decline in client confidence. During a breach, your company’s servers may be down for days or weeks. This means customers who paid for your services will not get access in that time. They may end up destroying your brand’s image through word of mouth. Lost consumer trust: Consumer confidence is tough to restore after being lost due to a security breach. Customers could migrate to rivals they believe to be more secure. Organizational disruption: A security breach may cause system failures preventing employees from working. This, in turn, could affect their productivity. You may also have to fire employees tasked with ensuring cloud security. Data loss: You may lose sensitive data, such as client information, resulting in legal penalties. Trade secrets theft may also affect the survival of your organization. Your competitors may steal your only leverage in the industry. Compliance violations: You may be fined for failing to comply with industry regulations such as GDPR. You may also face legal consequences for failing to protect consumer data. What are the Major Cloud Application Security Threats The following is a list of the major cloud application security threats: Misconfigurations: Misconfigurations are errors made when setting up cloud-based applications. They can occur due to human errors, lack of expertise, or mismanagement of cloud resources. Examples include weak passwords, unsecured storage baskets, and unsecured ports. Hackers may use these misconfigurations to access critical data in your public cloud. Insecure data sharing: This is the unauthorized or unintended sharing of sensitive data between users. Insecure data sharing can happen due to a misconfiguration or inappropriate access controls. It can lead to data loss, breaches, and non-compliance with regulatory standards. Limited visibility into network operations: This is the inability to monitor and control your cloud infrastructure and its apps. Limited network visibility prevents you from quickly identifying and responding to cyber threats. Many vulnerabilities may go undetected for a long time. Cybercriminals may exploit these weak points in your network security and gain access to sensitive data. Account hijacking: This is a situation where a hacker gains unauthorized access to a legitimate user’s cloud account. The attackers may use various social engineering tactics to steal login credentials. Examples include phishing attacks, password spraying, and brute-force attacks. Once they access the user’s cloud account, they can steal data or damage assets from within. Employee negligence and inadequately trained personnel: This threat occurs when employees are not adequately trained to recognize, report and prevent cyber risks. It can also happen when employees unintentionally or intentionally engage in risky behavior. For example, they could share login credentials with unauthorized users or set weak passwords. Weak passwords enable attackers to gain entry into your public cloud. Rogue employees can also intentionally give away your sensitive data. Compliance risks: Your organization faces cloud computing risks when non-compliant with industry regulations such as GDPR, PCI-DSS, and HIPAA. Some of these cloud computing risks include data breaches and exposure of sensitive information. This, in turn, may result in fines, legal repercussions, and reputational harm. Data loss: Data loss is a severe security risk for cloud applications. It may happen for several causes, including hardware malfunction, natural calamities, or cyber-attacks. Some of the consequences of data loss may be the loss of customer trust and legal penalties. Outdated security software: SaaS vendors always release updates to address new vulnerabilities and threats. Failing to update your security software on a regular basis may leave your system vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Hackers may exploit the flaws in your outdated SaaS apps to gain access to your cloud. Insecure APIs: APIs are a crucial part of cloud services but can pose a severe security risk if improperly secured. Insecure APIs and other endpoint infrastructure may cause many severe system breaches. They can lead to a complete system takeover by hackers and elevated privileged access. How to Mitigate Cloud Application Security Risks The following is a list of measures to mitigate cloud app security risks: Conduct a thorough risk analysis: This entails identifying possible security risks and assessing their potential effects. You then prioritize correcting the risks depending on their level of severity. By conducting risk analysis on a regular basis, you can keep your cloud environment secure. You’ll quickly understand your security posture and select the right security policies. Implement a firm access control policy: Access control policies ensure that only authorized users gain access to your data. They also outline the level of access to sensitive data based on your employees’ roles. A robust access control policy comprises features such as: Multi-factor authentication Role-based access control Least Privilege Access Strong password policies. Use encryption: Encryption is a crucial security measure that protects sensitive data in transit and at rest. This way, if an attacker intercepts data in transit, it will only be useful if they have a decryption key. Some of the cloud encryption solutions you can implement include: Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) Rivest -Shamir-Addleman (RSA) Transport Layer Security (TSL) Set up data backup and disaster recovery policies: A data backup policy ensures data is completely recovered in case of breaches. You can always recover the lost data from your data backup files. Data backup systems also help reduce the impact of cyberattacks as you will restore normal operations quickly. Disaster recovery policies focus on establishing protocols and procedures to restore critical systems during a major disaster. This way, your data security will stay intact even when disaster strikes. Keep a constant watch over cloud environments: Security issues in cloud settings can only be spotted through continuous monitoring. Cloud security posture management tools like Prevasio can help you monitor your cloud for such issues. With its layer analysis feature, you’ll know the exact area in your cloud and how to fix it. Test and audit cloud security controls regularly: Security controls help you detect and mitigate potential security threats in your cloud. Examples of security controls include firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and database encryption. Auditing these security controls helps to identify gaps they may have. And then you take corrective actions to restore their effectiveness. Regularly evaluating your security controls will reduce the risk of security incidents in your cloud. Implement a security awareness training program: Security awareness training helps educate employees on cloud best practices. When employees learn commonly overlooked security protocols, they reduce the risks of data breaches due to human error. Organize regular assessment tests with your employees to determine their weak points. This way, you’ll reduce chances of hackers gaining access to your cloud through tactics such as phishing and ransomware attacks. Use the security tools and services that cloud service providers offer: Cloud service providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) offer security tools and services such as: Web application firewalls (WAF), Runtime application self-protection (RASP), Intrusion detection and prevention systems Identity and access management (IAM) controls You can strengthen the security of your cloud environments by utilizing these tools. However, you should not rely solely on these features to ensure a secure cloud. You also need to implement your own cloud security best practices. Implement an incident response strategy: A security incident response strategy describes the measures to take during a cyber attack. It provides the procedures and protocols to bring the system back to normal in case of a breach. Designing incident response plans helps to reduce downtime. It also minimizes the impact of the damages due to cyber attacks. Apply the Paved Road Security Approach in DevSecOps Processes: DevSecOps environments require security to be integrated into development workflows and tools. This way, cloud security becomes integral to an app development process. The paved road security approach provides a secure baseline that DevSecOps can use for continuous monitoring and automated remediation. Automate your cloud application security practices Using on-premise security practices such as manual compliance checks to mitigate cloud application security threats can be tiring. Your security team may also need help to keep up with the updates as your cloud needs grow. Cloud vendors that can automate all the necessary processes to maintain a secure cloud. They have cloud security tools to help you achieve and maintain compliance with industry standards. You can improve your visibility into your cloud infrastructures by utilizing these solutions. They also spot real-time security challenges and offer remediations. For example, Prevasio’s cloud security solutions monitor cloud environments continually from the cloud. They can spot possible security threats and vulnerabilities using AI and machine learning. What Are Cloud Application Security Solutions? Cloud application security solutions are designed to protect apps and other assets in the cloud. Unlike point devices, cloud application security solutions are deployed from the cloud. This ensures you get a comprehensive cybersecurity approach for your IT infrastructure. These solutions are designed to protect the entire system instead of a single point of vulnerability. This makes managing your cybersecurity strategy easier. Here are some examples of cloud security application solutions: 1. Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) : CSPM tools enable monitoring and analysis of cloud settings for security risks and vulnerabilities. They locate incorrect setups, resources that aren’t compliant, and other security concerns that might endanger cloud infrastructures. 2. The Cloud Workload Protection Platform (CWPP) : This cloud application security solution provides real-time protection for workloads in cloud environments . It does this by detecting and mitigating real-time threats regardless of where they are deployed. CWPP solutions offer various security features, such as: Network segmentation File integrity monitoring Vulnerability scanning. Using CWPP products will help you optimize your cloud application security strategy. 3. Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) : CASB products give users visibility into and control over the data and apps they access in the cloud. These solutions help businesses enforce security guidelines and monitor user behavior in cloud settings. The danger of data loss, leakage, and unauthorized access is lowered in the process. CASB products also help with malware detection. 4. Runtime Application Self Protection (RASP): This solution addresses security issues that may arise while a program is working. It identifies potential threats and vulnerabilities during runtime and thwarts them immediately. Some of the RASP solutions include: Input validation Runtime hardening Dynamic Application Security testing 5. Web Application and API protection (WAAP) : These products are designed to protect your organization’s Web applications and APIs. They monitor outgoing and incoming web apps and API traffic to detect malicious activity. WAAP products can block any unauthorized access attempts. They can also protect against cyber threats like SQL injection and Cross-site scripting. 6. Data Loss Prevention (DLP): DLP products are intended to stop the loss or leaking of private information in cloud settings. These technologies keep track of sensitive data in use and at rest. They can also enforce rules to stop unauthorized people from losing or accessing it. 7. Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems : SIEM systems track and analyze real-time security incidents and events in cloud settings. The effect of security breaches is decreased thanks to these solutions. They help firms in detecting and responding to security issues rapidly. Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) The CNAPP, which Prevasio created, raises the bar for cloud security. It combines CSPM, CIEM, IAM, CWPP, and more in one tool. A CNAPP delivers a complete security solution with sophisticated threat detection and mitigation capabilities for packaged workloads, microservices, and cloud-native applications. The CNAPP can find and eliminate security issues in your cloud systems before hackers can exploit them. With its layer analysis feature, you can quickly fix any potential vulnerabilities in your cloud . It pinpoints the exact layer of code where there are errors, saving you time and effort. CNAPP also offers a visual dynamic analysis of your cloud environment . This lets you grasp the state of your cloud security at a glance. In the process, saving you time as you know exactly where to go. CNAPP is also a scalable cloud security solution. The cloud-native design of Prevasio’s CNAPP enables it to expand dynamically and offer real-time protection against new threats. Let Prevasio Solve Your Cloud Application Security Needs Cloud security is paramount to protecting sensitive data and upholding a company’s reputation in the modern digital age. To be agile to the constantly changing security issues in cloud settings, Prevasio’s Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) offers an all-inclusive solution. From layer analysis to visual dynamic analysis, CNAPP gives you the tools you need to keep your cloud secure. You can rely on Prevasio to properly manage your cloud application security needs. Try Prevasio today! 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Kyle Wickert explains how organizations can balance the need to modernize their networks without compromising security For businesses of... Digital Transformation Modernizing your infrastructure without neglecting security Kyle Wickert 2 min read Kyle Wickert 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 8/19/21 Published Kyle Wickert explains how organizations can balance the need to modernize their networks without compromising security For businesses of all shapes and sizes, the inherent value in moving enterprise applications into the cloud is beyond question. The ability to control computing capability at a more granular level can lead to significant cost savings, not to mention the speed at which new applications can be provisioned. Having a modern cloud-based infrastructure makes businesses more agile, allowing them to capitalize on market forces and other new opportunities much quicker than if they depended on on-premises, monolithic architecture alone. However, there is a very real risk that during the goldrush to modernized infrastructures, particularly during the pandemic when the pressure to migrate was accelerated rapidly, businesses might be overlooking the potential blind spot that threatens all businesses indiscriminately, and that is security. One of the biggest challenges for business leaders over the past decade has been managing the delicate balance between infrastructure upgrades and security. Our recent survey found that half of organizations who took part now run over 41% of workloads in the public cloud, and 11% reported a cloud security incident in the last twelve months. If businesses are to succeed and thrive in 2021 and beyond, they must learn how to walk this tightrope effectively. Let’s consider the highs and lows of modernizing legacy infrastructures, and the ways to make it a more productive experience. What are the risks in moving to the cloud? With cloud migration comes risk. Businesses that move into the cloud actually stand to lose a great deal if the process isn’t managed effectively. Moreover, they have some important decisions to make in terms of how they handle application migration. Do they simply move their applications and data into the cloud as they are as a ‘lift and shift’, or do they seek to take a more cloud-native approach and rebuild applications in the cloud to take full advantage of its myriad benefits? Once a business has started this move toward the cloud, it’s very difficult to rewind the process and unpick mistakes that may have been made, so planning really is critical. Then there’s the issue of attack surface area. Legacy on-premises applications might not be the leanest or most efficient, but they are relatively secure by default due to their limited exposure to external environments. Moving said applications onto the cloud has countless benefits to agility, efficiency, and cost, but it also increases the attack surface area for potential hackers. In other words, it gives bots and bad actors a larger target to hit. One of the many traps that businesses fall into is thinking that just because an application is in the cloud, it must be automatically secure. In fact, the reverse is true unless proper due diligence is paid to security during the migration process. The benefits of an app-centric approach One of the ways in which AlgoSec helps its customer master security in the cloud is by approaching it from an app-centric perspective. By understanding how a business uses its applications, including its connectivity paths through the cloud, data centers and SDN fabrics, we can build an application model that generates actionable insights such as the ability to create policy-based risks instead of leaning squarely on firewall controls. This is of particular importance when moving legacy applications onto the cloud. The inherent challenge here is that a business is typically taking a vulnerable application and making it even more vulnerable by moving it off-premise, relying solely on the cloud infrastructure to secure it. To address this, businesses should rank applications in order of sensitivity and vulnerability. In doing so, they may find some quick wins in terms of moving modern applications into the cloud that have less sensitive data. Once these short-term gains are dealt with, NetSecOps can focus on the legacy applications that contain more sensitive data which may require more diligence, time, and focus to move or rebuild securely. Migrating applications to the cloud is no easy feat and it can be a complex process even for the most technically minded NetSecOps. Automation takes a large proportion of the hard work away and enables teams to manage cloud environments efficiently while orchestrating changes across an array of security controls. It brings speed and accuracy to managing security changes and accelerates audit preparation for continuous compliance. Automation also helps organizations overcome skills gaps and staffing limitations. We are likely to see conflict between modernization and security for some time. On one hand, we want to remove the constraints of on-premises infrastructure as quickly as possible to leverage the endless possibilities of cloud. On the other hand, we have to safeguard against the opportunistic hackers waiting on the fray for the perfect time to strike. By following the guidelines set out in front of them, businesses can modernize without compromise. To learn more about migrating enterprise apps into the cloud without compromising on security, and how a DevSecOps approach could help your business modernize safely, watch our recent Bright TALK webinar here . Alternatively, get in touch or book a free demo . Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 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 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