#1: Solutions with a focus on multi-cloud
Traditional security solutions designed with on-premises networks in mind are the wrong tool for the job when it comes to cloud native security. However, security tools and policies that only focus on one provider’s cloud (e.g. just Azure or just AWS) aren’t holistic in a world where almost every enterprise depends on multiple cloud platforms. That’s why one of the most important trends in cloud security is the growing importance of solutions built with multi-cloud security in mind.
A multi-cloud security strategy accounts for the fact that enterprise workloads are spread across multiple cloud environments and change at a rapid pace. Multi-cloud security solutions reduce or eliminate the “point solutions” that tie security to a single location, increase flexibility, and layer automation and intelligence into security across platforms. As a result, with multi-cloud security solutions, enterprises are better equipped to protect against modern threats.
#2: Shift left security
Shift left security, which goes hand-in-hand with the rise of DevSecOps, is one of the most effective cloud security trends in recent years. The fundamental idea behind shifting security left is simple: make security part of application development as early as possible. In the past, security was often an afterthought, being tested at the end of the development cycle. With shift left security and DevSecOps, security is an important aspect of everything from planning to deployment, including the development process.
While tools, such as integrated development environments (IDEs) with static application security testing (SAST) scanners built-in, are part of the process, shifting security left is much more than just tooling. It is a cultural shift that requires enterprises to prioritize and incentivize security. That means really adopting this trend in cloud security requires buy-in not only from developers, but also from upper management.
#3: Modernization of web application security
Web application security a.k.a. AppSec is a balance between usability for legitimate users and protecting against malicious activity and bots. Enterprises must protect against abuse of their web apps and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), but imprecise or unintelligent tools can lead to false positives that impact legitimate users.
Traditional network-based security policies and point-solutions simply can’t solve this problem effectively. As a result, the modernization of web application security tools is one of the biggest trends in cloud security today.
Tools like web application & API protection (WAAP) are able to intelligently analyze and inspect web traffic in ways that are more effective and scalable than simple port blocking or signature-based threat detection. For example, WAAP leverages techniques including Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP) and malicious bot protection to mitigate threats and API abuse. Similarly, WAAP’s rate limiting and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) protection help ensure resources are accessible to legitimate users while preventing the abuse of enterprise web apps.
#4: Organization-wide cloud security posture management
For security to be effective, it must be holistic. Enterprises are realizing that they must take control of their security posture both on-prem and in the cloud. As a result, Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) is one of the most important cloud security trends today. With CSPM, organizations can automate much of the process of identifying and remediating security issues across cloud platforms.
Specifically, modern CSPMs can:
- Continuously monitor cloud environments for misconfigurations and problems with compliance policies
- Centrally review the detection, quarantine, and remediation of threats
- Classify and identify cloud security risks across the organization
- Enable granular visibility into the security of cloud assets
#5: AI for cloud security intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a buzzword in many industries, but it is also an enabler of one of the biggest cloud security trends of the 2020s: improved cloud security intelligence. Why? Because AI can identify malicious behavior with context. Fundamentally, this trend towards AI-enabled threat detection in cloud security provides 2 benefits:
- Enhanced protection against bots and hackers
- Reduced false positives and inconvenience for legitimate users
As a result, machine learning and AI are now a part of everything from threat hunting to web application security and security-conscious enterprises are using it to stay one step ahead of attackers.
Taking an integrated approach to cloud security is key
Taken individually, adopting these trends in cloud security can help improve the security posture within an enterprise. However, taking an integrated approach that leverages modern cloud security tools and techniques across multi-cloud platforms is far more robust. This is because an enterprise-wide holistic approach limits the possibility of configuration or visibility gaps.
To meet the challenges of modern cloud security, the Check Point CloudGuard platform was designed with a holistic, integrated, multi-cloud security paradigm in mind. With CloudGuard, enterprises gain visibility, threat protection, and security intelligence on a single unified platform. All assets and workloads, regardless of the specific cloud provider, can be secured with a single integrated solution.
Secure your cloud assets with Check Point
Do you want to know how secure your cloud assets are today? Sign up to use our free interactive cloud security assessment tool. The tool guides you through a comprehensive assessment to identify misconfigurations and provides recommendations for remediation based on industry best practices.
If you’d like to learn more about how CloudGuard can help you automate and scale application security, sign up to download the free AppSec Done Right whitepaper. In that whitepaper you’ll learn about reducing AppSec Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), automating application security, and eliminating false-positive results.
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