Cyber Security

Remember when people shared or saved their data using a flash drive or a floppy disk? Now that we rely so heavily on cloud storage, it feels like a blast from the past. As we’re frequently dependent on cloud-based infrastructure, strong cloud network security is a must.

Technology keeps evolving, but cybercriminals are getting more ‘creative’ with their plans. This makes us think more about keeping our data safe in our digital world. If you’re one of those people and want to learn more about cloud network security, keep reading this article.

Let’s get it started!

What is Cloud Network Security?

Cloud network security involves the methods and tools a company uses to protect data, systems, and resources in the cloud. This includes using technology, policies, controls, and processes to protect information stored in public, private, and hybrid cloud networks.

By implementing proper cloud security practices, a company can monitor and stop potential threats to its data and systems. This can protect your data from various cyber threats, like malware attacks or any type of data breach, resulting in increased data security, reduced risk of financial loss, and enhanced trust among customers and partners.

How Does Cloud Network Security Work?

Cloud network security works by using software-defined networking (SDN) to control how data moves through the organization’s cloud infrastructure. This means that the flow of information within the cloud environment is managed and directed by software, allowing for more efficient and flexible network management.

Cloud network security solutions also work with cloud platforms and virtualization tools to set up virtual security gateways. These gateways help security teams monitor and control the network traffic, ensuring it’s secure and protected from advanced threats. These virtual security gateways work like regular ones but are hosted in the cloud instead of on physical servers.

Why is Cloud Network Security Important?

Cloud-based infrastructure in data management speeds up the process by providing a scalable and flexible environment for storing, accessing, and processing data. This allows businesses to efficiently handle large volumes of data without being limited by physical storage constraints. However, relying on cloud storage means companies must consider potential security risks and data privacy concerns.

Relying solely on traditional on-premises perimeter security measures may not be sufficient if your business is using a cloud network to manage its data. Physical security methods, like physical firewalls, routers, and more, are not enough as cloud environments are dynamic and distributed, requiring a more adaptable and holistic approach to security. This is why businesses need to ensure that their cloud-based infrastructure has robust security measures in place to protect sensitive data and comply with data protection regulations. 

To keep up with modern IT needs, companies need a simpler way to set up, control, and expand network security that’s part of the cloud itself. Cloud network security helps you reduce risks, follow rules, and run your business safely and effectively.

Cloud Network Security Benefits

Cloud network security offers many benefits to an organization that uses cloud services. Here is the list of the benefits:

Policy-based security

Implementing security policies can be difficult for an organization due to the complexity of configuring, deploying, and enforcing them across multi-cloud and hybrid environments. This complexity often demands a substantial commitment of resources, including time and money, from organizations. However, cloud network security simplifies this process by providing tools to manage and update detailed policies more effectively.

Encryption by default

Cloud providers usually provide encryption services as a part of the cloud security to safeguard data both when it’s stored and when it’s being transferred. While encryption does not guarantee complete prevention of data breaches, it does significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access or interception of data.

Improved security visibility

Cloud network security helps a company better visualize the traffic and activities within its cloud-based infrastructure, making it easier for the security team to monitor and manage the data. This solution also helps reduce the complexity of security measures, allowing them to be more effective in safeguarding the company’s cloud assets.

Automated monitoring and configuration

Cloud network security solutions are capable of automating configuration and management processes, which can prevent misconfiguration errors and ensure better control over network traffic. It will greatly assist the security teams, as highly scalable networks can be burdensome and require additional effort to secure.

Advanced threat prevention

A good cloud service provider always offers top-notch services to its clients, including access to skilled experts and advanced technologies for protecting data stored in the cloud. The provider that offers the best cloud network security prioritizes advanced real-time detection and robust prevention of intrusions, DDoS attacks, and other cyber security threats.

Centralized, consistent security

Cloud network security makes it easier to protect your network by offering all the security tools you need in one place. From a single platform, you can monitor your network for potential problems, manage its performance, and control who has authorized access to it.

Challenges of Cloud Network Security

Cloud network security solutions don’t always function seamlessly. Companies may encounter challenges in ensuring proper security controls. Here are the potential challenges you might face:

• Vulnerabilities: The cloud’s ability to grow rapidly allows users to set up many servers and applications quickly. However, when these cloud resources expand, any weaknesses in the code will be copied into new cloud instances or containers.
• Swift Changes: Cloud resources are frequently added or removed based on user needs. This constant change makes it difficult to maintain overall network security and detect attackers. Routine security scans may not effectively identify vulnerabilities due to the dynamic nature of cloud environments.
• Incorrect Settings: Because cloud computing resources can be managed by users themselves, security settings are more likely to be set up incorrectly. These mistakes often contribute to cyberattacks and data breaches.
• Shadow IT: Many IT departments unknowingly create a layer of shadow IT within the organization. If an organization is unaware of this, the unmanaged and unprotected data could be at risk of a breach.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Cloud infrastructure has changed the behaviour of businesses and individuals by providing them with more flexibility, scalability, and accessibility to computing resources. This shift has enabled new working methods, such as remote collaboration and faster application deployment. However, these advancements can lead to increased vulnerabilities and potential security breaches without proper cloud network security.

For more information about cybersecurity and our services, contact Fluxgate today!