Staying cloud-safe in an SA thunderstorm

The public cloud has become a popular choice for businesses of all sizes in South Africa, with many taking advantage of its scalability, cost-effectiveness and flexibility. However, this shift towards cloud-based computing has resulted in a significant rise in cyber security risks and threats that could wreak havoc for many CISOs if left unchecked.

One of the biggest challenges with public cloud security in South Africa is the complexity of these networks and their deployment. Cloud environments are highly dynamic, with a constantly changing landscape of virtual machines, containers and other resources. This complexity can make it difficult for businesses to monitor and secure their cloud environments effectively.

In addition to this, poor visibility is a significant concern. With traditional on-premises infrastructure, businesses have complete control over their environments and can easily monitor traffic flows and identify potential threats. However, in a cloud environment, businesses often lack this visibility and control, making it more challenging to detect and respond to security incidents.

Then there is the issue of over-provisioning, where procuring excessive computing power or storage resources beyond the actual demand of a business leads to unnecessary expenses on cloud services.

There are several threats that businesses face when using public cloud environments. One of the most significant is data breaches. With an increasing amount of sensitive data being stored in the cloud, bad actors are actively targeting these environments to gain unauthorised access to valuable information.

Viruses and malware also pose a significant threat to cloud security, as they can potentially compromise the integrity and availability of cloud-based systems. The impact of these cyber attacks can disrupt essential services, rendering the cloud unusable.

Businesses also face the threat of insider attacks. While cloud providers implement robust security measures to protect their infrastructure, the risk remains. This could be due to malicious employees or third parties who have access to a business's cloud resources.

Despite the challenges and threats facing South African businesses using public cloud environments, there are several steps they can take to prevent and remediate these risks.

1. Implement strong authentication and access controls

One of the most critical steps that businesses can take to secure their public cloud environments is to implement strong authentication and access controls. This includes requiring strong passwords, multi-factor authentication and limiting access to resources based on user roles and responsibilities. By implementing these measures, businesses can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorised access to their cloud resources.

2. Use encryption for data in transit and at rest

Encryption is another essential component of cloud security. Businesses should use encryption to protect their data both in transit and at rest. This includes encrypting data as it is transferred between the cloud provider and the business's network and encrypting data stored in the cloud. By using encryption, businesses can ensure that their data remains confidential and protected against unauthorised access.

3. Monitor cloud environments for security threats

To detect and respond to security threats, businesses should implement robust monitoring and detection capabilities. This includes monitoring for suspicious activity, such as unusual logins or data access, and using automated tools and attack paths to identify potential security incidents. By monitoring cloud environments for security threats, businesses can respond quickly and prevent significant data breaches or other security incidents, while ensuring uptime and secure application access.

4. Implement continuous vulnerability management

To reduce the risk of malware and other security threats, businesses should implement continuous vulnerability management and remediation. This includes regularly scanning cloud resources for vulnerabilities and applying security patches and updates as necessary. By staying up to date with security patches and updates, businesses can significantly reduce the risk of security incidents caused by known vulnerabilities.

5. Leverage AI to fill the skills gap

In South Africa, where the cyber security landscape is rapidly evolving and security resources are stretched, AI-powered cloud security solutions offer significant benefits. By leveraging machine learning and automation, these solutions can quickly identify and respond to security threats, providing an added layer of protection for businesses' digital assets. This, in turn, can reduce the workload on security teams, allowing them to focus on other critical tasks and strengthening overall security posture.

The public cloud has become an essential part of many businesses in South Africa. However, the intricate and constantly evolving characteristics of cloud environments have resulted in an escalation of cyber security risks and threats, which may not be apparent to some.

Maxtec distributes a number of advanced hybrid and multicloud security solutions that react in real-time and can be neatly plugged in to an existing environment, or purpose built for a specific need.

We can help you gain visibility into any cloud infrastructure in minutes. Contact us for a free assessment or a demo and see how you can become a cloud security leader. 

www.maxtec.co.za | (011) 803 6635 | secure@maxtec.co.za