Transforming risk into opportunity
No one today can ignore the advantages offered by cloud technologies.
Thanks to the cloud , organizations can enjoy great productivity and flexibility , as well as obtaining all the storage necessary to lighten the load on IT departments and, consequently, significant savings on server maintenance costs.
The cloud market is in fact growing rapidly.
However, there remain some issues that need to be addressed in order to fully seize the cloud's opportunities, and in particular, we focus here on issues related to cybersecurity .
There are highly effective approaches to protecting millions of data sets from potential threats and attacks: we are talking about cybersecurity .
The most advanced Cybersecurity consists of a resilient organizational model
The term "resilience" appears frequently in data protection legislation, especially today when the level of risk is increasingly high . Security today must be approached with clarity of thought , pragmatism , and above all, resilience . Resilience refers to the ability to successfully overcome a traumatic event, given that a cyber attack can be quite damaging.
Resilience and the EU
The European Union's new security strategy is based on resilience and is set out in the Cybersecurity Act . This text aims to create a single market for security products, services, and processes across all European countries. The Cybersecurity Act incorporates the concept of resilience as the foundation for outlining the entire strategy that would ensure Europe's defenses are at the forefront of new threats. The rapid and unstoppable growth of the cloud computing market has led to the founding of a movement calling for standardized security practices in the industry, such as the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA). This non-profit association comprises the most important experts in the field and was formed to raise awareness and knowledge among cloud computing users and providers regarding necessary security requirements and assurance certifications. However, the Cloud Security Alliance is just one of many organizations that has recognized the pressing need to minimize the security risks associated with adopting cloud strategies.
Risk as an opportunity
Standard cybersecurity analyzes risks and threats and assesses how to reduce or prevent them. The new frontier of cybersecurity also sees opportunities in these risks , which consist of creating a strong network and driving continuous improvement . This network exchanges the data and information needed to prevent and combat cyberattacks, and continuous development encourages new ideas , investing more without fear of making mistakes.
From reactivity to proactivity
In almost all cases, many companies have demonstrated a purely reactive approach to combating cybercrime; yet, while the majority of cyber attacks on systems are blocked, many breaches still occur.
This is where reactivity becomes proactivity, and cybersecurity becomes cyber-resilience . This means maintaining a proactive approach, designing and building systems that continue to operate despite attacks . The right strategy also requires the support of all emerging technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, user behavior analytics, and machine learning.
The resilience model
The security resilience model is therefore a process of developing security awareness of how an organization functions, based on a high level of collaboration. Security no longer means closing in and protecting oneself, but rather addressing risk proactively and consciously. This approach certainly combines the capabilities of cybersecurity , business continuity , and corporate resilience and requires greater collaboration across company areas.
Attention to errors and shared, rather than diffuse, responsibility generate strong responses to weak signals as well as enabling proper planning .
Therefore, a resilience plan must be structured around lines of action with clearly defined objectives , priorities , implementation times deadlines Indications, reports, and proposals for intervention or improvement are the cornerstone of this action tool, at all levels of the system.
Resilience and best practices
There is no good resilience model without best practices. Every company must develop and implement good security practices . The European Union itself, in its Cybersecurity Act, calls on organizations to maximize the availability of cybersecurity tools for individuals.
, companies and industry operators must work together , with a particular focus on digital service providers and . The industry must therefore support end users with tools that enable them to take responsibility for their online actions.
This highlights how compliance with best practices and maintaining cybersecurity is an essential part of consumer offerings. The progressive spread of the Internet of Things will only increase companies' exposure to cyber attacks. It is often a sense of alienation that disorients many companies: cybersecurity is essential for growth and development, but its evolution often gets out of hand. Before investing money in security, a certain cultural barrier must be broken down , and the EU has understood this well: there is no better defense than a resilient mindset and company.
Gartner Magic Quadrant for Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
All cloud providers take security very seriously, knowing that their customers, partners, and prospects are unwilling to accept any level of inefficiency in such a critical area of the cloud.
Microsoft Azure IaaS, which hosts the Jamio Openwork platform services, has been positioned by Gartner as a Leader in the Magic Quadrant for Cloud Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) for the sixth consecutive year. It designs IaaS services to meet all workload needs, offers unique hybrid deployment models, and supports open source technologies in the use of various application and administrative tools. Gartner
's comprehensive evaluation of IaaS providers covers the strengths, caveats, and recommended uses of the leading cloud service providers. Security is a key foundation for customer trust , and Microsoft demonstrates its commitment to this.
At Redmond, a team of more than 3,500 global cybersecurity experts works constantly to ensure the best possible security. Of course, the Microsoft team also employs highly advanced tools, such as machine learning techniques, behavioral analytics, and application-based intelligence. Data scientists analyze the vast data available in the Microsoft Intelligent Security Graph. The resulting information provides insights to Azure services and helps detect threats more quickly.
Ultimately, cloud customers should educate themselves on service providers' security policies and procedures, considering the significant cost savings associated with cloud technology that provide a strong incentive to outsource some, if not all, of their application needs.
Ignorance is not bliss in the world of cloud computing; data security—not cost savings—must remain the priority for organizations entering the cloud computing space.
Article by Alessandro Cortese – Cloud Architect Openwork
