Cloud Security Architecture: Definition & Features

Cloud computing has turn into a preferred and widely used network for storing and processing data. This raises a legitimate query of comparing traditional on-premise infrastructure security vs cloud security architecture?

Business organizations within the 21^st century must have such tools or software that may safeguard their confidential information and data files from getting exposed. Cloud security architecture is a security framework that helps minimize the possibilities and threats of the most typical cyber attacks while keeping their data secure.  

This security infrastructure is an extra barrier to protecting vulnerable data and knowledge. The framework includes different security applications in addition to identity management and data protection plans. It gives detailed schemes and policies on find out how to manage the info processing while keeping it highly secured.

Cloud security architecture is a framework of all hardware and software needed to guard information, data, and applications processed through or throughout the cloud. There are a selection of cloud computing frameworks corresponding to public clouds, private clouds, and hybrid clouds. All clouds must be highly secured so priceless data and knowledge won’t be in danger. 

As a company grows, it must have highly-secured platforms for processing its workload. Cloud networks have many benefits but in addition include a fear of security issues. If the confidential data becomes accessible to any unauthorized individual, it becomes a reasonably alarming situation for the organization, making cloud security architecture quite vital.  

Cloud security architecture can minimize the safety loopholes that always go unnoticed in Point of Sale (POS) approaches. Also, cloud security architecture reduces the redundancy issues in the safety network. It also helps organize the safety measures while making them reliable during data computing. Complex security matters will also be handled well with a correct cloud security architecture.

There are several elements to consider when creating cloud security architecture.

• Security at Each Level: Each level of security and its components should have tight security barriers.
• Uniform and Centralized Management of Components: Components have to be categorized in each layer and managed uniformly to be efficient. 
• Well-Designed Infrastructure: The design of infrastructure ought to be made tough to crack. Nonetheless, the structure should have good disaster recovery plans with the intention to battle worst case scenarios.  
• Alert Notifications Have to be Turned On: The access to applications and control panels have to be highly secured. Alerts & notifications must at all times be turned on so which you could get to learn about a security breach, if one occurs.
• Centralization and Authentication Have to be Done: Cross-CSP (content security policy) Identity, authorization, and authentication have to be applied across all of the providers in use.

In cloud security, the responsibility to secure the cloud lies on each the client and provider. That is why it is alleged to be a shared responsibility. Nonetheless, shared responsibility does not imply that responsibility becomes less. 

The cloud provider will handle different features of physical infrastructure and the safety of applications. Meanwhile, the client will probably be accountable for the authorization and control of the cloud environment. 

Organizations use different service models. These service models include Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

Infrastructure-as-a-Service is a service model that gives virtualized computing resources, including storage, networking, and different machines that might be accessed through the Web. On this model, the cloud service provider (CSP) has full authority over secure servers, storage, hypervisor, and virtualization. The client is accountable for data, applications, and network traffic. Nearly all of the responsibilities lie with the client on this model.  

The IaaS cloud security models have these safety features:

• Assess and review resources for misconfiguration.
• Automation of policy corrections.
• Prevention of knowledge loss with Data Loss Prevention (DLP) tools.
• Identifies suspicious user activity and behavior.
• Detection and removal of malware.

Platform-as-a-Service is a service model that gives a secure platform to develop applications for developers or organizations. On this model, the cloud service provider is accountable for most elements corresponding to networking, storage, and hardware, while the client is solely accountable for the safety of the applications, permissions, and configurations. This service model builds upon IaaS deploying applications while remaining cost-effective. 

The advantage of this model is that you simply don’t must buy all of the hardware and resources that you simply would within the IaaS model.  

Features included in PaaS:

• Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB).
• Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP).
• Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM).
• Logs, IP restrictions, and API gateways.
• Web of Things (IoT).

In PaaS, middleware (software that joins the operating system with an application on a network) and software are included. These elements are considered services to the applying. Hence, on this cloud security model, the CSP and client concentrate on securing the services for creating an application.

On this model, the terms and conditions of security ownership are discussed with the provider of their contract. For instance, Managed WordPress is a SaaS-based platform that hosts a company’s hardware, infrastructure, hypervisor, network traffic, and operating system because the user cannot see these elements. The interior security system will not be the client’s sole responsibility because it is a shared responsibility with the cloud service provider. 

Features included in SaaS applications and infrastructure controls:

• Administration of knowledge loss prevention.
• Avoidance of unauthorized sharing of vulnerable data to unofficial individuals.
• Blocking the download of corporate data to non-public devices.
• Identification of security breaches, insider threats, and malware.
• Visibility into private applications.
• Review for misconfiguration.

For a highly-secured cloud platform, there are a selection of tools that might be helpful to maintain confidentiality and reliability intact. Below are the safety features that have to be present in your cloud security model.

Encryption safeguards text and data by translating them into ciphers that may only be deciphered, accessed, and edited by chosen parties. Data encryption is a constructive method to maintain probably the most vulnerable cloud data secure and secure from the usage of any unauthorized individual. Moreover, encryption lowers the chance of stolen data used for nefarious purposes. With data encryption, the CSP may have a likelihood to alert the shopper, and the client can take steps to guard their files.

Firmware resilience is a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based solution that helps in stopping attacks to the firmware layer. It also includes recovery of the info after an attack to revive your system to its previous working state.

A firewall is a tool that monitors incoming and outgoing traffic. It should allow or block the traffic after scanning the traffic against security standards. Firewalls are vital as they ensure a security barrier for the network traffic. Unfortunately, the vast majority of firewalls used to guard data are quite basic because they only scrutinize the source and destination packets. Still, a couple of more advanced firewalls can be found that implement stable packet inspection.

An intrusion detection system (IDS) have to be present in all IT security systems. With IDS, you may track and record all types of intrusion attempts. To forestall intrusion attempts, you should have excellent managed detection and response (MDR) security. MDR security will scan the malware present inside your system and take away it. 

You or your CSP (depending in your service model) must secure your data centers with physical security corresponding to 24/7 CCTV monitoring, security guards, and locked cages or cabinets for server racks.

Data breaches and security threats affect the integrity of cloud services. Nonetheless, you should be prepared for such threats while planning your cloud deployment.

Here is an inventory of cloud security architecture challenges and threats to think about:

Insider threats include the employees inside your organization who’ve access to systems and cloud service providers that may leak or steal your priceless data. Because of this it’s needed to decide on a trusted CSP service and only allow chosen authorized people to access the info.

DoS or DDoS attacks seek to crash a system with repeated requests until the service is unreachable. Security limits can deflect these attacks using network compliance policies to eliminate repeated requests. Along with this, the CSPs also can shift the info traffic to other resources while restoring the system.

Even when you’ve a well-structured security architecture, weak passwords place your system at potential risk. Cloud security architecture helps in securing hardware, firmware, and software. Nonetheless, all systems should at all times have a robust password and two-factor authentication to maintain your data secure.

Intel offers excellent security architecture products. Certainly one of those is Intel® Software Guard Extensions which creates a secure environment by incorporating security capabilities for data processing in memory.

AWS provides cloud security to clients by utilizing tools corresponding to AWS Backup service for central control over backups in all primary Amazon services. AWS also uses AWS CloudTrail, which gathers logs and events from all Amazon services.

Azure offers unique safety features corresponding to Azure Disk Encryption that helps store encryption keys inside an Azure Key Vault. This feature also limits data access. Azure also provides identity management support with the assistance of Azure Energetic Directory.

It is sort of vital to know each service model so you may determine which model will work best in your company’s requirements. Liquid Web offers secure Private Cloud services powered by VMware and NetApp and backed by 24/7/365 Support from The Most Helpful Humans in Hosting. Contact us today to launch your next cloud.