According to Gartner, there is a projected 20% increase in spending on public cloud services and a 7% rise in overall IT spending for 2024. This puts pressure on organizations to manage their budgets effectively, especially when it comes to sub-categories like security for cloud applications and DevOps.
Many organizations have not kept up with the evolving landscape and have faced security breaches and vulnerabilities. Choosing the right tools can be challenging, with some organizations purchasing too many incompatible offerings or relying solely on Gartner recommendations without considering their specific needs.
To address these issues, proper planning is essential. Organizations need experts who can provide a wider perspective and understand how different security solutions fit together. It’s important to balance security needs with operational needs and avoid treating cloud security as a mere checkbox exercise.
One common problem is security sprawl, where organizations use multiple tools when one could suffice. This can be caused by rushed decision-making or a lack of thorough cloud planning. It’s important to clean up and rework security practices based on best practices, as well as gain transparency into the data environment.
To optimize cloud security from a cost perspective, it’s recommended to choose cloud-native security services that align with your stack. Open-source container network interfaces (CNIs) like Calico and Cilium offer excellent security capabilities for access controls and traffic filtering.
Limiting exposed and vulnerable resources is crucial to reduce exposure. Different levels of ingress filtering may be required depending on whether services are exposed to the public internet or accessible only to partners. It’s important not to blindly apply on-prem security practices to the cloud, as it can be expensive and inefficient. Instead, look for technologies that leverage cloud-native attributes.
Legacy-related challenges have hindered cloud security progress. Refactoring applications to be cloud-native is often neglected, which can lead to security vulnerabilities and configuration-related exposures. Many organizations have technical debt due to poorly built and deployed applications and environments.
Integration is essential for multiple hybrid cloud environments to achieve portability and interoperability. This complexity often results in unexpected costs and poor resource utilization. Instead of relying solely on security controls, organizations should focus on building a stronger foundation by refactoring their applications.
Investing in security resilience within the context of modern architecture is crucial. Prioritize security measures aligned with the organization’s minimum viable business services. This approach optimizes cloud costs and enables compliance with emerging regulations.
Before implementing advanced security measures like zero-trust network access, organizations should ensure they have the basics in place, such as multifactor authentication, training, and patching.
Overall, organizations must approach cloud security strategically, considering their specific needs and priorities. Expert guidance, proper planning, and a focus on foundational security practices are essential for maintaining a secure and cost-effective cloud environment.
