The future viability of any security organization depends on the ability to react quickly, armed with operational data for a reliable, targeted response. Tall order, right? Leveraging cloud computing provides the type of flexibility and insights to move your organization forward with this end goal in mind.
Yes, doubts still surround the cloud implementation discussion. There’s the overall concern about security—which has been addressed with offsite servers, automatic updates and other safeguards. Then there’s the impact on operations and financials—moving to the cloud is a significant undertaking.
Your security firm may be looking for more value around cost savings and scalability. Ease of access and the ability to include practical operational tools may also be considerations. These capabilities aren’t sustainable with an on-premises architecture, versus the cloud.
Consider the following in your next-steps to implementation.
Migration Can Be Security-First, Driving Reliability
Being concerned about cloud migration is natural. In the last year-plus, many companies rushed to cloud adoption out of necessity and without proper planning and introspective on the impact to the company. In some cases, migrating companies may have inadvertently subjected themselves to heightened vulnerability.
Take the healthcare industry as an example. Healthcare IT News noted: “Cloud computing optimizes the use of resources in healthcare but also creates significant risks. That’s especially true when cloud services adoption happens faster without proper due diligence.”
There’s no reason to repeat mistakes made by others. Instead, take a measured approach that leads with security first and focuses on reliability. Consider this story: Under Armour Connected Fitness Platform. This retail fitness giant had multiple data center outages. To level-up on reliability, they moved to the cloud.
Your migration should be strategic and adhere to these best practices:
- Migrate in stages, beginning with redundant or non-mission-critical data.
- Understand the details of data storage and protection in the cloud.
- Consider, plan for and mitigate any new risks that may occur during the migration.
- Ensure controls are still functioning post-migration.
The Value of Micro-Segmentation
Micro-segmentation offers the ability to improve cloud security. The process leverages virtual networks like VLAN or LAN to segment networks into smaller sectors. Doing so ensures easier management and each element—workloads, applications and operating systems—have an independent configuration in the cloud. With these segmentations, it is more difficult for a malicious infection to impact the entire network.
Forbes Technology Council Member Gaurav Aggarwal said this of the tactic: “Micro-segmentation isolates workloads from one another, securing them at a granular level early in the design process.”
It also makes the “principle of least privilege (POLP)” across the cloud environment possible. In identity management, POLP provides the user the lowest level of clearance they need to perform their job, strengthening your defense posture. With micro-segmentation you can better control the management of access and privilege, which will account for 75% of security failures by 2023.
A Cost Analysis Proves the Case for Cloud Computing
Moving to the cloud has financial benefits. Overall, it can reduce IT costs. InfoWorld looked at four companies that migrated to the cloud. They all experienced savings, some in the millions.
But how do you realize these savings without compromising security?
- You’ll be reducing the necessary hardware when eliminating on-premises equipment and the need for dedicated IT support. Additionally, you’ll save on energy bills and maintenance costs.
- Another saving is direct labor costs. If you’re scaling up operations in the cloud versus on-premises, you won’t need more onsite personnel to assist and provide support as you grow.
- Your network will move from a capital expenditure to an operating expense that can be budgeted monthly.
Automation is Easier with Cloud Computing
Automation solutions are critical in monitoring operations and securing assets. However, they are challenging and costly to implement in an on-premises scenario. In the cloud, automation becomes affordable and delivers many flexible options and capabilities. It also makes scaling easier, saves time and reduces the risk of errors.
In the cloud, you can determine what to monitor and set parameters and thresholds for alerts. You can also separate monitoring data from applications and services with the right tools.
Automation is a proven advantage for businesses using the cloud. Several studies and reports document the benefits of automation in the cloud:
- 81% of IT companies said it improved innovation.
- 86% of IT leaders saw an improvement in client satisfaction.
Further, Gartner predicts that automation will continue to expand in capabilities. One prediction is the rise of hyper-automation, part of the digital transformation, which involves the continuous integration of automation into business operations.
Considering the Cloud? It’s Time.
IT teams can achieve more with less when you leverage the cloud. Overall, it drives a secure computing environment, reduces costs and enables the use of automation seamlessly. It’s time to harness the power of the cloud to drive operational advantages for your customers.
Find out how we can support your migration by exploring Manitou Cloud Services from Bold Group today.
KEEP READING: 6 Myths About Cloud-Based Security Services