Balancing security and autonomy: Strategies for CISOs in the cloud era

Maintaining a secure cloud environment is one of the most important responsibilities of any CISO today, given that over 50 percent of all cyberattacks now originate in the cloud. However, this is a daunting task, as security must now be balanced against other priorities such as maintaining agile operations and the need to innovate.

Organizations today are racing to accelerate their cloud adoption due to the need for greater scalability and cost-efficiency. It has, therefore, become a critical business strategy to ensure efficiency, accessibility, and sustainability in operations. As a result, cloud investments are soaring across the board. Gartner predicts that end-user spending on public cloud services will reach $679 billion by the end of this year and exceed $1 trillion by 2027.

However, the rapid adoption of cloud services has expanded the attack surface. Continuously introducing more assets into cloud environments means data and applications are spread across multiple locations, exposing organizations to increased cyber risks. Our latest research found that 46 percent of security leaders don’t have full visibility into the connectivity of their organizations cloud services. CISOs must ensure comprehensive oversight of cloud operations but often lack the specialized skills of cloud architects.

The challenges of securing the cloud

The decentralized nature of cloud environments leads to fragmented visibility and control. Each onboarded cloud asset makes it harder and harder to maintain visibility and effectively manage the network due to it being spread across multiple teams and platforms. This complexity makes it difficult for CISOs to monitor activities, enforce security policies, and respond to threats in real-time.

Scalability is another major concern. As organizations grow and adopt multi-cloud and hybrid environments, the task of maintaining consistent security across diverse platforms becomes daunting. Traditional security tools and practices cannot match the versatility and agility in addressing these interconnected environments.

So, for CISOs, the biggest challenge is implementing tools and processes that provide real-time visibility without imposing unnecessary restrictions on cloud teams. Achieving this balance comes down to three core strategies.

1. Implement cloud-native security solutions

Traditional security tools like firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems were mainly designed for static on-premises infrastructures. They often lack the flexibility needed for today’s dynamic cloud ecosystems.

Such tools cannot offer the visibility needed across distributed environments, making it difficult to track data flows and user activities. They often fail to seamlessly integrate with cloud-native services, leading to gaps in threat detection and response. This limited visibility and integration result in critical security blind spots, allowing threats to go undetected and unaddressed.

Cloud-native security solutions are essential for addressing these gaps. These are solutions specifically built to operate within cloud environments, with flexible configurations and automation capabilities. Cloud-native solutions can enable CISOs to identify vulnerabilities and mitigate threats promptly by providing real-time insights into user activity and data flows.

Adopting a proactive security stance is crucial in a dynamic cloud environment, and waiting for threats to materialize before taking action is no longer viable. Cloud-native tools allow for continuous monitoring and threat detection. This proactive approach significantly reduces the risk of breaches by identifying potential vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

One solution that provides many benefits when it comes to cloud security is Zero Trust Segmentation (ZTS), a key component of a Zero Trust architecture. Rooted in the Zero Trust principle of "never trust, always verify," ZTS ensures that access to resources is tightly controlled and monitored. It provides granular segmentation of the entire organizational network, allowing CISOs to enforce strict access policies and contain breaches effectively. Importantly, it can minimize the impact of any security incident, maintaining business continuity even during an attack.

Moreover, cloud-native solutions are scalable. These tools adapt as organizations grow and cloud environments become more complex. They provide consistent security across multi-cloud and hybrid environments, ensuring that security policies are uniformly applied.

Once such solutions are in place, the next step is to ensure collaboration and effective communication between security and cloud teams.

2. Foster collaboration between security and cloud teams

Effective cloud security requires seamless collaboration between security and cloud teams. Siloed operations create gaps in security coverage and hinder the implementation of consistent security policies. CISOs must foster a culture of communication and cooperation to bridge these gaps.

Regular dialogue and knowledge-sharing sessions between teams are essential. These interactions help align security measures with business objectives and operational requirements. When cloud teams understand the importance of security protocols, they are more likely to adhere to them without viewing them as obstacles.

Another critical step is to involve cloud teams in security discussions and decision-making processes. This involvement ensures that security strategies are practical and do not disrupt cloud teams' workflows. When cloud teams have a say in security implementations, it reduces friction and promotes a sense of ownership and accountability.

By fostering collaboration, CISOs can create a unified approach to cloud security. This cooperation ensures that security measures are effective and integrated smoothly into daily operations. So, both the security and cloud teams can work towards common goals without compromising innovation and agility.

It’s also important to empower teams with the right tools and resources. Providing access to self-service security tools can help to speed up security processes and reduce the burden on central security teams.

3. Utilize self-service tools and shared responsibility models

Self-service tools empower cloud teams to manage security tasks independently. This approach ensures quick and efficient responses to potential threats. By providing these tools, CISOs can decentralize security responsibilities while maintaining necessary oversight and control.

Examples of self-service security tools include automated policy enforcement, identity and access management (IAM) systems, and real-time monitoring dashboards. These tools enable cloud teams to configure security settings and respond to incidents without needing intervention from the central security team. This autonomy accelerates security processes and fosters a sense of ownership and accountability among cloud teams

Emphasizing a shared responsibility model is another essential component of cloud security. This model clearly delineates the security responsibilities between cloud providers and users. Cloud providers are typically responsible for securing the underlying infrastructure, while users must secure their specific workloads, including data, applications, and user access.

CISOs must ensure that cloud teams are aware of their specific responsibilities and have the necessary tools and training to fulfil them. Regular audits and assessments can help verify that security policies are being followed and that potential vulnerabilities are addressed promptly. Also, when discussing security responsibilities with the broader organization, CISOs should use examples of recent incidents and vulnerabilities that led to significant breaches. This will help teams understand the seriousness of their responsibilities and the grave consequences of not being proactive. 

Overall, embracing these approaches will help CISOs navigate the evolving cloud landscape, ensuring robust protection and operational efficiency without stifling team autonomy. These strategies not only enhance security but also align with business objectives, enabling organizations to innovate securely in the cloud. Embracing the above three strategies will help CISOs ensure robust protection across the organization’s cloud ecosystem and maintain operational efficiency. 

Image credit: NataliMis/depositphotos.com

Alex Goller is the Cloud Solution Architect, EMEA at Illumio. He has a long history in the security environment, has worked for AlienVault, Integralis as a sales engineer and software developer and knows the security problems of companies in all industries and sizes. He is interested in all security issues, from networking to application security and awareness.