What do Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform all have in common? They are all cloud service providers. They provide the equipment and resources to help companies reach their business goals. They will help you move to a zero trust cloud network.
You will better understand what a zero trust cloud network is by defining it. A network is a group of interconnected computing devices. Cloud computing is the on-demand delivery of IT services through the internet. Zero trust is a security model that enforces a "never trust and always verify" principle. A zero trust cloud network consists of computers sharing resources over the internet and uses zero trust as its security model.
Outsourcing your organization’s computing needs has many advantages. This is the essence of having a zero trust cloud network. Cloud computing gives you access to many things over the internet, such as:
- Servers.
- Storage.
- Databases.
- Web applications and services.
A cloud service provider owns and maintains the equipment for the application services. You supply and use what you need through a web app. Migrating to a zero trust cloud network gives you various benefits:
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| 1. Agility | Innovation is quicker through cloud computing. You can focus on your business’s goals rather than your IT infrastructure. You have quick access to cloud resources like analytics, storage, and machine learning. This gives you speed in developing products and offering services. |
| 2. Flexibility | A zero trust cloud network enables you to provision the number of resources you need. Scalability also depends on your business’s needs. This decreases costs and makes you quicker in meeting your users’ demands. |
| 3. Cost Savings | You don’t have to set up data centers and servers when you move to a zero trust cloud network. This saves you money, time, and effort. |
| 4. Fast Global Deployment | It is quicker and easier to deploy apps from various locations around the globe. This provides low latency and a better experience for your customers. These are all possible if you move to a zero trust cloud network. |
Protecting Your Cloud Data
A zero trust security framework enforces a "never trust and always verify" principle. This security approach applies to all users, devices, and applications, among other things. To gain network access, one must pass identity verification first. Various authentication methods are also in place to ensure protection against threats.
Here are the steps in protecting your zero trust cloud network’s data:
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Determine what needs protection in your zero trust cloud network.
Always protect your clients’ sensitive data and your company’s confidential information. What are the ways in which an attacker could steal valuable data? How do you find the weaknesses of your network? Are there existing security measures and policies to protect your network against threats? Answering these questions assists in discovering the network components that need security.
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Understand what kinds of data you are storing on your zero trust cloud network.
You need to know what kind of data you are protecting. Are you protecting personal health info like medical history and lab test results? Are you protecting personally identifiable information like social security numbers? Are you protecting intellectual property like brand names and software designs? Are you protecting payment card data like credit card numbers? Answering these questions makes your zero trust cloud network compliant with industry standards.
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Install security access controls for your zero trust cloud network.
You must set up security measures after determining what data to protect and its types. This is where Identity and Access Management (IAM) can help. Any user or device trying to get access to any data should pass identity verification first. Once successful, they gain access albeit with restrictions. They only get the privileges to do their task within their role and according to the group they belong to. No user or device gets admin level access by default, even your network administrator. You should also track and log the activities of those who have admin level access.
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Use a vendor-neutral encryption method for your zero trust cloud network.
Encryption is the process of converting plaintext into ciphertext. Its purpose is to protect the information or data from prying eyes. Vendor-neutral here means that your encryption methods should come from various vendors. The attacker would have to first crack every vendor crypto algorithm. You would need mathematical expertise and a very powerful computer to do this. File-level encryption, memory encryption, and end-to-end encryption are all necessary.
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Always observe your zero trust cloud network.
Always remember the "never trust" part of the "never trust and always verify" principle. Having strong security doesn’t exempt you from being a target of various threats. Always observe the flow of activities on your network. Check the logs and analyze web traffic on a regular basis. You can achieve this by using next-generation firewalls (NGFWs).
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Stay up to date with your cloud service provider.
Your cloud service provider should be up to date with the latest trends in technology and security. You also deserve to know about all these updates and news. Being in constant communication with them builds a good relationship as well.
Now you know what a zero trust cloud network is and its various benefits. You also understand the steps in protecting the data of your zero trust cloud network. If you need to know more about zero trust cloud solutions, please click here.