Guest author: Mike Privette, VP of Information & Cyber Security at Passport
Published on 3rd January 2023
I’ve been asked by a number of people lately what I’ll be focusing on in 2023.
For me, there are two key areas:
For many, managing these two areas is most straightforward with Cyber Risk Management software.
Living and working ‘in the cloud’ has become the norm. Cloud-based computing has made it possible for organizations to store vast amounts of data safely and securely, without the need for costly on-premise servers. However, as technology evolves, so do the techniques of cybercriminals. This means it’s more important than ever to ensure you have robust security measures in place to protect your applications and infrastructure.
Well, with millions of us working remotely, functioning in the cloud has become a normal part of everyday business for many organizations.
Applications such as Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace and Zoom are now our go-to collaboration tools. Although they help us to stay connected to clients and colleagues, they also present an ever-increasing number of security threats.
Before the pandemic, most people connected to a corporate network from within their office, which meant that high-level firewalls and other layers of security protected sensitive data, files, and servers.
However, with more remote working came rapid digital transformation.
Suddenly businesses were forced to fast-track cloud migration and enable workers to access networks from home with VPNs, which opened a whole new world of vulnerabilities.
It’s all about refining and improving processes. If you know what the threat is, you can put preventative measures in place.
Managing the security of cloud-based applications can be complex, especially with the move to the public cloud and the development of collaboration tools that facilitate high volumes of traffic. Traditional security measures no longer provide adequate protection.
So, what steps can your organization take to improve its application security management?
Here are some of my top suggestions:
It’s time to move away from traditional security methods and adapt to an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Automating certain processes via the cloud enables organizations to develop, deploy and scale cloud applications at speed, as well as reduce risk and keep better control on costs.
It’s not a pain-free process and will require detailed planning, but when done correctly it means that complex, lengthy tasks can now be completed at the touch of a button. IT and development teams will have the ability to create and modify applications or processes automatically.
Monitoring and securing different manually controlled cloud-based systems can be a challenge, especially as it significantly increases the risk of human error. However, cloud automation can help configure firewalls, access points, and networks to address any errors that may have caused insecurities within an infrastructure.
Incorporating certain automated processes into your IT workflow means a reduction in misconfigurations, a more resilient network, and accelerated compliance.
Processes that can be automated include:
Automating cloud security processes allows you to focus on innovation and growth.
Rapid digital transformation means many organizations now rely on cloud-based infrastructure, which has become central to their day-to-day processes. By automating a number of these processes, you can avoid misconfigurations, reduce the risk of human error, keep IT costs down, and improve efficiency across multiple areas of your business.
But how do you choose what to automate, and what not to automate?
Here are my three key recommendations:
Automation removes the need for time-consuming manual tasks and allows engineers to focus on their actual job.
Technology is changing, and so is the approach of cybercriminals. What was once accepted as the best form of security is no longer fit for purpose. Organizations need to adapt and adopt methods that take these new attack methods into account.
Today’s world is powered by the cloud and remote working, so ensuring you have high-level application security management and cloud automation in place should be top of your list of priorities for 2023 and beyond.