With the rapid uptake of cloud computing in recent years, it is no surprise many organizations have security front and center of their minds. Last year, Gartner reported global spending on cloud management and security would reach $18 million in 2022, which spells a 30% increase in growth over the following two years.
So where exactly will this spending be committed in 2022? Companies looking to keep up with recent trends in cloud security should keep an eye on the following:
Cybersecurity mesh
A mesh network is a type of network that groups together smaller networks to be used as one larger network. In the case of cybersecurity, a mesh is used to connect different devices and computers in order to create an effective defense against cyber-attacks.
Cybersecurity mesh is a strategy that uses many different layers of protection. It first secures each device with its perimeters such as firewalls and network security tools. Then, it combines all the individual devices into one large cybersecurity network by using their connections to form a holistic approach in which no single point can be compromised without destroying the entire system surrounding it.
This makes cybersecurity meshes more resilient against cyber threats because they are comprised of so many aspects rather than just one slab or layer on top of another—making them less susceptible to malicious attacks while also making defenses much stronger due to redundancy and complexity. It also enables cloud services to be brought into a zero trust architecture.
Zero trust architecture
Zero trust is a cybersecurity strategy that removes the idea of trust, to protect IT environments both on-premise and in the cloud. This is a reversal of the traditional perimeter security model, which worked on the premise that malicious actors were on the outside of the network perimeter, and trusted users were on the inside. Zero trust assumes no user is trustworthy until their identity is authenticated and verified.
As many organizations now have cloud infrastructure, they may have applications and data centers spread across multiple locations, creating a fragmented security architecture. This is when it is vital for security teams to incorporate zero trust into the design of new cloud infrastructure from the beginning.
Hybrid and multi-cloud environments
As cloud computing continues to grow in popularity, more businesses are turning to hybrid and multi-cloud environments to save money while still getting the performance they need when it comes to their IT infrastructure.
A hybrid environment involves using both public cloud services and on-premises resources, while a multi-cloud environment is one that uses multiple cloud providers for different types of tasks. Hybrid is said to be already used by 90% of organizations and multi-cloud adoption will be strong in 2022. However, both hybrid cloud and multi-cloud environments increase complexity, which reduces visibility, increasing security challenges. Cloud security trends to improvise security in hybrid and multi-cloud environments will include independent, cloud-native solutions, deploying SaaS products, automation of processes, and consolidation of security tools for the entire environment.
Artificial intelligence
Cybercriminals are utilizing automation to evade detection and attack faster while simultaneously targeting multiple threat surfaces. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) will become imperative for keeping cloud environments secure, as the technology is increasingly being used to secure IoT devices, analyze and predict human behavior, and detect and prevent fraud.
Machine learning is highly effective at analyzing large amounts of data and making accurate decisions based on what it finds in those datasets, providing the ability to use a greater amount of data to make more accurate predictions about potential future cyber events. This can be used for cybersecurity by detecting threats at an earlier stage and before they become an attack. AI can be used to automate this process, making it faster and more responsive.
Blockchain and cloud
One of the biggest concerns for organizations using cloud-based technology is the potential for data breaches and loss. Blockchain technology has been used for some time (think cryptocurrency), described as a digital ledger that stores transactional records, duplicated and distributed across an entire network of computer systems. Data cannot be modified or tampered with by one person, as the data is stored permanently on the blockchain, and allows complete visibility of where, when, and how it is used (and by whom). Combining blockchain and cloud will offer a decentralized, secure space with enhanced authorization and data logs for organizations to ensure highly efficient cybersecurity.
With more cloud migrations happening than ever before, as organizations continue moving workloads and data centers to the cloud, the trends in cloud cybersecurity are seemingly endless. Your digital transformation to cloud-based computing needs a security-first approach from the beginning, to ensure your critical data is protected while leveraging the benefits of cloud technology. The cloud engineers at Skynet MTS will ensure your cloud infrastructure is as secure as possible, today and into the future.