Cyber Defense eMagazine December Edition for 2021

If security controls are not consolidated in one platform, this leads to the following issues:
• Lack of central visibility: Using different solutions for each cloud platform - and often even
multiple solutions per platform, such as cloud security posture managers (CSPM) and cloud
workload protection platforms (CWPP) - makes it nearly impossible to get a centralized overview
of risks. This means that you will not have a clear handle on your overall cloud security posture
and which risks require the most immediate attention.
• High operational costs: Duplicating security policies for different cloud security and compliance
tools can quickly become an exhausting drain on your already understaffed cloud security team.
Cloud workload protection platforms (CWPPs) also require the installation of an agent on every
cloud resource to be monitored. The larger and more diversified your cloud estate, the more time
consuming it is to install and maintain agents for every resource.
• Lack of consistency: If you are forced to use several different cloud security tools with each
having different configuration options, it is a complex task to ensure the same security and
compliance checks are performed across all cloud estates.
• Increased chance of errors: The more manual intervention and duplication security policies
require, the more room for human error and wrongly configured security controls.
Best Practices for Multi-cloud Security and Compliance
To minimize the complexity and overhead of securing a multi-cloud environment, follow these five best
practices:
1. Insist on multi-cloud support: This one is a no-brainer; make sure your cloud security vendor
supports multiple cloud provider platforms.
2. Consolidate cloud security solutions: Leverage full stack cloud security solutions (CWPP and
CSPM in one - also referred to as a cloud-native application protection platform -- CNAPP), so
you can reduce the number of point solutions and replace them with a single tool for all your cloud
environments.
3. Go agentless: Eliminate resource-heavy agent deployments that reduce nimbleness and hinder
your ability to move applications to other cloud platforms when needed.
4. Get platform specific mitigation steps: Use a cloud security solution with contextual intelligence
that prioritizes critical risks and provides platform specific mitigation instructions to make it easier
for practitioners to work on multiple cloud platforms.
5. Identify cost saving strategies: Make your CISO love you by using a cloud security tool that
allows you to view detailed information on each asset on every cloud platform, including how often
it is used. This enables you to advise on further cost saving strategies, such as moving certain
applications to other cloud platforms and consolidating or removing redundant services.
Cyber Defense eMagazine – December 2021 Edition 81
Copyright © 2021, Cyber Defense Magazine. All rights reserved worldwide.