There is no established model for cloud security

Harpreet Bhatia
Director, Channels & Strategic Alliances – India & SAARC, Palo Alto Networks

“The world around us is changing faster than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic has almost instantly changed the way we live and work. Businesses, including ours, have had to adapt quickly to enable a massive remote workforce. Unfortunately, cybercriminals have also been quick to adapt to cash in on the pandemic, causing an increased risk of cyberattacks.

The first aspect companies need to consider is network traffic protection. The inspection of traffic is a vital requirement for securing access and controlling the movement of data. Security teams must build policies that are consistently enforced, regardless of whether the operating endpoint is remote or internal. Besides traffic, data also needs to be protected by securing the network internally – not all users within an organization need access to every nook and cranny of the corporate network. Security teams thus have to adopt network segmentation measures that allow for the partitioning of their network, and to enforce precise controls for access to internal resources based on business needs. Mobile device management is an integral part of any BYOD security strategy. This includes both pre-usage controls, such as providing strong authentication options, as well as other preventive measures such as protection against phishing and credential theft. Although these devices may be privately owned, policy-based security must be instated across the BYOD environment. Possible measures can range from simple – such as requiring a PIN to unlock the phone – to technology-based solutions, such as the ability to remotely lock specific apps if one’s device is lost or stolen.

Using AI, the frequently observed threat data & multiple threat feeds can be automated and left to ML algorithms which can decipher attack patterns, leaving the cybersecurity teams to spend time on advance threat hunting. The future of cybersecurity depends on a platform approach. This will allow cybersecurity teams to focus on security rather than continue to integrate solutions from many different vendors. It allows them to keep up with digital transformation.

The cloud, however, is a completely different story. There is no established model for cloud security. The good news is that there is no big deployment of legacy security solutions in the cloud. This means organizations still have a chance to get it right. We can fix how to access the cloud and manage security operations centers (SOCs) to maximize ML and AI for prevention, detection, response and recovery. Only with an integrated platform can cybersecurity teams leverage automation to rapidly monitor, investigate and respond across multi cloud environments and distributed networks that encompass users and devices around the globe.”