Cloud computing is more than just a buzzword – it is the cornerstone of technological innovation in our daily lives. As more companies transition from on-premise IT infrastructures to running their businesses on the cloud, this has spurred a tremendous change in the global business landscape. Better user collaboration, increased flexibility, and lower operating costs are just some of the benefits of cloud computing.
Even non-IT related industries, such as banking and manufacturing, are taking the plunge and hosting their ventures on the cloud so that they can reap its many advantages. Additionally, the move to digital has only been further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many employees mandated to work from home during this period. However, the rapid adoption of cloud services has also brought about a slew of new challenges.
A cloud system’s workload consists of an application or service deployed on the cloud, respective data generated by or entered into the application, and the various network resources that support a connection between the user and application. If any component of the workload is compromised, the cloud-based application will not function properly.
Therefore, it is integral for companies to implement adequate security measures for smooth cloud functioning, such as cloud workload protection. If you are unfamiliar with this process of securing your organisation’s cloud deployment, let us provide more information on the subject matter.
What is cloud workload protection?
Cloud workload protection entails securing workloads that migrate across different cloud environments by keeping them risk-free. As cloud computing infrastructures proliferate, vulnerabilities increase. This means that enterprises with a lack of data security are highly susceptible to cyber-attacks. However, cloud workload protection ensures that your entire workload is functional for your cloud-based application to run smoothly without any security risks.
As the digital landscape evolves, so do cybercriminals. Most of them are well-equipped with the technical skills to hack into your system. Thus, legacy security systems are no longer sufficient for organisations that have migrated their businesses to the cloud. Instead, a well-rounded defence mechanism is needed to shield your company from cyber threats and ensure that your cloud-based application and its workloads are operating efficiently. Cloud workload protection offers you just that.
What are the benefits of cloud workload protection?
Cloud workload protection is well-received among organisations operating their businesses via the cloud because it has various notable benefits that allow their companies to thrive. For example, the cloud workload protection platform provides you with greater visibility into the state of your workloads and their occurring activities. Thus, you can format these workloads as necessary to manage and assess vulnerabilities.
A study has also shown that misconfigured cloud servers are the most common vectors behind successful cyber-attacks, which result in severe data breaches. Cloud workload protection aids you in identifying any superfluous applications, permissions, and programs that can pose security threats. Doing so allows you to tighten your system, heighten data protection, and remediate any configuration issues to reduce anomalies in your cloud architecture.
Furthermore, monitoring workload behaviour is also a crucial advantage of cloud workload protection. It performs workload security through detection and response, which uncovers any intrusions within your system. This solution allows your IT team to address and halt any suspicious behaviour arising within your cloud structure as quickly as possible.
What are the different types of cloud workload protection?
Cloud workload protection encompasses several critical security controls to protect your organisation’s sensitive data and applications. This model allows you to implement workload segmentation at scale, making for an enhanced, controlled defence that safeguards your applications and services from technical risks and errors. You may think of it as a firewall shielding your every valuable workload, providing both visibility and security policy enforcement.
One aspect of cloud workload protection includes continuous track compliance. As modern applications are highly dynamic, detecting any rogue application deviating from its set security protocols before it compromises your data assets is imperative. Thus, cloud workload protection prevents irregularities by verifying that your workloads are in constant compliance with security regulations.
Another fundamental feature of cloud workload protection is that it identifies behaviour anomalies. It consistently monitors and sets notifications for suspicious or malign activities occurring within your system via workload process and communication behaviour analysis. To add on, it can also detect all pre-defined attack vectors like MITRE techniques – hence, warding off any security hazards.
Conclusion
As more business requirements begin to revolve around cloud-native security, the need to fully harness the cloud’s capabilities without compromising data security is becoming increasingly paramount. Organisations are expected to deliver a robust and comprehensive solution that addresses all plausible security concerns – and cloud workload protection has risen to that challenge.
However, should you remain concerned about the security risks posed by migrating to the cloud, you may want to consider enrolling your employers in relevant IT security courses to mitigate the risks associated with cloud services.
If you are interested to learn more about implementing effective cloud workload protection processes in your company’s cloud infrastructure, you can consider signing up for our upcoming webinar on the subject, which is a joint collaborative effort between Palo Alto and CompTIA. To help you get acquainted with cloud workload protection, a panel of IT experts will be shedding light on all you need to know about this innovation and how it can elevate your business’s success.
