As businesses seek greater agility, scalability, and cost-efficiency, the move to the cloud ecosystem is gaining traction across various sectors. This transition is reshaping how organizations operate, pushing the boundaries of traditional IT infrastructure and introducing new paradigms in data management and security.
Managed Security Services Providers (MSSPs) are at the forefront of navigating this change, offering crucial insights and services to safeguard digital assets in the cloud.
Key features of MSSP cloud monitoring
- Continuous monitoring
MSSPs continuously monitor the cloud environment for any abnormal activity. This includes tracking user access and behaviors, network traffic, and changes to configurations. This real-time detection of potential threats minimizes the window of opportunity for attackers.
- Integrated security techniques
MSSPs cover various security surfaces, such as threat detection and response, firewall monitoring, and incident management, to create a layered security architecture. This integration enhances the overall security posture by covering all potential entry points into the cloud environment.
- Compliance management
Today's varied compliance frameworks and data regulation controls can pose a challenge to organizations hosting their operations in the cloud. MSSPs help by updating compliance strategies to adapt to the evolving cloud landscape and regulatory requirements, and they monitor cloud environments for adherence to standards such as the GDPR, HIPAA, and the PCI DSS.
Common cloud security threats that MSSPs monitor
Apart from generic cloud monitoring services, MSSPs monitor for various cloud security threats to ensure the safety and security of their clients' cloud environments.
- Vulnerability exploits: These are exploits that occur when attackers take advantage of known vulnerabilities in cloud infrastructure, applications, or data. MSSPs monitor for these exploits by continuously scanning for vulnerabilities and implementing patches and updates to address them.
- Phishing: These attacks occur when attackers send fraudulent emails or messages to trick users into revealing sensitive information, such as login credentials or financial information. MSSPs monitor for phishing by implementing email filtering and user education to help prevent users from falling victim to these attacks.
- Ransomware: These attacks occur when attackers encrypt a victim's data and demand a ransom to restore access. MSSPs monitor for these attacks by implementing backup and recovery solutions, as well as monitoring for suspicious activity that may indicate a ransomware attack.
- Insider threats: These threats occur when employees or contractors with authorized access to cloud infrastructure, applications, or data use that access for malicious purposes. MSSPs monitor for these threats by implementing access controls, monitoring for suspicious activity, and providing user education to help prevent insider threats.
- Advanced persistent threats (APTs): These sophisticated attacks occur when attackers gain unauthorized access to a network and remain undetected for an extended period. MSSPs monitor for these threats by implementing threat detection and response solutions, as well as monitoring for suspicious activity that may indicate an APT access.
The shift to the cloud is transforming how businesses operate, introducing new security considerations that MSSPs need to be prepared to address. However, MSSPs that offer the above services can provide their clients with the assurance of effective cloud environment monitoring that's secure, compliant, and resilient against the evolving landscape of cyber threats.
