Although the first cloud users typically adopted the technology to simply extend storage, clouds for various purposes are now forming, forever changing the IT troposphere. There are now public, private, and hybrid clouds that offer software services, database services, infrastructure services, and many more.
Cloud services are gaining popularity because they’re cost-effective, efficient, dynamic, easy to set up, and easy to maintain. However, cloud services also present some challenges, the biggest of which is security.
What are the threats?
In the research document “The Notorious Nine,” the Cloud Security Alliance identified the top nine threats to cloud security:
- Data breaches (sensitive data falling into the wrong hands)
- Data loss (permanently losing data)
- Account and service hijacking (stealing and misusing credentials)
- Insecure software interfaces and application programming interfaces (gaining access to systems and applications through insecure interfaces)
- Denial-of-Service attacks (preventing cloud service users from being able to access their applications or data)
- Malicious insiders (malicious activity by current or former employees, contractors, or other business partners)
- Abuse of cloud services (malicious activity by cloud service provider staff)
- Insufficient due diligence (companies going to the cloud without understanding the cloud environment and its associated risks)
- Shared technology issues (vulnerabilities resulting from cloud service providers sharing infrastructure, platforms, and applications)
In 2013 alone, more than 1.8 billion records were breached — and according to Arisant, 97% of these breaches could have been prevented with basic controls.
So, if only basic controls are needed, why aren’t they being implemented? Implementing preventative measures is difficult because clouds are complex ecosystems. Hybrid clouds are especially complex because they can take on nearly any form. On premise company systems, software interfaces, application programming interfaces, virtualized systems hosting the clouds, and mobile device connections all need to be protected.
Making the complex manageable
The Arisant Security Framework is a managed security solution that can provide comprehensive, effective protection for your Oracle environment.
Here’s how it works: Arisant will design a cloud security and integration roadmap specifically for your organization, applying the Oracle solutions that best meet your needs. The event-driven, real-time solution is deployable with all current and legacy Oracle systems.
Identity and Access Management (IAM) and a middleware integration tier are cornerstones of the solution. Both components offer customizable workflows that allow for human interaction, multi-protocol support, policy-based access control, centralized control and auditing, and other features that meet security regulations and standards, such as the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
After the solution has been designed, Arisant will provide a proof-of-concept presentation to demonstrate the value of the solution. You will see tangible proof that the solution:
- Simplifies access for users to the data, applications, and systems they need
- Eliminates insider threats
- Ensures regulatory compliance
- Enables auditing and reporting
Protect your cloud
The threats to cloud security are real. Although protecting your cloud can be complex, it’s not impossible — you simply need the right experts on the job!
