Top Challenges and Risk of Hybrid Cloud Security

Hybrid Cloud is a concept that pertains to how companies can access, store, and utilize data across public cloud and private cloud. The underlying idea of the Hybrid Cloud is to enable businesses to store their data in diverse locations, potentially reducing storage costs and enhancing security. Nonetheless, this flexibility also introduces specific risks associated with Hybrid Cloud adoption.

One of the primary hurdles for businesses aiming to leverage a Hybrid Cloud is the secure management of their data, particularly when operating across various platforms and locations. In this blog post, we will delve into some of the key security challenges and risks associated with Hybrid Cloud, equipping you with insights on how to safeguard your company against cyber threats.

*Explore key security challenges and risks of Hybrid Cloud enviroment*

Hybrid Cloud Security Challenges

Hybrid Cloud security challenges come in various forms, but five major hurdles stand out:

1. Complexity and Visibility

When organizations utilize multiple public and private cloud services, managing their information framework becomes complex. Without proper tracking procedures, access to data gradually diminishes. Complexity can introduce security loopholes and increase the risk of data leaks due to errors or misconfigurations. To address this, companies may need to revise their security approaches.

2. Knowledge and Skills Gap

The rapid growth of cloud systems has led to a shortage of cybersecurity experts. Finding skilled professionals capable of managing cloud services is challenging. Bridging this knowledge gap requires investing in training and continuous skill development to ensure a robust Hybrid Cloud infrastructure.

3. Shift in Security Responsibility

Security responsibilities evolve in a public cloud environment, with more control shifting to cloud service providers. Understanding these changes in a shared security responsibility model is crucial. Attempting to apply private cloud security controls in a public cloud setting can lead to challenges and exposure to threats without a clear operating model.

Furthermore, it is crucial for businesses to clearly understand the shared security responsibilities, whether those are their own or the CSP’s, to identify and implement effective security measures for their systems against network attacks such as ransomware. This understanding helps minimize losses and potential data compromises.

4. Network Protection Mismatches

Network security remains a concern for businesses. Most public cloud security tool options enable private cloud settings but may lack full functionality. Some tools can secure the private cloud, they may not be compatible with public clouds. Additionally, container management often overlooks aspects like service mesh and API security, leaving containers vulnerable to cybersecurity threats.

5. Distributed Logging and Monitoring

Effective logging and monitoring require gathering data from various sources, including public clouds, vendor tools, on-premises systems, and cloud-native services. Establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) and key risk indicators (KRIs) for reporting is essential. Custom reporting dashboards can convey risk severity and impact on cloud services, enhancing visibility for identifying advanced threats across the ecosystem.

*When adopting Hybrid Cloud, businesses often worry about security issues*

Hybrid Cloud Security Risks

While the advantages of a Hybrid Cloud can simplify operations, it's crucial to be aware of potential security challenges associated with cloud services. Here are some of the security risks associated with Hybrid Cloud services:

1. Data Leakage

Hybrid Cloud services often rely on internet connections between cloud components, creating a risk of data leaks due to errors, man-in-the-middle attacks, or compromised endpoints. Properly securing and implementing cloud management APIs is essential to mitigate this risk.

2. Compliance Complexity

Data flow between public and private cloud components introduces compliance challenges. Maintaining a centralized compliance framework alongside separate infrastructures becomes difficult, especially as different service providers may have varying compliance requirements. Achieving and maintaining consistent compliance can be a significant challenge.

3. Security Control Gap

Inconsistencies or misalignments in security control setups are common in Hybrid Cloud services. There is often a noticeable gap in security control maturity between public and private clouds, with the public cloud typically having stronger security controls. Ensuring that private cloud frameworks remain adequately patched can be challenging.

4. Misaligned SLAs

Service level agreements (SLAs) for public and private cloud services can vary significantly. Private cloud SLAs are typically less stringent than those for public cloud services. Managing different SLAs to provide an end-to-end oriented SLA for users can become complex.

5. Risk Assessment

Comprehensive security risk assessment for Hybrid Cloud services can be challenging. Assessments are often conducted separately for public and private clouds rather than comprehensively as a unified whole. This can make it difficult to maintain a consistent security posture and overall compliance for Hybrid Clouds.

6. Encryption Gaps

Hybrid architectures may face data protection risks individually, making the overall Hybrid Cloud vulnerable to data transfer-related incidents. Proper encryption measures are essential to mitigate these risks, especially in interconnected structures.

7. Network Connectivity Issues

Maintaining connectivity between public and private clouds is vital for meeting SLAs. Any error in the network architecture can disrupt cloud services, highlighting the importance of robust network design and management.

Data backup helps your systems defend against unseen security risks, such as ransomware attacks

Strategies to Address General Challenges and Risks in Hybrid Cloud Security

To address challenges and mitigate risks associated with Hybrid Cloud security, consider the following best practices:

Implement different access levels: Allocate varying levels of access rights for different aspects of your Hybrid Cloud environment, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access sensitive resources.
Data classification and management: Secure, classify, identify, and effectively manage sensitive data within your Hybrid Cloud to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.
Threat management and awareness: Maintain a proactive stance against evolving threats by staying informed and adapting to new security challenges with accurate threat awareness and response strategies.
Data encryption: Regularly encrypt your cloud-stored data to safeguard it from potential breaches and unauthorized access. For instance, when using vStorage – Cloud storage service, or vBackup – Data backup service of VNG Cloud, your data is encrypted to international standards with AES 256-bit encryption and securely transmitted via HTTPS protocol.
Dataless service connectivity: Explore cloud services that allow for connectivity without the need to transmit sensitive data, reducing exposure to security risks.
Choose reliable Cloud Service Providers: Select Cloud Service Providers with ample resources and personnel to effectively handle potential issues and provide robust security measures. Ensure that your chosen provider adheres to industry standards and security protocols, aligning with your specific security requirements.
Data tracking and monitoring: Familiarize yourself with data tracking and monitoring tools to enhance visibility and control, minimizing security risks. For example, vMonitor Platform of VNG Cloud provides a comprehensive solution for collecting, analyzing and alerting on Metric and Log data from VNG Cloud, other clouds or on-premise environments.
Security assessment: Conduct thorough security assessments to analyze your Hybrid Cloud's requirements and vulnerabilities, allowing for targeted security measures.
Resource compatibility: Verify the compatibility of your existing resources and infrastructure with the selected cloud services to avoid compatibility issues that could compromise security.
Stay informed about cloud technology: Always stay updated about emerging cloud technologies and security trends to make informed decisions, and adapt to evolving threats.
Maintain reliable cloud connectivity: Ensure consistent connectivity to your Hybrid Cloud environment to prevent interruptions in service availability.
API Security: Implement robust security measures to protect APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) from unauthorized access and potential vulnerabilities.

Final thoughts

Using cloud services poses challenges and risks. Experts are actively seeking ways to mitigate these risks with Hybrid Clouds. The fast-paced IT sector makes staying updated challenging. While adopting cloud services comes with challenges, most can be addressed with proper guidance. However, it's essential to remain vigilant about potential Hybrid Cloud risks.

With over 15 years of experience in cloud computing, VNG Cloud is here to help mitigate these risks during your digital transformation journey. Please contact us for more detailed consultation.