Cloud computing has created the biggest tectonic shift in IT this century. It has reshaped and optimized the process of application development and data storage, giving organizations the agility to rapidly and efficiently scale in accordance with their business needs. It has also drastically reduced capital expenditure costs and total cost of ownership for organizations lacking the resources to grow exclusively with on-premises infrastructures. While cloud technology has been around for some time now, many organizations are still in the early stages of adopting it, and some are still yet to begin their journey. One thing is for certain: Companies operating in today’s digital landscape can achieve major business benefits by shifting to a cloud or hybrid operating model, while those that don’t may get left behind.
The advantages of cloud operating models are vast and extend well beyond what I have even mentioned so far. But there are also challenges that come with moving to the cloud, namely complexity and risk. Optimizing a cloud strategy requires continuous adjustment and reconfiguration as you scale – not to mention a high level of expertise. And utilizing the resources available in various cloud services means you have an expanded attack surface. All of this introduces vulnerabilities that can be difficult to secure without the right people, processes, and technologies. Purchasing tools and crossing your fingers that your cloud service provider (CSP) has built-in security controls simply won’t get it done.
In fact, CSPs do have built-in, native security controls, but there’s a division of responsibility between you and your provider. In order to implement a comprehensive security posture, there must be clear ownership for things like data classification, network controls, and physical security. Dividing these responsibilities is known as the shared responsibility model for cloud security. Simply put, CSPs are responsible for security “of” the cloud, while customers are responsible for security “in” the cloud. The duty to secure your own data very much remains your responsibility, as much so as it is with your on-premises resources. So, if you don’t have the resources or expertise to secure your cloud environments, does that mean you can’t utilize them? Not at all! It just means you might need help. And the help is out there!
Pondurance Managed Detection and Response (MDR) for security in the cloud
Cloud security controls like identity access, configuration, and patch management (just to name a few) require deep understanding of best practices and procedures in order to implement them. Also, to gain complete visibility of your cloud networks, you need the right tech and expertise to ensure you are ingesting all — not just some — of the security events and log data from your cloud providers and associated services.
For organizations that lack the resources and/or expertise to implement and secure a complex cloud network, an MDR service provider like Pondurance cannot only help you implement a cloud strategy and fulfill your obligations under the shared responsibility model. It can also partner with you to help you mature your cloud security posture as you scale.
With Pondurance MDR, you get the same level of protection in the cloud that you do on- premises. That’s because we are the first MDR provider to deliver deep, comprehensive visibility across all major clouds including AWS, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure.
Our system is cloud native, enabling us to keep pace with the dynamic, constantly changing nature of cloud networking by monitoring cloud environments with log and packet ingest on the Pondurance network sensor. For logs, we can deploy either an on-premises or cloud-based sensor to pull provider logs into our pipeline. For packets, the network sensor is virtual and is deployed directly into your cloud environment either connecting directly to the cloud provider’s API or connecting through the use of the visibility platform, CloudLens, that mimics this functionality in cases where cloud providers do not offer APIs. This part is important! Some of the biggest CSPs in the industry do not offer direct APIs for packet capture, and many MDR providers do not use a visibility platform for cloud monitoring. Without one, there will be blind spots that create vulnerabilities in your system. Pondurance MDR deploys the right tech to give you 360-degree visibility across networks, endpoints, logs, and of course, clouds. But technology is only half the story because it’s only as good as the people operating it. The people sitting behind those security tools will be the people who make the difference when something goes bump in the night.
The Pondurance team
Pondurance’s security operations center (SOC) is staffed with some of the best cybersecurity talent in the industry. If you have recently moved to the cloud or are looking to do so, Pondurance has the people, processes, and technology to help you along your journey as a trusted partner. Our security analysts, threat hunters, and incident responders bring decades of experience and expertise to your organization, acting as an extension of your team and immediately shoring up your security posture. Our SOC monitors your environments and hunts for threats 24/7, and our analysts are available for direct consultation via the Pondurance Scope platform anytime day or night. With Pondurance’s cloud integrations and elite SOC team, you get complete visibility, monitoring, detection, and response across environments.
Pondurance’s high-touch approach and commitment to defending the human experience have proven to be successful for clients looking to move to the cloud, mature their security programs, and evolve with the ever-changing threat landscape. Not all MDR providers are created equal. For more information about how Pondurance can help you secure your environments both on-premises and in the cloud, contact us for a demo today!
