8 Key Steps to Building Your Hybrid Cloud Security Strategy

A hybrid cloud security strategy is essential to any organisation's data protection plan. It combines the best features of cloud-based and on-premises security technologies to protect data and applications in both environments. Hybrid cloud security strategies provide businesses with a comprehensive approach to protecting their systems from malicious actors and accidental damage.  

By leveraging the strengths of both on-premises and cloud-based security models, organisations can build an effective security strategy that meets their unique needs and requirements.  

However, this comes with its own set of security challenges. This article will discuss the eight steps to build your hybrid cloud security strategy.

Step 1: Understand Your Data and Its Sensitivity

The first step to building a hybrid cloud security strategy is understanding your data and its sensitivity. This means identifying the data that you want to store in the cloud and how sensitive it is. 

Sensitive data such as personally identifiable information (PII) or financial data requires more security than less sensitive data. This understanding will help you determine the level of security controls, such as encryption, that you need to implement.

Step 2: Choose the Right Cloud Provider

You must ensure your cloud provider has the necessary platform security controls and certifications to protect your data. Look for cloud providers that comply with industry standards, such as ISO 27001, SOC 2 and PCI DSS. It would help if you also considered the cloud provider's physical security, such as access controls and surveillance systems.

Step 3: Establish a Security Framework

Establishing a security framework is critical for your hybrid cloud security strategy. This involves defining the security policies and procedures that your organisation needs to follow. 

This framework should cover all security aspects, including access controls, data protection, incident response and disaster recovery. It should also define the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders, such as IT, security and business teams.

Step 4: Implement Access Controls

Access controls are essential for your hybrid cloud security. You need to ensure that only authorised users can access your cloud resources. This involves implementing multi-factor authentication, password policies and role-based access controls. You should also monitor user activity and implement logging and auditing mechanisms to detect unauthorised access attempts.

Step 5: Encrypt Your Data

Encrypting your data is critical for your hybrid cloud security. Encryption ensures that your data is protected even if it falls into the wrong hands. You should encrypt your data both in transit and at rest. This involves using SSL/TLS encryption for data in transit and encrypting your data using robust encryption algorithms such as AES for data at rest.

Step 6: Implement Network Security Controls

This involves implementing firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems and virtual private networks (VPNs). You should also segment your network and apply access controls to restrict traffic between different segments.

Another key component of any hybrid cloud security strategy should be automated threat modelling. Automated threat modelling enables businesses to identify security risks and vulnerabilities in their cloud environments and develop proactive mitigation strategies.

Step 7: Monitor and Detect Security Incidents

You must implement security monitoring tools such as SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) and log management solutions to detect any security events. You should also have an incident response plan to respond quickly and effectively to security incidents.

Step 8: Test and Validate Your Security Controls

To identify security weaknesses, you must perform regular security assessments, vulnerability scans and penetration testing. You should also conduct regular security audits to ensure your security controls work effectively.

Conclusion

A hybrid cloud security strategy is a journey, and organisations should regularly assess their security posture and update their policies as needed. With the right strategy, businesses can ensure their hybrid cloud is secure and optimised for their business needs.

If you need help with building your hybrid cloud security strategy, contact Aristiun. Our automated solutions help the organization continuously assess, demonstrate and verify the current state of the security in the public cloud, prioritize the security domains and manage the performance across the lifecycle of the controls. Request a demo today!