$8,000,000,000,000 – That’s 8 trillion USD, about a third of the US’ GDP in 2022. This sum is what researchers say organizations are likely to lose in cyberattacks in 2023. So, it’s no wonder that Flexera 2023 State of the Cloud Report found that cloud security is one of the biggest and most pressing concerns for 79% of organizations. Cloud security optimization is only second to cloud cost management on C-suite leaders’ to-do list for the year. However, while enterprises are busy balancing shrinking budgets, criminal groups are innovating.  

The rapid digitization and cloud adoption sparked by the Covid-19 pandemic has left many organizations exposed with their sensitive data vulnerable to even the simplest of attacks. Reports indicate that a growing number of cyberattacks target business collaboration tools such as Slack or Microsoft Teams.

Research found that healthcare facilities in the US alone reported an average of 1,410 weekly cyberattacks per organization in 2022. This is an 86% increase compared to the previous year. The global loss to cybercrime is predicted to grow more than 15% year by year to reach $10.5 trillion by 2025.  

On the positive side, bolstering your cloud security has never been easier. Cloud optimization services have risen to the occasion with proactive threat detection, robust identity management and most importantly, continuous cloud security monitoring.  

Why your business needs continuous cloud security monitoring? 

Security tools and approaches such as single password-only mentality, firewalls, antivirus software, and pen testing aren’t enough to withstand today’s sophisticated cyberattacks. Verizon’s 2023 data breach investigations report found that 74% of breaches involved some human element, which include error, privilege misuse or social engineering. In particular, 49% of breaches by external factors involved use of stolen credentials. With traditional security controls failing to keep up, continuous cloud security monitoring has taken over as the foundation for effective cloud security optimization.  

The dynamic nature of cloud environments demand high visibility into data, infrastructure and applications in real-time along with improved threat detection, incident response, vulnerability management and compliance assurance. Continuous cloud security monitoring, checks all these boxes with a dash of automation thrown in the mix to make up for any human errors. It is a proactive approach to cybersecurity, delivering real-time actionable security information. It expedites response time and provides routine reports and data for enhanced decision-making.  

Continuous cloud monitoring in action

There is no dearth of monitoring tools in the market. Most tools can also be customized per use case or industry or the size of your cloud environment. All you need to do is integrate the tool with your system, make sure it covers all your assets and is connected to your compliance program. The tool runs routine scans checking with its knowledge base to detect and flag any anomalies. It is important to note that while continuous monitoring is your foundational tool for improved cloud security, it can’t be the only tool in your arsenal. The software needs a knowledgeable security team to keep watch over it and take steps to fix vulnerabilities or act on its remediation suggestions.  

One of our clients, a leading financial institution, needed help with setting up a highly secure Azure infrastructure. Its primary focus was implementing comprehensive security measures to guard the infrastructure and data. Aspire Systems’ cloud experts stepped in, providing round-the-clock monitoring. With security experts in control, the client could focus wholly on the core business. The team implemented Azure Sentinel for centralized SIEM activity, Azure AD SSO and MCAS security solution for 3rd-party applications and Intune for device security. They also set up Next-Gen Palo-alto, allowing security teams complete visibility over the whole network.  

Benefits imparted include: 

  • 40% cost savings with end-to-end automated deployment 
  • Quick resolution of issues related to functionalities, add-ins, integrations, customizations, and new features 
  • Proactive monitoring of the VDI storage 
  • Improved security with regular resetting of passwords 
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Building a comprehensive cloud security optimization strategy

Cloud security optimization is a continuous process and security responsibilities don’t lie with just a single team. It is crucial to foster a culture of cloud security, driving in the importance of strong passwords, multi-factor authentication and regular warnings against phishing mails. Security tools and approaches also work better with company-wide participation in the cloud security optimization journey. Aspire Systems’ cloud optimization services help you create a cloud optimization strategy that works for your specific business needs and goals, irrespective of your cloud provider. We’ve helped clients across industries optimize their cloud security and have provided extensive training sessions to ensure they are up to date on the tools implemented. 

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