The Cloud has been hailed as the solution to all technological problems, promising faster, more agile, and cheaper solutions. It is often presented as a magical solution that can eliminate the need for infrastructure and solve various other challenges. However, it is important to recognize that the Cloud is not a panacea and does not possess any mystical powers.
Regardless of the specific ratio of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) in a cloud infrastructure, getting rid of infrastructure does not make applications obsolete or instantly fix poor cybersecurity practices. It also does not make users more cyber-smart and is not inherently cheaper without a thorough understanding of usage.
The reality is that the Cloud is essentially just someone else’s data center. Smart organizations understand this and approach the Cloud with their eyes wide open, viewing it as a trade rather than a blessing. Cybersecurity leaders can use the Cloud as a green field, taking advantage of its scalability, flexibility, security, and cost-effectiveness to build better solutions than those they had previously.
When it comes to the challenges of migrating to a cloud infrastructure, the focus should be on governance and cybersecurity. These challenges are not new; they exist with on-premise architectures as well but manifest differently in the cloud. Let’s examine these challenges one by one.
The first challenge is application obsolescence, which is essentially the failure of proper lifecycle management. On-premise, obsolete applications create a chain of outdated technologies, hindered support teams, and increased risks. While the cloud does not solve these problems, it does force organizations to confront the issue head-on. Obsolete applications cannot be moved to the cloud, and if businesses want enhanced performance and agility, they must upgrade. Cybersecurity leaders should prioritize remaining on supported solution components to avoid repeating the same mistake.
The second challenge is poor technology hygiene, which stems from a lack of awareness of vulnerabilities and misguided prioritization. Poor hygiene is not exclusive to on-premise environments; it is a people and process problem. Migrating to the cloud does not automatically address vulnerability and patch management. While automation and visibility are offered in the cloud, they must be accompanied by proper processes such as maintenance scheduling, patch validation, and customer communication. Cloud migration provides an opportunity for cybersecurity leaders to establish effective vulnerability and patch management processes without the legacy roadblocks often found in on-premise environments.
The third challenge revolves around security and compliance. Many organizations misunderstand the shared responsibility model of cloud service providers (CSPs). CSPs protect the data center, hardware, and core network, but organizations are responsible for protecting everything else, including data, access, virtual servers, applications, and identities. CSPs provide security tools, but they do not enable, configure, or maintain them. Additionally, security platforms implemented on-prem are often incompatible with the cloud, requiring security teams to learn new tools and develop new processes. Reports of cloud compromises and data breaches highlight the importance of maintaining security and compliance in the cloud.
The final area of cloud governance is cost control. While not typically a cybersecurity concern, managing operating costs is crucial for every leader. On-premise environments have finite resources that limit expansion and cost, while the cloud removes such limitations. Without proper financial controls and cost allocation models, cloud workloads can quickly multiply, leading to budget disruptions. Organizations have been found to overspend their cloud budgets, emphasizing the need for upfront planning and disciplined processes to ensure savings.
When considering Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), they all offer promises and hide concerns. SaaS may not face issues of obsolescence and hygiene, but they do come with security and compliance challenges. SaaS administrators often lack cybersecurity understanding and training, which can lead to vulnerabilities. PaaS platforms mitigate some risks but do not ensure the health of custom code. Unpatched and unmonitored code running on overprovisioned workloads can pose significant risks.
In conclusion, migrating to the cloud holds great promise, but it requires a clear understanding of the trade-offs and the willingness to seize the opportunity. The Cloud is not a magical solution; it is merely a different implementation of technology. Cybersecurity leaders must approach cloud transformation with a proactive and data-driven governance mindset, leveraging the cloud’s advantages while addressing the challenges of obsolescence, hygiene, security, compliance, and cost control. Only then can organizations fully harness the potential benefits of the Cloud.