COVID-19 is widely responsible for the majority of the changes in how companies approach security. A recent PwC report found that a staggering 96% of companies make security-related changes.
The transition to the cloud prompted by COVID-19 presents big challenges to security. As organizations move to multi-cloud strategies, many are struggling to secure their infrastructure. The standard approaches to cloud security tend to slow down and waste organizations’ time and money.
The problem is largely due to the flawed approach to cloud security. And it’s all about rearchitecting how applications are built and secured.
Skills Gap
The cloud security skills gap is a known issue that many companies are struggling with, with 70% of cybersecurity professionals calling a skill gap their organization’s issue.
One solution is having “security champions” for each developer team. These individuals can act as a liaison between the security team and the developers, enforcing rules and regulations.
Collaboration
Another important aspect to consider is the joint partnership between the engineering team and the security team. Close collaboration between security teams and developers, weekly meetings etc. will help in ensuring better security of the cloud infrastructure. Here, one of the most challenging aspects of working together is how the security team is perceived. Is it “a protector” or “an auditor?” The answer: Security team is guys who are responsible for protecting us from bad actors.
For companies that are in their early stages, when the security team is already created from the start, it can be easier to form this collaboration with the security team.
For established companies, the complexity of this task is much greater, as they already have the structures and teams in place. Instead of trying to marry separate teams, these companies should create a joint task force that includes developers and security professionals.
Disparate technology stack
Aside from aligning the various teams within an organization, its also critical to align the technology stack across the organization. The lack of integration across the stack is a big issue. The complexity of the cloud environment presents many security challenges. When an organization chooses legacy security tools, each one often covers just a portion of the puzzle. This creates:
Noise – its reduction is one of the most critical factors in security
Deployment complexity – this increases the work of developers and security teams
Coverage issue – instead of focusing on a single tool, developers are expected to deploy multiple tools instead of focusing on a single deployment
It’s never too late to start doing things properly. It can make a huge difference in the long run. While using legacy tools often leads to frustration and inferior results.
