Cloud Security: Protecting Your Infrastructure
Cloud security requires understanding the shared responsibility model and applying security best practices.
Shared Responsibility
Provider: Physical infrastructure, hypervisor, network infrastructure, compliance certifications Customer: Data protection, IAM, application security, OS configuration, network traffic, compliance validation
Identity & Access
Account Structure: Multi-account (AWS Orgs), management groups (Azure), organization/folders (GCP) MFA: Required for all users, especially root/admin accounts, hardware tokens for privileged access SSO: Federate with corporate IDP, SAML/OIDC, conditional access Permissions: Least privilege, RBAC, just-in-time access, regular reviews
Network Security
VPC/VNet: Isolate resources, private subnets, public subnets for internet-facing Segmentation: Separate by environment/sensitivity, micro-segmentation for critical assets Firewalls: Security groups (stateful), network ACLs (stateless), deny by default DDoS Protection: AWS Shield, Azure DDoS Protection, Cloud Armor Private Connectivity: PrivateLink, Private Link, Private Service Connect
Data Protection
Encryption at Rest: Platform-managed keys, customer-managed keys, bring-your-own-key Encryption in Transit: TLS everywhere, enforce HTTPS, VPN for site-to-site Key Management: AWS KMS, Azure Key Vault, Cloud KMS—rotation, access policies Secrets: Parameter Store, Key Vault, Secret Manager—never hardcode
Workload Security
Containers: Image scanning, runtime protection, registry security, admission controllers Serverless: Function permissions, VPC access, environment secrets, resource limits VMs: Patch management, endpoint protection, security baselines, hardening
Monitoring & Logging
SIEM Integration: CloudTrail, Activity Logs, Cloud Audit Logs to SIEM Security Services: GuardDuty, Security Center/Defender, Security Command Center Alerting: Anomalous activity, policy violations, failed access, privilege escalation
Compliance
Frameworks: Map controls to SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS Automation: Config, Policy, Security Command Center for continuous compliance Evidence: Automated collection, audit trails, compliance reporting
Best Practices
- Enable MFA on all accounts
- Use separate accounts/subscriptions per environment
- Encrypt everything (rest and transit)
- Implement least privilege
- Enable comprehensive logging
- Automate security policies
- Regular security assessments
- Incident response plan
Platform-Specific
AWS: IAM with SCPs, GuardDuty, Config, Security Hub Azure: Azure AD Conditional Access, Defender for Cloud, Policy, Sentinel GCP: Cloud Identity, Security Command Center, Organization Policy, Chronicle
Bottom Line
Cloud security requires shared responsibility understanding, strong IAM, network isolation, encryption everywhere, and continuous monitoring.
