CC&G Week 3 Posting - Cloud Migration Security

 Cloud Migration Security

    As cloud services continue to rise in popularity, organizations around the world will continue to make the jump to the cloud. While the entire migration process is something organizations need to plan for, there are a number of security concerns that also need to be prepared for. Risks encountered during cloud migration have the possibility of making large negative impact on an organization. Organizations should have security solutions for each phase of the the cloud migration process, pre-migration, during migration, and post-migration. 

Pre-Migration

    It is crucial for an organization to have a solid and secure foothold before starting a migration to cloud services. During this phase, security teams should run scans and assessments to identify risks and vulnerabilities that could impact the migration process. In addition to scans and assessments, data should be classified to ensure the proper security measures are in place, both at rest and in transit. When moving an organization's entire infrastructure, applications, and resources from on-premises to the cloud, it is crucial to know what you have and what it needs. Organizations should create a thorough inventory of all applications, assets, and resources. They should also identify what dependencies each item needs. This will ensure that all items will have what they need to function correctly once migrated. It is also important to plan to utilize encryption when looking to transfer data, applications, and resources for optimal security. 

During Migration

    Once the transition begins, it is vital that all the proper security controls are in place. If not already implemented, identity and access management (IAM) should be put in place. IAM controls should leverage the principle of least privilege to ensure access is restricted to authorized users. Multifactor Authentication (MFA) is another security tool that should be added for increase security. In addition to those two security controls, user activity should also be monitored for anomalous or suspicious activity. Any found issues should be mitigated as quickly as possible. It is also important that any data, at rest or in transit, is properly encrypted. With so much data on the move, data loss prevention methods should also be implemented to prevent any data from leaving unauthorized.

Post-Migration 

    Once the migration is complete, the job is done! Pack your bags and pat yourself on the back! WRONG!!!!! The process of securing data and the cloud environment does not stop. Threats continue to sprout up and evolve. Organizations and cybersecurity professionals must remain vigilant when maintaining security. Continuous security monitoring is a must. Tools like SIEM and vulnerability scans can be used to collect and monitor logs, identify weaknesses, and work proactively to keep the organization secure.