While moderating a recent conference panel session of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), I posed a question about their primary protection strategies as they transition infrastructure to the cloud. The panel’s corporate sponsor, a leading security company offering a high-tech, machine-learning solution for virtualized hosting in the public cloud, had strongly encouraged this question.
To my amusement (and perhaps to the sponsor’s disappointment), every participant emphasized the need for foundational security controls, particularly a robust program of basic cyber hygiene. Each CISO stressed the importance of ensuring their virtual house was in order before they could provide adequate security, compliance, and privacy for their workloads hosted in major public cloud infrastructures.
The Value of Cyber Hygiene
This anecdote underscores the value proposition championed by Rita Gurevich, CEO of SPHERE Technology Solutions: Cyber hygiene is essential for the foundational protection of an organization’s most critical assets. This principle applies not only to legacy infrastructure, including traditional data centers, but also to modern cloud services encompassing a myriad of applications, systems, and platforms.
The Three Roles of Cyber Hygiene in Cloud Security
- Protection Against Architectural Seams:
Cyber hygiene mitigates risks arising from the architectural seams that can occur when applications and systems, such as Active Directory and the Domain Name System, span legacy enterprise and multi-cloud networks. Poorly managed permissions, sloppy account management, and other configuration errors are common issues that cyber hygiene can address. - Ensuring Compliance During Transition:
As networks are reconfigured and applications rehosted, regulators often become nervous. A solid cyber hygiene program ensures that compliance requirements are met, easing the compliance burden and satisfying auditors. Basic hygiene measures are typically the first elements regulators probe for non-compliance, making a strong foundation program indispensable. - Commonality of Protection Across Diverse Environments:
In hybrid architectures, including multi-cloud hosting, cyber hygiene promotes consistent protection. While different networks may require specific controls, the core principles of hygiene, such as permissions management and least privilege, apply universally. For example, web hosting protections in Azure may differ from those in a physical data center, but the fundamental hygiene practices remain the same.
Enhancing Cyber Hygiene with SPHERE
If these themes resonate as your infrastructure shifts towards modern multi-cloud hosting, it’s worth exploring how SPHERE Technology Solutions can enhance your cyber hygiene program. Their expertise can help you clean up complex and often sloppy administrative tasks that attract cyber threats.
Explore SPHEREboard:
SPHEREboard offers advanced features for managing permissions, ensuring least-privilege, and maintaining robust cyber hygiene across hybrid environments. Integrating SPHEREboard into your infrastructure can streamline your security practices and enhance overall protection.
Conclusion
As your organization transitions to cloud environments, prioritizing cyber hygiene is essential for ensuring security, compliance, and operational efficiency. By addressing architectural seams, meeting compliance requirements, and promoting common protection standards across diverse environments, a robust cyber hygiene program provides a solid foundation for your cloud strategy. Engage with SPHERE to learn how their solutions can help you maintain a secure and compliant cloud infrastructure.
FAQs
- What is cyber hygiene?
Cyber hygiene refers to the practices and steps organizations take to maintain the health and security of their IT environments. It includes managing permissions, ensuring least privilege, and addressing configuration errors. - Why is cyber hygiene important during cloud transition?
Cyber hygiene is crucial during cloud transition as it addresses the risks associated with architectural seams, ensures compliance with regulatory requirements, and promotes consistent protection across hybrid environments. - How can SPHERE Technology Solutions help with cyber hygiene?
SPHERE provides expertise and tools, such as SPHEREboard, to manage permissions, ensure least privilege, and maintain robust cyber hygiene across hybrid environments. Their solutions help clean up administrative tasks and enhance overall security. - What are the benefits of a strong cyber hygiene program?
A strong cyber hygiene program helps protect against security risks, ensures regulatory compliance, and promotes operational efficiency. It provides a solid foundation for managing IT environments, particularly during transitions to cloud infrastructures. - How does SPHEREboard enhance cyber hygiene?
SPHEREboard offers advanced features for managing permissions, ensuring least privilege, and maintaining robust cyber hygiene. It helps streamline security practices and provides comprehensive protection across hybrid environments. - Why is least privilege important in cyber hygiene?
Least privilege is important because it limits access rights to the minimum necessary for users to perform their tasks, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and potential security breaches.
