8 Things You Should Do for Cloud Security Posture Management Success

  • December 28, 2022
  • Elisa Silverglade
  • 8 min read

With the increasing cases of cyber threats, you shouldn’t take chances with how you manage your cloud security. Here are some things to do to succeed in your cloud security posture management. 

Key Takeaways:

  • Cloud security posture management is a set of tools and processes that help organizations assess and improve cloud security.
  • The three primary reasons you need a CSPM are data security, compliance, and cost savings.
  • Develop a clear understanding of your security posture and assess the associated risks.
  • Establish clear policies, use multi-factor authentication, establish regular patching practices, and implement access control
  • Get professional assistance from Techromatic. 

Organizations moving to the cloud must implement proper security measures to protect data and applications. Cases of cyber risks are increasing, and it only makes sense for small and big companies to secure their cloud infrastructure better than before. 

The question now is, how can you secure your cloud infrastructure and data? First, you need to have an elaborate Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) – a critical process that should be implemented correctly for the best results. 

Here is everything you need to know about CSPM, why it matters, and how to implement it for ultimate success. 

What Is Cloud Security Posture Management, and Why Does It Matter?

If you’re like most people, the term “Cloud Security Posture Management” (CSPM) may not mean much to you. But even if you’re unfamiliar with the term, CSPM is something your business may need for data security and compliance reasons. 

So, what is cloud security posture management, and why does it matter?

CSPM is a set of tools and processes that help organizations assess and improve their security posture in the cloud. It allows organizations to scan their cloud infrastructure for potential risks and vulnerabilities. Once these risks have been identified, the CSPM will provide recommendations for how to mitigate them. 

Now you know what cloud security posture management means, but why should you be worried about it in the first place? 

-Secure Your Data

Today, data is everything, and as more businesses move their operations to the cloud, it’s becoming easier for hackers to access sensitive information. A proper CSPM will reduce such risks by identifying potential vulnerabilities and recommending solutions. 

-Compliance Purposes

CSPM can help businesses comply with industry-specific regulations—such as HIPAA for healthcare or PCI DSS for credit card transactions. Depending on your specific industry, there may be compliance requirements to adhere to, and better management of your cloud security posture can put you on the right track. 

-Cost-Saving Reasons

With CSPM, your company can avoid costly downtime and recovery expenses by identifying and remediating risks before they result in an actual security breach. In addition, many CSPM solutions come with built-in optimization features, which are critical in reducing overall cloud costs.

Now the biggest concern is, what do you need to do to successfully manage your cloud security posture? Below are the eight things to do.

8 Steps to Take for Cloud Security Posture Management Success

There are some critical steps you must take if you want to manage your cloud security posture successfully, including the following.                     

1. Establishing Clear Policies

Highlighting policies and procedures is the first step toward successful cloud security posture management. Having unified standards and guidelines for employees allows for a comprehensive understanding of CSPM requirements and ultimately improves your security efforts. 

It’s also essential to ensure each policy contains regularly updated CSPM and adequately outlines punishable offenses in case of violations. Developing a policy outlining how data should be stored, accessed, and protected will make things clear for your team. 

Again, you want to be sure to familiarize yourself with all applicable laws and regulations and any industry standards that apply to your organization’s use of cloud-based services

2. Opt for Multi-Factor Authentication

One of the most critical steps to take when setting up CSPM is adopting Multi-Factor Authentication as a layer of enhanced security. This includes using identity verification measures, like biometric authentication or two-factor authorization, when logging in to sensitive accounts and applications.

Authenticating users in your cloud infrastructure is the surest way to know that only authorized personnel can access your data and applications. Using cryptography to store and access sensitive data will also enhance your existing security efforts and provide ongoing protection for the ultimate good.

3. Establish Regular Patching Practices

Cloud security posture management success relies on regular patching practices. This requires organizations to actively manage cloud security configurations, systems, and patches, to streamline a cloud security technique that keeps out potential threats and malicious actors. 

Establishing continuous patch assessment and deployment cycles can offset risks by quickly applying updates to cloud infrastructure configurations and expanding cloud asset inventories. 

4. Implement Access Controls

Utilizing access control in cloud security posture management is also essential. Begin by taking advantage of cloud access security brokers (CASB) services to get visibility into cloud usage, detect threats, and remediate cloud-specific risks. 

Organizations can remain vigilant against cyber threats and minimize the risk of data breaches by having additional guardrails and authentication steps in place. 

5. Establish a Vulnerability Management Strategy

The most crucial step in successful cloud security posture management is establishing a comprehensive vulnerability management strategy. The goal is to provide visibility over cloud assets and detect any threats that may be present, and this can be done through:

  • cloud security monitoring
  • cloud asset inventorying
  • compliance testing
  • internal and external penetration testing

Establishing an effective vulnerability management program will come in handy in identifying potential issues so they can be addressed quickly and efficiently. The success depends on concrete policy enforcement measures, standard cloud configurations, and resource utilization assessments. 

6. Monitor and Audit Logs Regularly

Another critical step in managing cloud security posture is to monitor and audit logs regularly and vigilantly. One perfect way to ensure this is to keep track of all tools running in the cloud to ensure everything functions as expected. These logs must also be audited periodically to:

  • Identify weaknesses
  • Discover and identify anomalies associated with suspicious activities
  • Alert the appropriate team members of any unauthorized changes or security violations 

Regular monitoring and auditing log files will help you detect malicious trends that could, otherwise, compromise your cloud security posture.

7. Use Encryption Where Possible

Encryption is also an essential technique in managing your cloud security efforts, and it will ensure your data is safe. Paying attention to both ends of the connection is advisable, as data passing between virtual machines usually require special consideration. A robust encryption method can make all the difference in guaranteeing efficient cloud security posture management.

Take advantage of encryption technologies whenever possible to ensure the confidentiality and integrity

of data stored in the cloud. That way, you can rest easy knowing your company is safe against the increasing cyber risks and increase customer trust in the processes. 

8. Monitor Cloud Services for Misconfigurations

Proactively monitoring the configuration of your cloud system for security issues can help you identify and address possible risks. 

A misconfiguration is any service or resource configuration error that can lead to a security breach. To find and fix misconfigurations, you must constantly monitor your cloud. There are a few different ways to do this, including:

  • Manually checking for changes in the AWS Management Console or Azure Portal
  • Using a third-party tool like Cloud Conformity or Server Density
  • Setting up alerts in your monitoring tool of choice, so you’re notified as soon as a change is made

It’s crucial that you take action as soon as possible, as it could prevent future malicious activities or minimize impacts if the unlikely were to occur. 

Above all, getting professional assistance will make a much-needed difference, and Techromatic can help. 

Successfully Manage your Cloud Security Posture with Techromatic

In an era of digital transformation, big data, and ubiquitous access to the internet, cloud security posture management (CSPM) is a top priority. With the ever-growing number of cyber threats, it is essential to have a CSPM strategy to keep your data safe and secure. 

Implementing successful cloud security posture management yourself can be challenging, and that’s where expert service from Techromatic comes in handy. We are a leading IT and automation provider dedicated to offering cutting-edge and innovative solutions to help businesses like yours deliver results and generate revenue. 

Our CSPM strategies help ensure you will get automated remediation of misconfigurations to reduce risk and keep you updated with your cloud security. Moreover, our team is always on standby to assist where automation cannot do much, ensuring round-the-clock and error-free service. 

We are only a phone call away – contact us today, and we’ll be glad to assist you in implementing successful cloud security posture management.