Why Cloud Security Assessments Are Important & How to Perform One

Oct 11, 2024

A cloud security assessment identifies risks before they become major issues. These assessments find vulnerabilities in your cloud platform by evaluating security controls and compliance measures. Regular assessments ensure your cloud setup follows industry standards and best practices.

“Misconfigurations and weak access controls contribute to cloud security vulnerabilities. Regularly review and update your security settings to reduce these risks.” – Danny Tehrani, CEO of Computers Made Easy.

However, cloud security assessments do more than identify vulnerabilities. They help you create strong strategies to protect your cloud environment. Such strategies may include using advanced security tools, training staff, and having an incident response plan catered to your needs and workflows.

Understanding why cloud assessments protect your IT network is one thing. You still need to understand how to perform an in-depth cloud security risk assessment to gain the security benefits of this process. So, the rest of this article will provide you with guidance on how to do that.

Key Components of a Cloud Security Assessment

Cloud security is a shared responsibility. Cloud providers secure the infrastructure, but organizations must secure their data. Understand your provider’s security measures and how they work with your security policies.

Regular assessments keep your security practices updated and your cloud environment secure against new threats. Here are the key components you should consider.

Infrastructure Review

Evaluate the configuration and deployment of cloud computing resources to identify any potential vulnerabilities. This includes reviewing virtual machines, storage, and networking setups. Properly configured infrastructure minimizes the risk of unauthorized access or data loss.

Identity and Access Management (IAM)

Assess the effectiveness of user access controls and permissions to prevent unauthorized access. Proper IAM policies help ensure that only authorized users can access sensitive data. Regularly reviewing these controls reduces the risk of security breaches.

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Data Protection

According to CloudSecureTech, 48% of businesses store classified or highly sensitive data using cloud services. That’s why it’s so important to evaluate encryption, tokenization, and data masking practices. Implementing strong data protection measures helps prevent unauthorized access to this highly sensitive information.

Compliance

Ensure that your cloud environment adheres to relevant regulatory requirements and industry standards. This involves continuous monitoring and updating of policies to meet compliance obligations. Staying compliant reduces legal risks and protects your organization’s reputation.

Incident Response

Review your organization’s plans and protocols for handling security incidents. If you’re one of the 77% of organizations who do not have an incident response plan, now is the time to make one. However, remember that this plan will need regular re-evaluation to ensure that it keeps up with current threats.

Third-Party Evaluations

Assessments should also evaluate third-party services. As organizations rely more on third-party providers, it’s essential to assess their security measures and how they align with your policies. Review service level agreements (SLAs) and ensure third-party providers meet industry standards.

How to Conduct a Cloud Security Assessment: Step-by-Step

1. Define the Scope & Objectives

Set clear goals for the assessment and determine which areas of your cloud infrastructure to examine. Involve key stakeholders to align security measures with business objectives and communicate these goals effectively across your organization.

2. Gather & Analyze Data

Collect relevant data and logs from your cloud environment. Analyze this information to identify unusual patterns and identify gaps that could indicate vulnerabilities.Using automated tools where possible could also enhance the accuracy and efficiency of your analysis.

3. Identify Threats & Vulnerabilities

Conduct a risk assessment to pinpoint potential threats and vulnerabilities in your cloud infrastructure. This process highlights areas where your security measures might be insufficient. Regularly updating how you perform this assessment ensures that your security strategy remains effective as new threats emerge.

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4. Evaluate Security Measures

51% of companies fail to use encryption or tokenization, which are techniques that convert data into unreadable formats to protect it. Without these measures, sensitive information stored on the cloud is more vulnerable to unauthorized access and breaches. Assess the effectiveness of your current security controls to see where improvements can be made.

5. Create a Remediation Plan

Develop a plan to address the identified security issues, prioritized based on their severity and potential impact on your organization. Clearly define the steps required to resolve each issue to ensure efficient execution.

6. Implement Improvements

Apply security patches, update configurations, and improve protocols according to the remediation plan. Testing these improvements after implementation will confirm that they effectively strengthen your cloud environment against potential threats.

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The Benefits of Using Cloud Assessment Tools

Cloud assessment tools make security assessments easier by offering automated scanning, real-time monitoring, and detailed reports. Integrating these tools with your existing security systems enhances their effectiveness.

Using advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning can further enhance monitoring and provide deeper insights into threats. Automating routine security tasks also allows your team to focus on more complex initiatives.

Your Cloud Security Assessment Checklist

A cloud security checklist ensures you don’t overlook critical areas. Below, we have provided an example checklist for your use. However, feel free to tailor this checklist to your organization’s specific needs.

Checklist Item	Description	Complete?
1. Define Scope & Objectives	Set clear goals and determine which areas to assess.	☐
2. Involve Key Stakeholders	Ensure alignment with business goals.	☐
3. Gather Data & Logs	Collect relevant data and logs from your cloud environment.	☐
4. Analyze Data for Unusual Patterns	Identify potential security gaps and vulnerabilities.	☐
5. Conduct Risk Assessment	Pinpoint threats and vulnerabilities within the infrastructure.	☐
6. Evaluate Security Controls	Assess the effectiveness of firewalls, encryption, and other security measures.	☐
7. Check Encryption & Tokenization Usage	Ensure data protection methods are in place.	☐
8. Review Compliance with Regulations	Verify adherence to regulatory requirements.	☐
9. Create a Remediation Plan	Develop a plan to address identified security issues.	☐
10. Prioritize Security Issues	Rank issues based on severity and potential impact.	☐
11. Implement Security Improvements	Apply patches, update configurations, and enhance protocols.	☐
12. Test Implemented Improvements	Confirm the effectiveness of new security measures.	☐
13. Regularly Review & Update Assessments	Keep your security strategy current against emerging threats.	☐

Enhance Your Cloud Security Posture With Expert Assistance

Protecting your business data in the cloud requires more than just a basic setup. You need to be fully aware of how your cloud-native assets are secured and performing a cloud security assessment is the best way to figure that out.

Computers Made Easy provides expert cloud security services that pinpoint risks and implement robust security measures. Our team works with you to enhance your cloud infrastructure, ensuring your data remains safe and your operations uninterrupted.