Securing your cloud networks: Strategies for a resilient infrastructure

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In the context of cybersecurity, ensuring resilience is crucial to maintaining business operations in a contested cyber environment. Resilience refers to the ability to achieve mission or business objectives even when faced with cyber threats and attacks. This article provides steps to ensure that if cloud networks fail, businesses can continue to operate effectively.

One important step in achieving resilience is understanding what data and operations are essential for the business to function. This includes protecting data defined by regulations, intellectual property, and financial data. Critical infrastructure sectors such as telecommunications, healthcare, food, and energy should prioritize security measures for operations that are vital for survival and sustainability.

Another key aspect of resilience is ensuring availability from the cloud provider. Service-level agreements (SLAs) specify the level of availability that the provider guarantees. Businesses should carefully consider the required level of service to maintain operations effectively. Downtime can have significant consequences, so it’s important to choose a provider that meets the organization’s needs.

Storing backups of critical data is crucial for maintaining business operations during incidents such as ransomware attacks. It’s recommended to have a backup plan that includes multiple vendors to reduce risk. Following the 3-2-1-1 rule (making three copies of data, on two different mediums, with one offsite and online, and one offsite and offline) can further enhance data protection. Automating backups and snapshots can ensure preparedness for worst-case scenarios.

While outsourcing services like cloud networks may mean relinquishing some control, gaining visibility into the network is essential. Cloud access service brokers (CASBs) can provide insights into data transfers and usage, enabling assessment for prevention of attacks and impact on business operations. CASBs also enforce security policies such as authentication and encryption.

Testing preparedness through incident response tests is an important step to ensure consistency and identify any gaps. Regular testing allows for updated assessments of preparedness, and investing resources in verifying and testing infrastructure can pay off when an attack occurs.

In conclusion, achieving resilience in cloud networks requires understanding priorities, ensuring availability from the cloud provider, storing backups, gaining visibility, and testing preparedness. By implementing these steps, businesses can establish a secure and resilient cloud network.

Key Points:
1. Resilience in a contested cyber environment is crucial for business continuity.
2. Identify and protect data and operations essential for business survival and sustainability.
3. Choose a cloud provider with appropriate service-level agreements for required availability.
4. Implement backup strategies that follow the 3-2-1-1 rule and automate data backups.
5. Gain visibility into cloud network traffic and enforce security policies with CASBs.
6. Regularly test incident response preparedness to ensure consistency and identify gaps.