Studies show that more than 90 percent of organizations that use cloud computing also utilize more than one cloud provider. This includes public, private, and hybrid cloud solutions. It is essential to have a cloud security management platform designed to monitor security settings, prevent Google Cloud vulnerabilities, and assist you in maximizing the benefits of cloud computing as a whole. Having the team and tools to effectively manage multi-cloud workloads and ensure security for critical data is an absolute necessity. Microsoft Defender for Cloud is one of the most popular and effective tools used by businesses across the country to monitor and manage security for public cloud services, including the Google Cloud Platform, AWS, and Azure.
Intuitive Tools and Expanded Abilities
As the technology behind cloud computing continues to evolve, cybercriminals, hackers, and other concerns expand and grow more intense, as well. It is essential to stay on top of the latest technology to ensure that your sensitive data is protected. Microsoft Defender for Cloud can help you to identify security risks and attack paths, while also scanning for any sensitive data that might have been inadvertently stored within the public cloud. Previously, these services were only available for AWS and Azure platforms, but now include Google Cloud vulnerabilities and services, as well. Of all the public clouds and services used by businesses in America, these are the top three that are used the most.
In an interview concerning the launch of the newly added services for the Google Cloud platform, a Microsoft spokesperson stated that it is now actually rare for businesses to use just a single cloud network. The thought behind this is to divide the risk, provide increased protection for certain types of data, and make accessibility to company programs easier for remotely located or traveling staff. However, when using a multi-cloud approach, it can be challenging to provide consistent security and management without a tool that can handle it all. Microsoft answered the challenge and turned its Azure Security Benchmark into a cross-platform tool, renaming it the MCSB or Microsoft Cloud Security Benchmark.
What Does the MCSB Do?
Moving beyond services for Microsoft customers, the newly named Microsoft Cloud Security Benchmark provides management and monitoring support for Microsoft Azure, Amazon’s AWS, and the Google Cloud platform. It combines the relevant recommendations from the national Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), and the Center for Internet Security (CIS) to create a comprehensive service for their customers. By aligning these three standards and using the guidelines, technology, and cloud security management requirements, they are able to align and effectively manage all three cloud services in one centralized tool.
Free resource monitoring is also available when connected to Microsoft Defender for Cloud. This can help businesses to not only bring all of their cloud services together in a cohesive way, but to also find AWS, Azure and Google Cloud vulnerabilities and even predict attacks before they occur. This is one of the hallmarks of Microsoft programs and is just one of the many reasons why their services are so effective. When using the GCP connector provided by MCSB, Microsoft Defender for Cloud can build a graph database of everything you have in the cloud across all platforms to help you see what data is stored where and how it might be accessed or attacked. This information is then used to help protect sensitive data using a method that Microsoft refers to as data aware security posture.
Some of the items scanned for by the program include: credit card details, financial records, social security numbers, customer data, addresses, patient information, and other sensitive things that you wouldn’t want to have lost in a data breach or have accessed by an unauthorized person. Other items can include credentials, including SSH private keys, SQL connection strings, and other critical company data that should not be stored in the cloud.
Cloud Security Management in the Greater Boston Area
If you would like to speak with one of our representatives at Synivate about Microsoft Defender for Cloud or any of our other services designed to manage and monitor security settings to provide cloud security management in the Greater Boston area, give us a call at 617-848-1248. We can answer any questions that you might have about private, public, or hybrid cloud computing, as well as assist you in creating a custom network security program designed specifically for your business.