More employees are working in the cloud than ever before, which requires cybersecurity professionals to secure them. In 2022, this usually means tackling emerging hybrid multi-cloud security issues. The average employee uses numerous public clouds every day, and nearly 40% of enterprises require specialist hybrid cloud security infrastructure. For these reasons, businesses must implement new best practices and compliance procedures that will serve them well in the future.
Definitions of Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Cloud Security
Although the terms “multi-cloud security” and “hybrid cloud security” are frequently used interchangeably, they represent unique architectures that can impact your best practices:
A multi-cloud environment is any system architecture composed of numerous public cloud services. For example, a company may utilize Amazon Web Services for email and remote computing but store analytical data in Microsoft Azure. Multi-cloud systems have enormous promise when it comes to increasing efficiencies and avoiding reliance on a single cloud provider.
A hybrid cloud is a cloud environment that combines public and private cloud technologies. These architectures enable businesses to divide their data between local servers and cloud providers. A company, for example, could store sensitive personal and financial data in the private cloud while conducting less sensitive procedures in the public cloud.
A hybrid cloud deployment that includes numerous public clouds is what we know as a multi-cloud deployment. Hybrid clouds always include a private cloud and are typically managed as a single entity. Multi-clouds, on the other hand, usually include more than one public cloud service and do not have to include a private cloud at all. If they do, they will be both a hybrid and multi-cloud. It’s hard to manage hybrid multicloud security issues.
The Current State of Hybrid Multi-Cloud
Companies are increasingly utilizing several clouds. 58% of businesses currently use two or three public cloud providers, such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform. 31% even use numbers between four and ten. There are various reasons why you should use multiple clouds. Different clouds, for example, may serve different application demands, and utilizing numerous clouds can help to avoid vendor lock-in. Another reason that businesses may use several cloud solution providers (CSPs) is to reduce costs.
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is even more prevalent than multi-cloud; 45% of firms use five to ten SaaS providers, and 23% use 20-100 distinct SaaS! The pervasiveness of SaaS makes sense, given the increased reliance on digital services such as email, remote collaboration tools, video calls, and CRM systems in recent years.
Organizations are not just utilizing SaaS, which originates in the cloud , but they are also utilizing cloud infrastructure to host workloads. Currently, 82% of enterprises employ hybrid IaaS cloud architecture. This combination enables architects to choose the appropriate environment for each workload type. So, what are some common workloads in hybrid infrastructure? Backup or catastrophe recovery is the most common (73%). It is most likely due to the fact that a distributed footprint can effectively control fallout in the event of an attack. Following this are application development (70%), archiving (50%), cloud bursting (51%), and security processes (47%).
What Are the Advantages of a Hybrid Multi-cloud Strategy?
Combining the finest of two separate cloud service providers will provide your IT strategy with limitless potential and flexibility. Still, trying to convince of the benefits of a hybrid multi-cloud strategy? Consider the advantages of using this type of technology in your initiatives.
A more customized approach
When you implement a multi-cloud architecture into your IT strategy, you are matching your business requirements with the best service providers for the job, making it far more suited to the demands of your customers. The extra benefit is that instead of having to change your processes to satisfy the criteria of a supplier, you may access various solutions that best match each element of your organization.
Encourages innovation
When you automate the multi-cloud management process, you’ll have far better workload coordination and hybrid workflows. This automation enables efficient data management and orchestration across cloud environments, boosting deployment choices and providing you with a larger pool of novel features.
Avoid committing to a single vendor
When your apps are built into just one singular vendor, you face the danger of becoming locked in with them, making it far more difficult to shift providers in the future. Regardless of whether that particular vendor is appropriate for you at the time, if you need to scale up or down, it may be difficult. Furthermore, you may lose out on some better discounts in the future.
Developers can strive to design apps that work across several platforms by using a multi-cloud approach from the outset. It means you’ll always be able to take advantage of the greatest pricing or capabilities from various providers without sacrificing what you can offer your clients!
Improved risk management
Nothing is worse than essential pieces of technology failing when you need them the most. Therefore, a risk management strategy in place is always a good idea. By implementing a hybrid multi-cloud architecture, you offer an extra degree of security. If one of your vendors’ infrastructure fails or falls victim to a hacking attempt; you may simply switch to another provider or back everything up to a private cloud to secure your applications and crucial data.
Accomplish complete agility
Many traditional businesses are constrained in their ability to handle multi-cloud operations independently. Therefore they look for a supplier they can rely on to handle these activities. You can unlock complete agility and workload mobility by bringing in an expert party.
Conclusion
Because each cloud provider is responsible for its own data protection, you can trust that your personal information will be under safe protection without having to do anything on your end. However, ensuring that your vendors frequently audit your network security will be critical, especially as your equipment and applications evolve.
