Cloud computing has revolutionized the way companies operate, offering scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency. However, cloud computing also poses significant security challenges, such as data breaches, cyberattacks, compliance issues, and insider threats. Data breaches can expose sensitive information, such as customer data, intellectual property, or trade secrets, to unauthorized parties, resulting in reputational damage, legal liability, and financial loss. As cloud adoption continues to grow, so does the need for effective and innovative cloud security solutions. 

Here are some of the top Cloud-based Network Security Trends to watch in 2024:

1. Zero Trust Security

Zero trust security is a model that assumes no network, device, or user is trustworthy by default and requires continuous verification and authorization for every access request. It is the first trend of Cloud-based Network security. This approach minimizes the attack surface and reduces the risk of unauthorized access, data leakage, and malware infection. Zero trust security relies on technologies such as identity and access management (IAM), multifactor authentication (MFA), encryption, micro-segmentation, and endpoint detection and response (EDR).

Prediction: Zero trust security will become the standard for cloud security, as more organizations adopt a cloud-first or cloud-only strategy, and face increasing threats from sophisticated cybercriminals and nation-state actors.

Advancement: Zero trust security will leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to automate and optimize the verification and authorization processes, and to detect and respond to anomalies and attacks in real-time.

Adaption Strategy: Organizations should implement a zero-trust security framework that covers all aspects of their cloud environment, including data, devices, users, applications, and networks.

2. Cloud Native Security

Cloud-native security is a term that refers to the security of applications and infrastructure that are built, deployed, and managed using cloud-native technologies, such as containers, microservices, serverless, and orchestration tools. Cloud-native security aims to protect the entire cloud-native stack, from the code to the runtime, and to ensure the security, reliability, and performance of cloud-native applications. We consider it the second Cloud-based Network Security Trend:

Prediction: Cloud-native security will become more important and challenging, as more organizations adopt cloud-native technologies to accelerate their digital transformation, and as cloud-native applications become more complex and distributed.

Advancement: Cloud-native security will leverage cloud-native technologies themselves, such as service mesh, observability, and policy as code, to provide security as code, security as a service, and security by design.

Adaption Strategy: Organizations should adopt a cloud-native security strategy that aligns with their cloud-native architecture and culture, and that covers the four pillars of cloud-native security: build, deploy, run, and connect.

3. Cloud Security Posture Management

Cloud security posture management (CSPM) is a term that refers to the process of assessing and improving the security posture of cloud environments, by identifying and remediating misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, and compliance violations. CSPM involves technologies such as cloud configuration assessment, cloud security audit, cloud compliance monitoring, and cloud remediation automation. CSPM also involves best practices such as cloud security standards and cloud security policies.

Prediction: CSPM will become more critical and complex, as cloud environments become more heterogeneous, dynamic, and distributed, and as cloud regulations and standards become more stringent and diverse.

Advancement: CSPM will leverage AI and ML to provide continuous and proactive cloud security posture assessment and improvement, and to enable self-healing and adaptive cloud security.

Adaption Strategy: Organizations should adopt a CSPM strategy that covers all their cloud assets and services, across all cloud models and providers, and that aligns with their cloud security objectives and requirements

4. Cloud Access Security Broker

Cloud access security broker (CASB) is a term that refers to a software or service that acts as a gatekeeper between cloud users and cloud services, and that enforces security, compliance, and governance policies. CASB involves technologies such as cloud visibility, cloud threat protection, cloud data protection, and cloud identity and access management. CASB also involves functions such as cloud discovery, cloud monitoring, cloud encryption, cloud firewall, and cloud anomaly detection.

Prediction: CASB will become more essential and versatile, as cloud usage and diversity increase, and as cloud users and devices become more mobile and remote.

Advancement: CASB will leverage cloud-native technologies and architectures, such as containers, microservices, serverless, and service mesh, to provide scalable, resilient, and distributed cloud access security. CASB will also leverage AI and ML to provide intelligent and adaptive cloud access security and to detect and prevent advanced cloud threats.

Adaption Strategy: Organizations should adopt a CASB strategy that covers all their cloud users and devices, all their cloud services and applications, and that supports their cloud security and compliance goals and obligations.

5. Cloud Security Automation

Cloud security automation is a term that refers to the use of automation technologies and techniques to perform cloud security tasks, such as cloud security configuration, cloud security testing, cloud security monitoring, and cloud security response. Cloud security automation involves technologies such as cloud orchestration, cloud scripting, cloud APIs, and cloud bots. It also involves methodologies such as cloud security as code, cloud security as a service, and cloud security by design.

Prediction: Cloud security automation will become more necessary and beneficial, as cloud environments become more agile, scalable, and complex, and as cloud security tasks become more repetitive, tedious, and error-prone.

Advancement: Cloud security automation will leverage AI and ML to provide smart and autonomous cloud security automation, and to enable self-learning and self-improving cloud security

Adaption Strategy: Organizations should adopt a cloud security automation strategy that covers all their cloud security processes and workflows, and that enhances their cloud security efficiency and effectiveness.

6. Cloud Security Education and Awareness

Cloud security education and awareness is a term that refers to the process of educating and training cloud users and stakeholders on the importance, principles, and practices of cloud security, and of raising their awareness and understanding of the cloud security risks, challenges, and opportunities. Cloud security education and awareness involves activities such as cloud security courses, cloud security certifications, cloud security webinars, cloud security newsletters, and cloud security campaigns.

Prediction: Cloud security education and awareness will become more relevant and impactful, as cloud adoption and innovation increase, and as cloud security becomes more complex and dynamic.

Advancement: Cloud security education and awareness will leverage cloud technologies and platforms, such as cloud learning management systems, cloud gamification, cloud virtual reality, and cloud social media, to provide engaging, interactive, and personalized cloud security education and awareness.

Adaption Strategy: Organizations should adopt a cloud security education and awareness strategy that covers all their cloud users and stakeholders, and that fosters a cloud security culture and mindset.

Conclusion

Cloud security is a vital and evolving aspect of cloud computing, that requires constant attention and innovation. In this article, we have discussed some of the top Cloud-based Network Security Trends to watch in 2024, such as zero trust security, cloud-native security, cloud data protection, cloud security posture management, cloud access security broker, cloud security automation, and cloud security education and awareness. These trends reflect the growing demand and challenge for securing cloud environments, applications, and data, and the emerging opportunities and solutions for enhancing cloud security.

We help you implement and manage the best cloud security solutions for your business’s specific needs and goals. Whether you need to secure your data, applications, identities, or networks, we have the expertise and experience to help you achieve cloud security excellence.

Don’t let cloud security risks hold you back from achieving your full potential. Contact us today and find out how Consilien can help you protect your cloud assets and optimize your cloud performance.