New and improved offerings from IBM Security have been designed to help businesses manage their cloud security policy, policies, and controls through hybrid cloud environments.
Today’s businesses use a combination of cloud and on-premises services to achieve a balance of agility, security, and cost savings. To help companies create a cohesive security strategy across their cloud environments, the services integrate cloud-native, IBM, and third-party technology, as well as IBM expertise.
Although hybrid cloud’s versatility has many advantages, many businesses struggle to retain visibility and efficiently manage the scope of security controls in this distributed IT environment. According to the 2020 Cost of a Data Breach Study, cloud misconfigurations were a leading cause of data breaches, accounting for nearly one-fifth of all data breaches examined.
IBM Security Services
IBM Security Services for Cloud has been extended to help businesses implement a clear security policy across their hybrid cloud environments, with support from IBM experts who have experience managing native security controls across Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, among others.
IBM’s services assists organizations to evaluate their current cloud protection posture and also to create and manage access, policies, and technical controls to protect new and existing cloud resources.
The services use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation to help organisations detect and prioritise risks, react to potential threats across cloud environments, and link the data to their broader security operations and on-premises systems.
Commenting on the development, Vikram Chhabra, Global Director, Offering Management and Strategy, IBM Security Services said “Cloud security can appear daunting, with defenders facing an expansive attack surface, shared responsibility models and rapidly evolving cloud platforms and tools,”
“We cannot assume that legacy approaches for security will work in this new operating model – instead, security should be modernized specifically for the hybrid cloud era, with a strategy based on zero trust principles that bring together context, collaboration and visibility across any cloud environment.”
Simplifying Cloud Security through Technology and Expertise
IBM Security Services for Cloud offers an open and automated solution that combines cloud-agnostic security expertise with an integrated range of cloud, proprietary, and third-party technology solutions to help simplify hybrid cloud security.
Clients can use the services at any point of their cloud security journey, from advising on how to transfer data, users, and workloads to the cloud to offering ongoing risk analysis and threat management of their current hybrid cloud architecture.
Cloud Native Security Services
New advisory and managed security services will provide unified visibility, management, and monitoring of native security controls across all cloud environments — and help reduce the risk of cloud misconfigurations and offer insights into potential risks and threats.
IBM experts can assist in the design and implementation of cloud-native controls protection practises focused on relevant business and regulatory criteria, as well as provide continuous monitoring and reporting on how configurations are being optimised across the organisation.
Cloud Security Posture Management
Clients can make use of the new advisory and managed security services to develop and execute a Cloud Security Posture Management solution (CSPM) to resolve governance and compliance across cloud service providers.
Cloud Security Strategy
Improved consulting services for hybrid and multi-domain security evaluation and planning, focused on industry frameworks including the CSA Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM).
The services can now assist businesses in assessing the security posture of cloud workloads and services, as well as providing risk mitigation recommendations. These services offers a customized strategy and security maturity roadmap tailored to specific client business and regulatory needs using proprietary techniques.
These services draw on IBM’s core capabilities and experience to help clients protect their cloud environments. Clients can use the IBM X-Force Threat Management Services to handle the entire lifecycle of security threats, including detection, investigation, and response.
IBM also provides security services for the Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), which aids companies in securing their cloud environments by taking an organised approach in preparing and implementing a CASB solution.