Translating cloud security from buzzword to the bottom line

While the tangible advantages of edge-to-cloud services over traditional file storage solutions make them easier to sell to the C-suite, their inherent efficiency can easily become a weapon in the hands of a malicious intruder.

For healthcare providers, the centralisation of the cloud is a fundamental part of the appeal. But, without a culture of cyber-hygiene, internal simplicity can rapidly morph into external vulnerability.

In 2020, IBM found the average total cost of a data breach was US$3.86 million. This number was even higher for healthcare, energy, financial, and pharmaceutical businesses relative to less-regulated industries. Misconfigured cloud servers and stolen or compromised credentials were tied as the most frequent initial threat vector in 2020.

For high-stakes sectors, like finance and government, strong fundamentals are not enough. The threatscape is constantly changing. Cloud management services can be a powerful equaliser, helping businesses pivot from purely defensive to a proactive posture of active threat mitigation.

Event-driven automation can allow cybersecurity specialists to devote more operational bandwidth to find root causes rather than only respond to incidents. In a utility-adjacent context, this additional reaction time can enable vendors to detect and address critical issues before they become a service disruption or outage.

Beyond security, cloud management solutions are also an asset when it comes to remaining compliant with regulations. Government-affiliated agencies can face increased scrutiny over how they handle, secure, and store sensitive data.

When it comes to the cost of data breaches, a growing divide separates businesses with a less-advanced security posture and those who adopt a more progressive stance. Bridging this gap begins with having a cloud management solution capable of delivering scalability, visibility, and control — but this is only the beginning. Cultivating the long-term value of the cloud starts with confronting its immediate implications on everyday practices.

Leadership capable of deciphering the mystique around cybersecurity is necessary. Executives need to be willing to take ownership of what their version of cloud security looks like and be daring enough to use the authority at their disposal to make it a reality.