Today’s digital world is quickly moving to a hybrid IT model, in which the enterprise uses cloud-based applications and brings its legacy systems and data from on-premises networks into the virtual environment. This hybrid model has several advantages for organizations, such as being able to access resources anywhere at any time, but it also poses specific security challenges for organizations.
Challenges of integrating cloud security with on-premises networks and other legacy systems exist at three levels. If a company wants to implement a hybrid architecture, it must work out how its in-house systems fit into that model and what changes need to be made, so they are secure.
At the policy level
Cloud providers have their security processes and policies, which need to be mapped onto an organization’s strategy. A company’s hybrid architecture involves creating a system that incorporates its in-house systems. They analyze the system’s technical requirements, including data storage and retrieval methods, and data storage and retrieval methods are understood to understand the company’s policy.
At the technical level
While cloud security policies and technical standards are crucial to data security, the hybrid environment can provide security issues. For example, if a company’s hybrid cloud environment uses a public cloud but it has sensitive data stored on-premises. This puts the company at risk if it accesses it from the public cloud or if the sensitive data is stored in a private cloud.
At the human level
Cloud security policies and technical standards are crucial to data security, but the hybrid environment can pose security issues. For example, if a company’s hybrid cloud environment uses a public cloud like AWS, but it has sensitive data stored on-premises.
At the organizational level
To reap the benefits of a hybrid environment, an organization must ensure that the hybrid environment itself is secure. It is not enough to ensure data security when using a hybrid model; the hybrid environment must also be secure. As with any other technology, many risks come with using a hybrid cloud environment. Organizations can minimize these risks by implementing specific best practices. Furthermore, hybrid environments are not just about data security; they also need to ensure that the user experience is seamless across the different settings.
The critical challenges in hybrid cloud security
Some primary challenges organizations face in integrating hybrid cloud security include:
1. Integration challenges:
Integrating legacy systems with cloud technologies can be challenging, especially if they are developed in a different programming language than those used in the cloud environment.
2. Policy management challenges:
The policies in place for legacy systems and data need to be mapped onto the hybrid environment, ensuring they are relevant to the hybrid environment and don’t disrupt the operation of the hybrid environment.
3. Risk management challenges:
Hybrid cloud security has the advantage of being able to scale resources while the advantage of responding to increased demand.
4. Security Challenges:
Hybrid cloud complexity stems from the fact that security is the elephant in the room, and it is an API-driven infrastructure where the weakest link is the public clouds. Because developers may not be familiar with the correct security practices or implementation required by each client organization, the weakest link is one or more of the public clouds.
5. Governance:
At the highest level, IT governance is aimed at standardizing processes in the enterprise. Whether there are private or public cloud systems, managing a hybrid cloud that combines multiple systems will be more complex. Because of this, the need for governance arose to provide oversight and direction in the past.
Evolving threat landscape
Hybrid cloud security has the advantage of being able to scale resources, but it poses challenges of its own. However, the increased risk of cyberattacks comes with increased use, so the evolving threat landscape also challenges hybrid cloud security.
Key takeaways
The modern hybrid IT model combines cloud-based applications with legacy systems and data from on-premises networks. For organizations, this model has the advantage of being able to access resources anywhere, but it poses security challenges. These challenges include mapping policies, managing technical standards, and ensuring a seamless user experience across the hybrid environment.