Shifting operations to the cloud is a big step for many companies. However, the benefits are significant for most, enabling them to quickly scale their services or applications while remaining more agile as they grow. However, the rush to cloud adoption often uncovers some gray areas when it comes to expanding and protecting digital surfaces. And the issue of shared security gives rise to the need for a shared responsibility model.
Why? Organizations can often struggle to know who exactly is responsible for data security as information moves seamlessly between their on-premises environments and their Cloud Service Providers (CSPs).
A common misconception is that when migrating to cloud services, all data security elements and accountabilities pass over to a CSP. However, this assumption can quickly get businesses into trouble if they don’t understand how the Shared Responsibility Model (RSM) works.
Below, we’ll break down how this framework operates and show how, when applied correctly, it can seriously strengthen your company’s overall security posture.
How Does the Shared Responsibility Model Work?
Cloud adoption gives businesses the ability to offload many of their workloads to their CSPs. This includes needing to purchase and provision infrastructure in-house, such as servers and databases, which can significantly cut down on operational costs and internal resource drain.
However, outsourcing these operations to a cloud provider doesn’t mean the business isn’t still liable to some degree for the privacy of the data they contain. This is why the Shared Responsibility Model was created.
An SRM helps to clearly divide certain responsibilities when it comes to CSPs and their clients. It helps to map out how different security elements are managed and how each party should be responsible for and manage the deployment of various data privacy protocols.
The Difference Between “Of the Cloud” and “In the Cloud”
The SRM is built around the concept of two core ideas when helping to define accountabilities in cloud-based settings. These are referred to as “Of the Cloud” and “In the Cloud.”
Security “OF” the cloud covers everything the CSP is responsible for. An easy way to think of this is to associate a CSP with a building landlord. Landlords are responsible for the entire building’s security and safety measures, making sure there are adequate protections in place for residents, including entry gates, and that essential services like power and plumbing are functioning properly.
In cloud environments, this means the CSP handles the physical networking hardware, the data centers, and all the base-level maintenance required to keep the lights on and the environment running smoothly.
On the other side of this arrangement is security “IN” in the cloud. This is where cloud customers take on their own responsibilities. Relating back to the original example, if you leave your apartment door unlocked and someone walks in and steals your laptop, you can’t blame the landlord. They secured the building itself, but you were still responsible for taking precautions to protect your valuables.
Ways That the Shared Responsibility Model Helps Improve Security Posture
Prevents Misunderstandings When Identifying Security Ownership
It’s important to have security ownership clearly defined for every process your business carries out, whether it’s happening on your own servers or in the cloud.
Using the Shared Responsibility Model makes it much easier to cut through the confusion about who handles which task. This lets you build consistent governance both inside your team and with your CSPs.
In addition, when you formally document this security approach, it helps to reduce the number of security gaps attackers can exploit and ensures you’re basing your security on strategic planning, not just pure guesswork.
Aligns Security Resources
Understanding exactly what the CSP is covering allows your internal teams to avoid worrying about smaller issues and concentrate their energy on the risks that are more critical to your business.
You’re able to offload the tedious, heavy-lifting tasks, like server patching or database maintenance, to the provider while freeing up your teams to spend their time securing application code and building better user access controls.
Supports Safer Infrastructure Configurations
When your CSP recognizes and embraces the SRM, your business is able to build its operations on a much stronger and more secure infrastructure. Because CSPs structure their services in support of their security obligations, most have built advanced security measures directly into their default services.
This integration is a major asset for companies. It doesn’t just lower the risk of a major disaster like a DDoS attack or ransomware from taking place, but it also means your business can maintain a more resilient network design with failover capabilities built right in.
Helps Incorporate a Security-First Mindset
Modern cloud platforms offer a variety of settings you can directly manage for better security. The problem is that not understanding common configuration weaknesses can leave massive security vulnerabilities open for attackers to exploit.
The SRM ensures both you and your cloud vendor adopt security-focused setups, prioritizing industry-standard compliance over deploying new cloud instances as fast as possible. Many modern security protocols now have SRM principles right into their deployment checkpoint, ensuring that any new VM or database meets strict criteria before it ever goes live.
In addition to this measure, external pentesting services use the SRM as a guide when they perform live vulnerability checks to see how well a company is handling its side of the agreement. Using these services lets you properly test your security zones, IAM policies, and data protection methods to make sure they’re meeting your data privacy obligations.
Keep Cloud Security a High Priority for Your Business
As your business grows, building the Shared Responsibility Model into your long-term strategy is a critical part of running successful operations.
When you recognize and accept your company’s specific responsibilities when it comes to cloud security, you help to eliminate dangerous blind spots in your organization while pushing you to maintain a proactive, hands-on role in defending all your digital assets.
Nazy Fouladirad is President and COO of Tevora, a leading global cybersecurity consultancy. She has dedicated her career to creating a more secure business and online environment for organizations across the country and the world. She is passionate about serving her community and acts as a board member for a local nonprofit organization.
