In a dangerous ecosystem of rapidly evolving cybercrime, it is important to deploy the right technology to combat these advanced threats.
Agencies such as the CIA and MI5 have increasingly leveraged AI and cloud technology to give them the upper hand in the fight against cybercrime.
"We use AI to detect threats amongst an avalanche of information. Cloud technology gives us faster access to vital insights. Advanced privacy enhancing techniques allow us to join up with the private sector without either party sharing more than they need to. In 2024 scientists and technologists are key to the UK’s national security and to driving growth."
- Ken McCallum Director General of Mi5
Many businesses take advantage of the cloud environment offering a number of significant improvements to the security posture of their organisation. Cloud computing also provides businesses with scalable resources that facilitate real-time threat detection and enable rapid response to incidents.
Cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure and Google Cloud provide advanced security features including automated compliance auditing, network protection mechanisms, and AI-enhanced threat detection.
Companies such as Netflix and Spotify use these mechanisms on a daily basis to secure the large amount of data that they process and are responsible for.
According to a study by Flexera, in 2020, 93% of enterprises used cloud technology within their operations, with 81% using multiple cloud platforms to enhance their cyber security.
This rapid adoption of cloud technology is driven by the industry’s need for security measures that are scalable and adaptable, whilst being able to respond to sophisticated and evolving threats from a variety of sources.
NCSC Explain the Security Benefits of a Good Cloud Service
The National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ—the cyber defence section of MI5—has recently published a whitepaper on the security benefits of a good cloud service and how to maximise the potential of a cloud environment.
The NCSC and GCHQ handle more cyber threats in the UK than any other organisation and are the most experienced operators in terms of dealing with advanced-level threat actors, such as organised hacking groups, APTs, and state-sponsored cybercriminals.
In 2021 alone, the NCSC's Suspicious Email Reporting Service received 5.4 million reports from the public and their Active Cyber Defence programme took down 2.3 million cyber-enabled commodity campaigns throughout the same year.
In 2023, The NCSC issued 24.48 million notifications informing subscribing organisations of potential malicious activity detected on their networks.
In short, the NCSC are perhaps the most qualified organisation in the UK to give advice on cyber security, and their guidance should not be ignored.
In their report, they state, “The security benefits of moving to a cloud-based system are often overlooked, with some organisations believing that cloud deployments will result in more overall risk than traditional systems.”
The report goes on to say that there are a number of security outcomes that would be difficult to achieve in traditional IT deployments.
“These benefits won't be fully realised if organisations adopt a 'lift and shift' approach,” the NCSC states in its whitepaper, “the cloud service will need to be planned and configured to take advantage of the benefits that a cloud-first approach can bring.”
This is a very good point from our friends at the NCSC, but what exactly do they mean by this and how can businesses implement this advice in a real-world setting to offer maximum protection?
How Cloud Solutions Providers Collaborate With Cybersecurity Professionals to Strengthen Defences
One of the strongest combinations for cybersecurity defence involves cloud solution providers working in conjunction with cybersecurity professionals.
There are a number of ways that these two disciplines combine and feed into one another to create the most robust defence for your business.
These are some of the ways in which cloud services can enhance the protection offered by cybersecurity professionals.
Automatic Threat Detection
Machine learning models and anomaly detection systems are developed by cloud providers to effectively monitor the cloud environment.
Cybersecurity teams make adjustments to these alerts in order to correctly configure the system to recognise actual security threats and reduce false positives.
Incident Response
Cloud providers can set up automated systems that will respond intelligently to reports of data breaches and serious incidents within the network, triggering an automatic response.
Cybersecurity professionals fine-tune the parameters to ensure that the system works in a practical way that does not disrupt normal business activity, unnecessarily.
Data Privacy
Cloud providers offer encryption tools, restricted access controls and user privilege settings to ensure that only authorised users get access to the data needed.
Cybersecurity teams can configure these settings and mechanisms to allow for practical adoption of the technology without impacting productivity, all the while ensuring that sensitive data is secure.
Cloud solution providers also typically provide a central management console for the business. This in turn makes the job of the cyber security professional much easier as they can monitor and manage security risks, as well as their configured settings, across multiple systems devices and locations.
Regulation Compliance and Staff Training
Cloud providers can offer compliance certificates, along with staff training and tools that help the business adhere to regulatory standards.
This reduces the workload of the cybersecurity team with all members of the business having a good understanding of data privacy principles with the business itself being fully compliant in terms of regulatory requirements.
Integrated Partnership Between Cloud Services and Cyber Defence
At Lyon Tech, we provide businesses with both sides of the coin through our integrated services that combine cloud technology and leading cybersecurity expertise.
Our cloud solutions and cybersecurity services provide businesses with a complete and fully bespoke mechanism that is tailored to suit specific requirements.
By twinning cloud technology and cyber defence together in this way, clients benefit from the most robust defence possible, capable of detecting and securing threats at the highest levels.
Secure Your Business Today
For more information on securing your business data through the use of cloud technology and cutting-edge cybersecurity mechanisms, contact our expert advisors today.
