Securing the Cloud: A Strategic Approach to Robust Cloud Security with WWT and Fortinet

It's no easy task to protect applications as they shift between public, private, hybrid, and multicloud operating models. Factoring into the complexity of the challenge are existing and emerging cyber risks, human error, and inside threats at all points along the data journey.

Robust cloud security includes technologies and control-based policies across your cloud environments and applications—far beyond what cloud service providers offer. To that point, a holistic approach to cloud security is required with the alignment of people, policies, and technologies.

Here is a high-level process to help you successfully adopt and scale cloud security.

Step 1: Assess your organizational goals, skill sets, and workflows

It's important to first examine your desired organizational outcomes, your IT transformation goals, and what your environment needs to support its applications.

You can start with an internal whiteboarding session focusing on your challenges and the direction your organization needs to take. Think of it as peeling back the layers of an onion; the deeper you go, the clearer your vision becomes.

If internal brainstorming sessions fall short, consider a more structured assessment with a seasoned partner such as WWT. We can offer: 

• Valuable expertise
• Pinpoint potential hurdles
• Provide insights on emerging trends and best practices

This collaborative effort can accelerate your progress and enhance the likelihood of success in navigating cloud security.

Step 2: Evaluate and select your tools to establish a visibility baseline

Ensuring a consolidated view of your infrastructure is paramount, as it establishes a single policy context across all security enclaves. This visibility is essential because in the dynamic cloud environment—where software can be effortlessly created and removed, and the landscape constantly evolves—it's impossible to effectively manage security without comprehensive insight into your systems and operations.

Many organizations struggle with the whereabouts of their data and assets in the cloud. Yet, understanding what exists 'out there' and who has access to it is critical.

Questions, as seen below, must be addressed to gain/regain control over your environments and prevent future visibility loss.

• Who in your organization has accounts?
• How are your organization's accounts being procured?
• What are their purposes?
• What associated risks does each have?

WWT and Fortinet offer methods and tools to help you gain this needed visibility. The primary use case in the cloud revolves around application security, with web services and APIs emerging as the top threat vectors. Fortinet's expertise in this domain brings unparalleled visibility to these areas. Leveraging machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) for over a decade, Fortinet has honed its ability to scale and expedite cyber response while effectively mitigating risks.

Step 3: Establish workflows and leverage automation tooling wherever possible. 

Standardizing your processes can solve for IT skills gaps and provide the best opportunity for achieving agile security in cloud and hybrid environments. The more you automate, the more effective, faster and agile you will become.

To this point, selecting the best cloud security platforms and technologies for your organization will be key to your success. 

Things to consider when choosing your cloud security platforms and technologies:

Prioritize manageability, ease of use, and the user experience

Compounding the inherent complexity of cloud security, organizations face challenges such as a shortage of skilled cybersecurity and cloud practitioners, security tool sprawl, siloed approaches to cybersecurity, and the increasing sophistication of cyber attacks. To this point, manageability and ease of use are critically important when adopting and scaling cloud security technologies. 

For example, the Fortinet Security Fabric integrates cloud security solutions with networks, applications, data centers, and content security into a single collaborative solution that is easy to use and can be orchestrated through a single management interface. All this provides you with a consistent, secure, and optimized experience. What's more, Fortinet makes sure to provide the same excellent experience for your people as well as your customers.

Consider a Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture (CSMA)

Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture (CSMA) is a scalable and flexible approach to security architecture for hybrid and multi-clouds that enables the deployment and integration of security to digital assets by a distributed enterprise. 

The promise and resulting prevalence of this approach are evidenced in Gartner's forecast that states organizations with CSMA will reduce financial losses from individual cyber attacks or incidents by an astonishing average of 90% by 2024.*

To this point, Fortinet's Security Fabric has been among the highest-performing CSMA platforms for close to a decade. Here's why:

• It is broad—including a large portfolio of converged networking and security offerings across the expanded digital attack surface from the data center to the cloud to the home office
• It is integrated—providing cohesive security from numerous best-of-breed technologies to reduce complexity and close security gaps
• It is automated—providing near real-time protection and freeing up internal resources to focus on strategic endeavors

Avoid vendor lock-in

Cloud security requires the use of a variety of technologies and tools, so we recommend you retain the flexibility to collaborate with multiple partners. Choose an overall technological approach that embraces your ecosystem.

Contain costs and utilize flexible solutions

Cost is a significant consideration with most things, including cloud security. An important element in managing cloud security costs is flexibility. Solutions that allow you to move back and forth between OpEx and CapEx, depending on your financial needs and strategies, will help you contain costs. Ideally, you want a solution where you only pay for your actual usage while reducing the total cost of ownership (TCO) with cloud consumption models.

Fortinet FortiFlex delivers usage-based licensing designed to help organizations with the flexibility to right-size their services and spend in securing their cloud and hybrid environments. Fortinet FortiFlex simplifies deployment decisions with the freedom to dynamically deploy, scale in/out, and scale up/down without needing to size for exact services and solutions ahead of time.

Test before you implement

Trying solutions before making a purchase decision will help confirm if they meet your needs and integrate seamlessly into your environment. This approach allows you to evaluate the performance, compatibility and usability of various products in a setting that closely mirrors your operational context. WWT facilitates this process through its Advanced Technology Center (ATC). 

The ATC is designed to provide businesses with the opportunity to compare and evaluate technologies in a state-of-the-art controlled environment. It enables companies to conduct proofs of concept (POCs) and side-by-side comparisons under conditions that resemble a customer's networks and systems. This hands-on experience is invaluable for making informed decisions, minimizing risks associated with new technology investments, and ensuring the solutions chosen will deliver the desired outcomes in the real world. By leveraging the ATC, organizations can confidently navigate the vast landscape of technology solutions, ensuring they select the best tools to drive their success.

Driving success with WWT and Fortinet 

Leveraging the combined strengths of WWT and Fortinet offers organizations deep expertise and insights. Understanding that each organization's needs are unique, they focus on delivering tailored solutions that drive meaningful business outcomes. With a foundation built on understanding customers' specific business goals, WWT and Fortinet employ a depth of technological expertise and service to implement transformative solutions.

About the Authors

Warren Jackson, Technical Solutions Architect, WWT

Aidan Walden, Director, Public Cloud Architecture & Engineering, Fortinet

*References: 7 Top Trends in Cybersecurity for 2022