Security in the Cloud
As organizations migrate to platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, security must adapt. The biggest concept to grasp is the Shared Responsibility Model.
The Shared Responsibility Model
In cloud computing, security responsibility is split between the Cloud Provider (AWS, Azure) and the Customer.
| Service Model | Provider Responsibility | Customer Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| IaaS (Infrastructure) | Physical facility, hardware, virtualization layer. | Operating system, network config, applications, data. |
| PaaS (Platform) | OS, middleware, runtime environment. | Applications, data, user access control. |
| SaaS (Software) | Almost everything (OS, network, application code). | Data (classification, retention), User access (MFA). |
Key Takeaway: The cloud provider secures the cloud; the customer secures what they put in the cloud (especially data and access management).