Cloud security, a topic of significant discussion within various industries, encompasses a multitude of perspectives and opinions.
Cloud cybersecurity and compliance are two critical aspects that organizations must prioritize to protect their sensitive data and ensure regulatory adherence. In this article, we delve into these topics with security subject matter expert Pranith Shetty, who brings a wealth of experience and expertise in this field. As the demand for cloud services continues to rise, so does the need for robust cybersecurity measures. Throughout his career span, Pranith has offered valuable insights into the latest trends, challenges, and best practices for securing cloud environmentsto his financial services clients and the organizations that he was part of. In this article, we delve a little bit into his area of expertise and the impact he has had in this field. At the same time, Pranith has outlined some of the key steps organizations should take to safeguard their digital assets, from implementing strong access controls to conducting regular vulnerability assessments.
Furthermore, Pranith emphasizes the importance of compliance in the cloud. With ever-evolving data protection regulations, organizations must stay abreast of the latest requirements. He has experience working in the industry, performing current state risk assessments, and advising clients on target state. This helped organizations especially financial services clients ensure they are aligned with regulatory frameworks like the New York Department of Financial Services (NY-DFS), GDPR General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR), etc. They were able to enhance their cloud cybersecurity posture and mitigate the risks associated with data breaches and non-compliance. This has also helped clients avoid million-dollar fines and clients have appreciated this work through various letters and emails.
Cloud security, a topic of significant discussion within various industries, encompasses a multitude of perspectives and opinions. In Pranith’s view, it boils down to the protection of all assets housed within cloud infrastructure, including software and platforms, through the application of comprehensive security measures spanning technical, physical, and administrative realms. The increasing focus on cloud security correlates with the escalating adoption of public cloud services among firms operating in diverse sectors such as finance and technology.
As businesses increasingly migrate their operations to cloud environments such as Amazon’s AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google’s GCP, they are reaping the benefits of scalability and flexibility. However, this shift also brings about a new set of security challenges. Cloud platforms are now frequent targets for cyberattacks, including Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) attacks and Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) from nation-state actors. As organizations navigate this evolving threat landscape, ensuring robust cloud security measures is paramount to safeguarding sensitive data and maintaining business continuity.
Cloud security risks pose significant threats to businesses, with data loss and leakage, identity and access management (IAM) issues, misconfigurations, compliance concerns, and malware threats topping the list. These risks, if realized, can have severe implications and disrupt business operations. Data leakage incidents are particularly concerning, with new and innovative methods constantly emerging. To mitigate these risks, organizations must implement both detective and preventive controls and ensure their security teams are well-equipped to handle incidents effectively. Measures such as detailed security architecture reviews, independent penetration tests, and the involvement of subject matter experts (SMEs) in design and implementation can help address IAM and misconfiguration issues. Additionally, adopting a Shift-left security approach by involving risk and related teams early on during the design phases can help tackle compliance-related challenges proactively. Pranith in his role has been a leader and contributor in working with various security and technology teams to address these threats and come up with countless hours of time and expense saving strategies. The frameworks and processes he has put in place is a testament to that.
In navigating cloud security challenges, a shift towards a “Risk-first” approach is gaining traction over traditional mindsets of “Security first” or “Compliance first.” This strategy encourages security experts to converge in a collaborative setting, effectively conveying risks to senior leadership and management in a structured manner. By prioritizing risk assessment, organizations can streamline decision-making processes, allowing for decisive actions with allocated resources and budgetary provisions tailored to address risks based on their severity. Pranith’s risk management related work contributed in a significant way for products to secure industry certifications like SOC2 et al. In its absence, it might have been a challenge to navigate the risk exceptions. Pranith Shetty’s influential scholarly article titled “Risk First Mindset in “Security First vs Compliance First” Debate” presents a deeper perspectives and insights into the matter.
Pranith has worked on employing a hybrid approach that integrates all security and assessment teams is essential for effectively addressing cloud security risks. By proactively identifying risks and implementing robust security measures, organizations can bolster their defenses against potential threats in the cloud environment. This proactive stance enables firms to transition away from reactive incident response models, fostering a more resilient and secure infrastructure while safeguarding data privacy. The expert has also authored a well-received paper in this area, titled – “How Can a Business Ensure Seamless Operations in Security, Breaking through Siloed Operations, Friction to Fusion Mindset”, which aims to articulate a solution that has worked in a few firms and can be easily replicated across industries, in solving the problem of siloed operations not only in security but also between security and engineering teams.
