Find out how the response strategy for cloud-specific incidents can be a superset of existing incident response frameworks.
As businesses across the region continue their transition to cloud computing, they are increasingly confronted with escalating incidents of data breaches, ransomware attacks, and insider threats.
Therefore, it is vital for organizations to devise and implement a robust Cloud-specific Incident Response (Cloud IR) plan to help minimize the impact of security incidents, accelerate recovery time, and ensure optimal data protection.
Today, Cloud IR practitioners needs to grapple with a radically different set of challenges, including data volume, accessibility, and the speed at which threats can multiply within cloud architectures. That being said, Cloud IR cannot be done in isolation of the firm’s overall incident response activities and business continuity plans. When possible, cloud security tools should use the same SOC, SOAR, and communication tools currently being used to secure other company elements.
Using the same infrastructure ensures that suspicious and threatening cloud activities receive an immediate and appropriate response.
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Creating an effective Cloud IR plan
By efficiently identifying signs of cloud-based threats, mitigating breaches, and limiting or eliminating damage, organizations can secure their cloud infrastructures, enhance their response processes, and reduce time to resolution.
To do so involves understanding and managing the unique cloud platforms being used, being fully aware of data storage and access, and adeptly handling the dynamic nature of the Cloud. Specifically:
- Managing the cloud platform: The administrative console, the control center of each cloud platform, facilitates the creation of new identities, service deployment, updates, and configurations impacting all cloud-hosted assets. This becomes an attractive target for threat actors, considering it offers direct access to the cloud infrastructure and user identities.
- Understanding data in the cloud: The cloud hosts data, apps, and components on external servers, making it crucial to maintain correct configurations and timely updates. This is vital not just to prevent external threats, but also to manage internal vulnerabilities, such as misconfigurations, given the inherent complexity and size of cloud networks.
- Handling a dynamic cloud: The cloud is a dynamic space requiring security teams to remain agile and maintain visibility across all services and apps. A lack of familiarity with the environment can lead to an overwhelming volume of data, potentially slowing down threat-hunting, triage, and incident investigation processes.
- Knowing cloud-specific risks: Cloud computing presents new security challenges requiring a more robust and nuanced incident response plan, focused on cloud-specific risks. This includes identifying, analyzing, and responding to security incidents within a cloud environment to maintain data confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Establishing a well-defined, routinely tested, and updated IR plan can effectively reduce the impact of security incidents and foster swift recovery after an attack. It should:
- comprise procedures for responding to various incidents such as data breaches, DDoS attacks, and malware infections, including steps for incident containment, investigation, and recovery using tools that are already being deployed by the organization
- begin with a thorough risk assessment, identifying potential threats, vulnerabilities, and risks to the cloud environment. Security teams must thoroughly understand their cloud infrastructure to effectively defend it, considering factors like data sensitivity, legal requirements, access controls, encryption, network security, and third-party risks
- ensure continued availability of data and tools for accelerating a security team’s progress during an active security event. Deploying real-time monitoring of cloud resources, network traffic analysis, user activity tracking, intrusion detection systems, and automated alerts can ensure swift incident identification and response
- ensure continued availability of data and tools for accelerating a security team’s progress during an active security event. Deploying real-time monitoring of cloud resources, network traffic analysis, user activity tracking, intrusion detection systems, and automated alerts can ensure swift incident identification and response
As the ASEAN region increasingly embrace cloud technologies, the need for a well-defined cloud IR plan has never been more crucial.
