Managed Cloud Security: What It Is and Why You Need It

Traditional Security methods don’t work in the cloud 

Traditional security refers to protecting old security methods to protect infrastructure and data by utilising firewalls, antivirus software, etc. This is often for on-prem environments. While this security method is suitable for these static environments (such as with fixed IPs or consistent workloads), it often falls short in the cloud, where instances are spun up and down constantly.  

The key difference between traditional security and cloud security is that there’s a change in ownership and responsibility.  

With traditional security, businesses are responsible for owning and managing their own security infrastructure. With cloud security, organisations share the responsibility with cloud providers, both taking up their parts of accountability. The cloud provider manages the underlying infrastructure, whereas organisations are responsible for securing data and apps within cloud systems. 

In traditional security, the edge - the “perimeter” - disappears in cloud environments. This drastically impacts how we approach security. We must now take a defence-in-depth and layered security approach.  

Traditional security solutions are challenging to scale as organisations grow. In contrast, cloud security solutions are more scalable. In addition, they can be expensive to maintain or acquire, while cloud security tools are often more affordable. Not to forget, these traditional security methods are often very complex to manage and configure and rely heavily on manual interventions (such as installing updates, taking backups) which makes it prone to human errors. 

Why should you invest in Managed Cloud Security Services? 

Cloud adoption is growing at an unprecedented pace. Many organisations operate across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, which creates more complexity. Almost 70% of companies reported data breaches due to misconfigured multi-cloud environments.

Additionally, cyber threats emerge more frequently and become more sophisticated as cloud services are more often a target. Moreover, regulatory compliance is tightening; think GDPR, and NIS2.  

Managed cloud security services are a practical way to manage these risks without overloading your internal IT team or relying solely on automation. 

Benefits of Managed Cloud Security 

Managed cloud security partners bring expertise and support to help you tackle the risks of cloud. They do more than just secure your systems – they bring cost savings, compliance help, and robust data protection. 

Let’s break down the benefits of partnering up for security: 

Multi-layered security 

Managed cloud services for security adds to your business’s overall security posture when using a multi-layered security approach: continuous monitoring, threat intelligence, incident response, etc. Identification and response to threats early is key, as the consequences can be severe. Think about downtime, reputational damage, financial impact, etc. 

Security turned into best practices 

Creating a secure solution for your organisation and environment requires deep knowledge across the security landscape. Cloud security differs from traditional security, and its skills are harder to find. It’s not just about knowing individual security products but how they work together and integrate with other products and services. 

Microsoft offers many security products and services, but integrating them can be complex. This complexity is shown in the “Microsoft Cybersecurity Reference Architecture.” diagram below. 

Expertise you can rely on 

Managed security services provide top-of-the-line expertise and constant support, helping businesses manage the risks in cloud computing. At Intercept, we draw on years of experience, applying best practices and insights from working with various customers and environments. When a threat is detected in one environment, we can quickly use that same solution across others. Thus, we ensure proactive protection for all our clients. 

Your security baseline and measures stay up-to-date 

One of the biggest challenges in securing your cloud environment is staying current with the latest development and their implications. For instance, the use of AI in cyberattacks often outpaces defences. To keep up, you must constantly update your security measures. The good thing is that cloud environments are updated daily with new and improved functionalities to address these emerging threats. 

Proactive risk management: 24/7 monitoring + follow up  

Keeping your IT environment secure and up to date is a good start, but it’s no longer enough. Traditional cybersecurity assumes all threats can be blocked, but is that still a realistic thought as of today?  

Perhaps it’s wiser to assume a breach will happen – the “assume breach” concept. A threat could already be sneaking into your network, completely undetected… who knows? 

Therefore, having a specialised partner who keeps an eye on what’s happening in your environment means you’re not stuck reacting to incidents after they happen. Instead, they assess your security posture, identify weaknesses, strengthen defences, prevent exfiltration etc. This way, you can mitigate the damage before it occurs. 

Cost-efficiency 

Handing over cloud security to a specialised partner also reduces the costs of hiring and training in-house security experts, not to mention upskilling across new versions or different products, as well as managing those security platforms. 

Data protection at every stage 

To top it all off, it protects data at rest and in motion. So, sensitive information is secure against cyber threats, reducing the potential impact of data breaches and unauthorised access. 

Compliance 

Regulations can be a true nightmare, and they’re also time-consuming. A partner helps you comply with industry standards and regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, ISO, PCI, SOC etc. 

Disaster Recovery 

A partner can help you establish strong disaster recovery practices and business continuity plans to recover from security incidents and business operations quickly. 

Scalability and flexibility 

As your business grows or your cloud usage increases, a partner that looks after your security can scale their services to match. This way, you can handle evolving threats and changing compliance requirements without bogging down your internal resources. 

Closing thoughts 

Partnering with a managed cloud security provider takes the stress out of securing your cloud environment. It saves time and money, reduces risk, and keeps your business compliant and operational. However, before you do, find out whether the provider suits your security requirements and your regulatory compliance needs, and check its proven track record and portfolio of compliance certifications.  

At Intercept, we have established a comprehensive set of internal policies to ensure information security. These policies cover key areas such as data protection, access control, incident response, and more. They are designed to align with industry best practices and regulatory requirements. Read more about our compliance in our Trust Centre.

We've achieved multiple certifications that show our commitment to trust, security and risk management in cloud computing such as CSA STAR L1, ISO 27001, and more which you can find in Compliance - Certificates & Reports.