Manage Your Cloud Server’s Firewall Efficiently to Bulletproof your Cloud

The question of cloud security has been debated ever since the Cloud emerged as a new force promising to shake the world of IT. Even though the attention grabbing benefits that cloud computing entails for the business drove the transition to the cloud for many early adopters, organizations and individuals are still continuously being warned about potential cloud security issues that are influencing the pace in which the widespread adoption is occurring.

All those warnings ending with exclamation points are suggesting danger; danger to your organization’s most precious asset-data, danger to losing control and insight into security processes meant to safeguard the workloads transitioned to the cloud. This is seen by many organizations as an eye-opener, a reason to take a step back to reevaluate their options.

There is no doubt that many of the security concerns are well grounded, and it is a necessity for every organization considering transition to the cloud to make themselves knowledgeable and aware of the underlying threats and security risks to determine the appropriate controls that they need to put in place. With BizCloud Security Watch, a series of articles on Cloud Security, BizcloudNetwork’s writers covered all known cloud security issues extensively, building on the data available from major IT research firms, and also provided solutions to organizations as to how they can overcome cloud security issues.

BizCloud is joining the arguments within the IT community about whether the shortcomings of the cloud will outweigh the benefits or not by emphasizing that there are cloud providers out there developing and deploying more sophisticated security measures to ensure best security and privacy practices for their customers. There are many ways in which cloud customers can put their minds at ease when it comes to cloud security, from choosing the right provider to employing cloud security software that ensures the confidentiality, integrity and availability of their data.

Also, there are a few rising companies crafting services that can make the cloud more secure down at the server level, where many holes exist that need to be cemented. Configuring a cloud server firewall is obviously the crucial step to take to circumvent the potential OS abuses and prevent leaving applications exposed to threats. The problem which many IT administrators encounter is the complexity of managing the cloud server firewall which is a somewhat complicated task that can cause a lot of stress because it doesn’t leave much room for error.

According to Dome 9, a company that provides cloud security management services, to access the servers an administrator needs to leave holes in its firewall protected only by usernames and passwords that can be easily exploited by malicious attackers. This is why managing a firewall manually isn’t really the solution for those who require enterprise-class protection for their cloud servers.

Dome 9  provides an easy-to-use solution that lifts the burden associated with managing a cloud server firewall manually, removes all painful points, and gives users protection equivalent to what enterprise solutions can offer, but for a much more affordable price.

To determine the challenges organizations face when managing access and securing cloud servers’ firewalls, Dome9 and the Ponemon Institute recently conducted some unique cloud security research. The study named “Cloud Security: Managing Firewall Risks” revealed that 67% of IT security respondents state that their organization is vulnerable due to the inadequate security of cloud ports and firewalls. Also, 54% of respondents said their organizations’ IT staff are not knowledgeable about the potential risk of open firewall ports in their cloud environments.

The results of the study imply that there is an obvious need among organizations for a centralized cloud firewall management service that provides “automated and elastic security.”

To learn more about the key findings of the study visit Dome 9 Resources page and get your free copy.