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Multi-cloud environments are rapidly becoming a common deployment model for many organizations. From a security standpoint, however, they introduce added complexity.

A main source of this complexity is the expansion of both the threat surface and of the skills and knowledge needed to handle the various tools, services, software objects and security policies of each cloud service provider (CSP). Due to this, organizations contend with the following main multi-cloud security challenges:

Let's dig deeper into each challenge and then look at the best practices to help solve them.

Alongside existing challenges for cloud security, an organization's security team needs to consider the following multi-cloud security challenges.

Configuration management is one of the most common issues organizations face and given the velocity of changes and updates in cloud environments, it's one that recurs.

The range and complexity of the services and objects available in a single-cloud environment can lead to misconfiguration. That range and complexity only compounds with each additional cloud in multi-cloud deployments.

Common configuration issues -- such as using outdated server and container components and images, accidentally exposing storage nodes to the internet, or improperly implementing and aligning identity and access management policies -- can result in security vulnerabilities and possible exposure in the cloud.

Logging and monitoring are relatively straightforward in leading IaaS and PaaS clouds, but many organizations struggle with the volume of cloud-related events generated. This becomes even more difficult when multiple clouds are involved.

Many organizations also often don't understand how to coordinate and contextualize playbooks for monitoring and alerting across different service environments, which leads to further complexity.

Incident detection and response are often a struggle for organizations with multi-cloud deployments. They require preparation of forensic and response tools and services ahead of time in each cloud, as well as specific workflows and playbooks that cover all cloud environments. Workflows and playbooks can become more complicated if hybrid cloud architectures are in use. Further, incident responders often lack the appropriate skills to respond to incidents in each specific cloud environment.

Meeting compliance and regulatory requirements across a diverse set of cloud environments can be difficult, depending on an organization's industry. Most larger cloud providers have SOC, ISO and other compliance-specific reports available to attest to the state of controls and processes on their side of the shared responsibility model. Customer controls status and reporting, however, still need to be collected and aggregated.

The following industry best practices and security tools and processes can help organizations meet multi-cloud security challenges head-on:

Dave Shackleford is founder and principal consultant with Voodoo Security; SANS analyst, instructor and course author; and GIAC technical director.

Read more:
Multi-cloud security challenges and best practices - TechTarget

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Cover forCloud to Edgeware: Wireless Grid Applications, Architecture and Security for theInternet of Things

Credit: World Scientific

What if the key to unlocking the full potential of the Internet of Things lies not in the vast expanse of the cloud, but closer to home, at the very edge of our digital world? Cloud to Edgeware: Wireless Grid Applications, Architecture and Security for the Internet of Things embarks on an exploratory journey into this frontier, where the future of IoT is being reshaped by the synergy of edge computing and advanced wireless grids, promising unparalleled efficiency and security.

In the process of crafting Cloud to Edgeware, extensive research was undertaken to bridge the current knowledge gap in the integration of cloud computing with edge technology. This book meticulously analyzes emerging wireless grid applications, their architectural frameworks, and the paramount importance of robust security measures in the IoT domain. By scrutinizing real-world case studies and the latest advancements in technology, the research offers a comprehensive insight into the potential and challenges of IoT ecosystems, setting a new benchmark for scholarly and practical discourse in this field.

The intended readership for this pioneering work is multifaceted, encompassing both professionals, researchers, and academics within the fields of information technology, cybersecurity, and IoT development. It serves as an invaluable resource for engineers, architects, and practitioners looking for practical solutions and innovative approaches to IoT challenges. Additionally, the book is tailored for researchers and students seeking to deepen their understanding of edge computing and its pivotal role in the future of digital networks, making it a must-read for those poised to lead the next wave of technological innovation.

Cloud to Edgeware: Wireless Grid Applications, Architecture and Security for the Internet of Things retails for US$148 / 135 (hardcover) and is also available in electronic formats. To order or know more about the book, visit http://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/9354.

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About the Author

Dr.Tyson Brooks is an adjunct professor in the School of Information Studies (iSchool) at Syracuse University, USA. Dr. Brooks has over 25 years of professional experience in the engineering design, architecture, and information security of complex information systems in the U.S. and overseas. Dr. Brookss expertise includes work in the areas of information assurance, cyber-security, penetration testing, and network-based intrusion analysis and defense in both the public and private sectors. He also holds certifications in Network+, Security+, CISSP, C|EH, CEA, GCIH, CAS-ISM, and PMP. He was the past Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Internet of Things and Cyber-Assurance (IJITCA) and is an Associate Editor for IEEE Access. Dr. Brooks is also a Senior Member of IEEE and the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM).

About World Scientific Publishing Co.

World Scientific Publishing is a leading international independent publisher of books and journals for the scholarly, research and professional communities. World Scientific collaborates with prestigious organisations like the Nobel Foundation and US National Academies Press to bring high quality academic and professional content to researchers and academics worldwide. The company publishes about 600 books and over 170 journals in various fields annually. To find out more about World Scientific, please visit http://www.worldscientific.com.

For more information, contact WSPC Communications at communications@wspc.com.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

Read the original post:
Revolutionizing IoT: Cloud to edgeware security and architecture - EurekAlert

As we stand at the precipice of the artificial intelligence revolution, blockchain technology is set to reign in its worst aspects, and help form a democratized AI landscape.

Cloud computing has become an invaluable tool for internet services providers and application developers in the past decade, offering simplified, ready-to-use distributed hardware and infrastructure that reduces costs and manpower for upstart businesses.

Worth an estimated $495 billion in 2022, the value of the cloud computing industry is expected to near $2.5 trillion by 2032. But the rapid growth of cloud computing isnt without its concerns.

Consider that 45% of data breaches are thought to emanate from cloud infrastructure alone, and we see that the rise of the cloud has also attracted a never-ending array of would-be hackers, who seek to scrape sensitive information (usually customers personal details) to sell on the black market.

Facebook, LinkedIn and Alibaba are just some of the household names to have experienced horrific data breaches in the past few years with over 2.3 billion users personal information being stolen in those three breaches alone.

But now, developers have caught on to a way to apply the benefits of the blockchain to the cloud computing model, presenting an innovation that could also address another major data privacy concern which looms on the horizon namely, artificial intelligence (AI).

Blockchain has earned a reputation for being a secure, private, fault-tolerant solution for record-keeping, but its distributed nature where nodes are spread across thousands of computers around the world also makes it an attractive prospect for decentralizing the cloud computing industry.

This moves cloud computing away from large, centralized data centers, creating less of a target for would-be hackers. Additionally, because blockchain networks are built using the latest, cutting-edge encryption techniques, a blockchain-based cloud brings much enhanced security to the process of setting up on the cloud.

Combined with the fact that blockchain-based applications allow the end user to retain control over their own data at all times, it becomes clear that infusing blockchain into cloud computing can effectively eradicate all of the clouds weak points in one fell swoop.

In the short time that artificial intelligence chatbots have been live, there have already been several major data breaches from companies like OpenAI, Microsoft, and many others. In addition, some AI chatbots are now being shown to be subject to human bias, dictated by the individuals or corporations who control what data theyre trained on.

So what could the blockchain-cloud combination do to address the AI problem? The answer, according to NeuroChainAI founder, Julius Serenas, lies in doing the same for AI as what blockchain networks like Ethereum did for decentralized app-creation.

Just like Ethereum created distributed, community-driven infrastructure for blockchain developers free from top-down interference I foresee blockchain having a similarly democratizing effect on AI, said Serenas.

NeuroChainAI is a Decentralized AI as a Service (DAIAS) ecosystem which employs blockchain to host AI models, using the power of the distributed community to provide computational power and source and validate training data from the ground up. The company is also developing a DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network) that connects community GPUs to form a shared computation network crucial for the operation of AI models.

A system of gamification and rewards encourages the community of users to add to a high-quality data pool, which can then be leveraged by developers looking to build their own decentralized AI programs hosted on NeuroChainAIs blockchain network.

This grass-roots approach saves time, cuts costs, and ensures enhanced security thanks to the decentralized nature of the blockchain, but more importantly, according to Serenas, it all adds up to the creation of an open-source AI ecosystem where anyone can spin up their own bespoke AI programs backed by the power of a decentralized community.

AI tools are poised to become part of our everyday lives in the very near future, and the all-encompassing role theyre set to play is too important to be left to a small handful of giant tech companies. By applying the benefits of the blockchain we can free AI from its corporate constraints and make it open-source of the community, for the community and by the community, added Serenas.

To recap: unlike the current plethora of corporately owned AIs, a blockchain-based AI ecosystem would eradicate data breaches (because users control their own data), ensure data suitability (because it is vetted by the community of users), reduce costs (because computing power can be gathered from a worldwide network of CPUs and GPUs), and foster a community-driven, collaborative approach to AI creation.

Our AI-based future is already assured, says Serenas. We just need to make sure its a future that we as users are in control of, he added.

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Excerpt from:
How Blockchain and AI Is Combining to Reimagine the Cloud Computing Industry - Analytics Insight