Quick answer
Cloud providers secure the underlying infrastructure, but you are responsible for identities, data, network rules and configuration. Follow least-privilege IAM, enforce MFA, encrypt data, block public storage by default, centralise logging, scan configurations continuously and run periodic cloud penetration tests.
What is the shared responsibility model?
Every cloud provider uses a shared responsibility model. The provider secures the physical data centres, hardware, network backbone and virtualisation layer. You secure everything you build and configure on top.
The exact split depends on the service type. With managed services you have fewer responsibilities, but identity and data are always yours.
| Layer | IaaS (e.g. EC2, Azure VMs) | PaaS (e.g. managed databases) | SaaS (e.g. Microsoft 365) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical and hypervisor | Provider | Provider | Provider |
| Operating system patching | Customer | Provider | Provider |
| Network rules and firewall | Customer | Shared | Provider |
| Identity and access | Customer | Customer | Customer |
| Data and classification | Customer | Customer | Customer |
Why is identity and access management the top priority?
In the cloud, anyone with valid credentials can reach your resources from anywhere. Identity has replaced the network as the main security boundary, so IAM mistakes are the most dangerous ones.
Avoid long-lived access keys, give each workload only the permissions it needs, and protect the root or global administrator account with hardware MFA and no day-to-day use.
- Enforce MFA for all human users and console access
- Lock away root and global admin accounts
- Use roles and short-lived credentials instead of access keys
- Apply least privilege and review permissions quarterly
- Use single sign-on with your corporate identity provider
- Remove unused users, keys and roles
How should you protect data in the cloud?
Encrypt data at rest using the provider's key management service and in transit using TLS. For highly sensitive data, consider customer-managed keys so you control rotation and access.
Block public access to storage by default at the account level. On AWS, S3 Block Public Access can be enforced across an organisation; Azure offers similar controls for storage accounts. Classify data so that teams know which buckets and databases hold personal or regulated information.
What does a cloud security checklist look like?
The table maps common controls to their AWS and Azure equivalents so teams on either platform can use the same checklist.
| Control | AWS | Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Audit logging | CloudTrail | Azure Monitor and Activity Log |
| Threat detection | GuardDuty | Microsoft Defender for Cloud |
| Configuration posture | Security Hub, AWS Config | Defender for Cloud secure score |
| Key management | AWS KMS | Azure Key Vault |
| Network filtering | Security groups, AWS WAF | Network security groups, Azure WAF |
| Identity | IAM, IAM Identity Center | Microsoft Entra ID |
How do you prevent cloud misconfigurations?
Misconfigurations creep in as teams move fast. The answer is automation: define infrastructure as code, scan templates before deployment, and use Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) tools to flag risky settings in real time.
Combine automated checks with periodic expert reviews and cloud penetration testing, which looks for chains of small issues that together allow an attacker to reach sensitive data.
- Scan Terraform, CloudFormation or Bicep templates in CI pipelines
- Enable CSPM across all accounts and subscriptions
- Alert on public storage, open security groups and disabled logging
- Separate production and development into different accounts
Why centralise logging and monitoring?
Turn on audit logs in every account and region, send them to a central, protected location and feed them into a SIEM. CERT-In directions require ICT logs to be retained for 180 days within India, which applies to cloud workloads too. A 24x7 SOC watching these logs can spot stolen credentials or unusual API calls before data is lost.
What about data residency in India?
Some Indian regulations restrict where data can be stored. RBI requires payment system data to be stored only in India, and regulated entities must ensure regulators can access data held by cloud vendors. The DPDP Act allows cross-border transfers except to countries the government restricts.
Choose Indian cloud regions such as Mumbai or Hyderabad for regulated workloads, and document where backups and replicas are kept.
How KCyber Experts secures your cloud
KCyber Experts performs cloud security audits and cloud penetration testing on AWS, Azure and GCP, reviews IAM and configuration against CIS benchmarks, and provides 24x7 SOC monitoring for cloud workloads. Our reports map findings to RBI, CERT-In and ISO 27001 requirements so remediation also supports compliance.
How should startups prioritise cloud security?
Startups rarely have a dedicated security team, so focus on the few controls that prevent the worst outcomes: MFA on every account, no long-lived access keys, public storage blocked by default, logging switched on everywhere and separate accounts for production. These steps take days, not months, and remove most of the risk that leads to headline breaches.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need permission to pentest my cloud?
AWS, Azure and GCP allow customers to test their own resources for most services without prior approval, as long as testing follows their published policies.
What is the biggest cloud security risk?
Misconfiguration, especially publicly accessible storage and over-privileged identities.
What is CSPM?
Cloud Security Posture Management tools continuously check cloud configuration against security best practices and alert on risky settings.
Is multi-cloud less secure?
Not inherently, but it increases complexity. Use consistent policies and a single monitoring view across providers.
How often should we audit our cloud?
Run continuous automated checks, and an expert audit or penetration test at least annually and after major architecture changes.