Guest contributor |
The global threat landscape is projected to become more sophisticated, with cybercrime expected to cost the world $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, according to Cybersecurity Ventures.
In addition, total global data storage is expected to exceed 200 zettabytes (200 trillion gigabytes) by 2025. Cloud environments, once seen as a solve-all for digital infrastructure, have become both a critical business asset and a prime target for sophisticated cyberattacks that demand a strategic, multifaceted approach.
At the foundation of cloud security lies the CIA triad: confidentiality, integrity and availability. As organisations increasingly adopt multi-cloud strategies, maintaining these three pillars becomes more complex. According to Gartner's latest forecasts, global cloud spending is expected to grow significantly in the near future, making it more important than ever to address security concerns.
The challenge of securing data both in transit and storage remains paramount. Organisations must implement robust encryption protocols and access controls while maintaining seamless service delivery.
Many of the organisations Iomart speaks with struggle to manage security across multiple cloud platforms. These organisations often find themselves balancing different security postures across various environments, from private clouds to hyperscale platforms like Microsoft Azure. This complexity is compounded by the need to maintain consistent security standards while leveraging each platform's unique capabilities.
Recent data from IBM’s 2024 security report indicates that multi-cloud environments experience 50 per cent more security incidents than single-cloud setups. However, the financial and operational benefits of multi-cloud strategies often outweigh these challenges when properly managed from the start.
Another challenge organisations are currently facing is the ever-evolving regulatory landscape, with mandates like the General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Act and the Digital Operational Resilience Act in the financial services industry all shaping cloud security requirements. Organisations must maintain compliance across multiple jurisdictions while ensuring their cloud environments remain agile and efficient.
A particularly interesting development is the rising influence of cyber insurance providers. Insurance firms are increasingly dictating minimum security requirements, effectively becoming external arbiters of organisational risk appetites. This trend has led to a more standardised approach to security controls.
Another trend that is becoming increasingly common is organisations embracing zero-trust architecture. This approach, which is particularly well-implemented through solutions like Microsoft Entra ID, provides continuous verification rather than traditional perimeter-based security. The model operates on the principle of ‘never trust, always verify’, and conducts constant authentication checks based on multiple parameters, from device identity to geographic location.
These insights tell us that strategic cloud security requires a comprehensive approach that goes beyond traditional IT practices. Organisations must thoughtfully invest in security and understand that different types of data need distinct levels of protection. This means creating strong security measures to safeguard sensitive information while keeping systems efficient and flexible.
Developing robust backup strategies that can't be compromised by ransomware is also crucial, as is taking advantage of built-in security features from cloud providers and maintaining consistent security policies.
Lastly, it is key to involve a wide range of stakeholders in security planning. This includes not just technical teams, but also legal, risk management and compliance experts. By bringing together these diverse perspectives, organisations can create more effective security strategies that protect their digital assets, support business growth, and adapt to changing cyberthreats.
James Pearce, our chief technology officer at Atech x Iomart, states that “while organisations can leverage AI for real-time threat detection, adversaries are using the same technology to launch more sophisticated attacks and businesses must take a proactive, intelligence-led approach to cloud security to stay ahead”.
The most successful organisations will view security not as a technical burden, but as a key enabler of digital innovation and resilience.
The future of cloud security lies in finding the right balance between protection and operational efficiency. As organisations continue to expand their cloud footprints, the focus should be on building resilient security architectures that can adapt to evolving threats while supporting business growth.
Success isn’t about implementing the most stringent controls everywhere, but rather about understanding where to apply security friction and where to optimise for performance. The most successful organisations will be those that can maintain this balance and stay ahead of regulatory requirements and emerging threats, all while keeping their cloud environments efficient and cost-effective.
Nathan Jamieson is chief information security officer at Atech x Iomart
Discover more insights like this in the Spring 2025 issue of Technology Record. Don’t miss out – subscribe for free today and get future issues delivered straight to your inbox.