54 VIEWPOINT 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 zerotrust architecture. This approach, which is NATHAN JAMIESON: ATECH X IOMART The cybersecurity landscape is changing. But how can organisations best protect their data? Navigating the complexities of cloud security Photo: iStock/PUGUN SJ
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