Cloud migration: A complete overview of security considerations and challenges

Cloud migration is on the rise: More and more businesses embrace a multi-cloud structure and leave their on-premise solutions behind. The benefits are obvious: Companies are able to streamline operations and reduce the time-to-market while reducing costs.

However, some businesses are still reluctant when it comes to cloud migration. Questions such as cloud migration security, risks as well as regulatory burdens remain the top challenges. 

Therefore, we will take a comprehensive look at all challenges and explain why the benefits outweigh the cloud migration risks for most companies.

What is cloud migration?

Cloud migration is the process of moving data, applications, or other business elements from on-premises infrastructure to a cloud computing environment. The process typically involves  assessment, planning, and execution and often requires permanent changes in how IT resources are managed and secured.

Depending on the complexity of the project, organizations may choose different migration strategies:

• Lift-and-Shift: This is the simplest cloud migration strategy, where applications and data are moved to the cloud with minimal or no changes. The existing architecture and codebase remain intact, making it a quick and cost-effective option. However, this approach may not fully leverage the benefits of cloud-native features.

• Refactoring: Also known as re-architecting, this approach involves modifying the application code and architecture to optimize it for the cloud environment. This strategy is more complex and time-consuming but allows organizations to take full advantage of cloud-native capabilities, such as improved scalability, resilience, and performance.

• Replatforming: This approach is a middle ground between lift-and-shift and refactoring. It involves making minor adjustments to the application, such as moving to a different database or operating system, without a complete overhaul. The goal is to achieve better performance and cost savings in the cloud while minimizing the effort required for migration.

Why should you migrate to the cloud?

There are multiple reasons why businesses increasingly embrace a multi-cloud structure. 

First and foremost, most businesses enjoy cost reductions in the long-run, as maintenance and infrastructure costs are completely managed by the cloud provider. By shifting to the cloud, companies can focus more on their core activities and reduce the burden of managing IT infrastructure.

Further, cloud environments facilitate collaboration across team members, particularly for development teams working across different technology stacks, applications and regions. As a result, products can be launched more quickly, while dynamic scaling capabilities ensure that resources can be adjusted in real-time to meet fluctuations, which prevents over-provisioning and reduces costs.

As a last point, increased availability, better load balancing, and built-in redundancy provided by cloud services enhance the reliability of applications and ensure consistent performance even during peak usage.

Cloud security vs. on-premises security: Differences to be aware of

Cloud security and on-premises security differ significantly in terms of infrastructure, responsibilities, software, and governance. 

In a cloud environment, infrastructure is managed by the cloud provider, who is responsible for maintaining and securing the hardware, networking, and data centers. This contrasts with on-premises security, where the business entirely owns and manages all its infrastructure, which requires substantial investment in hardware, updates, physical security and operating expenses.

Responsibility in the cloud is shared between the provider and the business. The provider secures the infrastructure, while the business must secure data, applications, and user access. On-premises security, however, places the entire burden on the business, from hardware to software.

Software in the cloud is often kept up-to-date automatically, whereas on-premises systems require manual updates. Governance also differs; cloud providers typically offer built-in compliance tools and monitoring, while on-premises environments demand comprehensive internal governance policies to ensure security and compliance.

Common challenges when migrating to the cloud

The following sections describe the most common cloud migration risks and challenges. 

Lack of skills and knowledge

One of the most common challenges when migrating to the cloud is a lack of skills and knowledge within the organization. Cloud environments require a different set of expertise compared to traditional on-premises systems. Many businesses struggle with understanding the complexities of cloud architecture, security protocols, and best practices for optimizing cloud resources.

This skills gap can lead to inefficient migrations, increased costs, and potential security vulnerabilities. Without proper training and knowledge, teams may find it challenging to fully leverage the benefits of the cloud, resulting in a slower adoption process and missed opportunities for innovation.

Access controls

Access controls are security measures that determine who can access specific resources within a system or network. Transitioning to the cloud often involves reconfiguring access policies and permissions, which can be complex due to differences between on-premises and cloud environments.

Ensuring that access controls are correctly implemented and aligned with the organization's security policies is crucial but challenging. There may be difficulties in setting up relationship-based access control (ReBAC) or integrating existing identity management systems. Additionally, misconfigured access controls can lead to unauthorized access or data breaches.

Data protection and security

Maximizing cloud migration security while the data is transferred is crucial to prevent breaches or loss. Once in the cloud, maintaining control over data security becomes complex due to the shared responsibility between the cloud provider and the organization.

This involves configuring proper encryption, access controls, and compliance with regulations. Additionally, organizations must adapt to new security practices and tools specific to cloud environments. Failure to address these issues can result in vulnerabilities and compliance violations, which may jeopardize data integrity and privacy.

Regulatory and compliance requirements

Organizations must ensure that their cloud environment adheres to industry-specific regulations and data protection laws, such as GDPR in the European Union or HIPAA in the US. This can be difficult due to varying requirements across different jurisdictions and the need for comprehensive documentation and audit trails.

Migrating to the cloud may also involve ensuring that the cloud provider's security measures and compliance certifications align with the organization's obligations. Proper planning and collaboration with the cloud provider are essential to meet these requirements and avoid legal and financial penalties.

Common security considerations when migrating to the cloud

When migrating to the cloud, several security considerations must be addressed to protect data and maintain control.

Data Exposure

Ensuring that sensitive information is not accessible to unauthorized parties involves robust encryption protocols both at rest and in transit. It's essential to configure access controls properly, use multi-factor authentication, and regularly audit permissions.

Additionally, understanding the shared responsibility model of cloud providers helps in clarifying the security measures that need to be in place on both the provider's and the organization's end.

Lack of visibility and monitoring

Cloud environments often offer monitoring tools, which cannot be customized by users to meet their specific needs. 

Integrating automated alerts and establishing a security information and event management (SIEM) system can enhance visibility as well as response capabilities, ensuring more effective security in the cloud.

Poor IAM

Inadequate identity and access management (IAM) practices can lead to unauthorized access and increased risk of data breaches. It’s crucial to implement strict access controls by adopting the principle of least privilege, which ensures that users have only the permissions they need.

Regularly reviewing and updating access policies, leveraging multi-factor authentication, and using IAM tools provided by cloud providers can help manage and monitor user permissions effectively. Establishing proper IAM strategies is essential for protecting sensitive information and maintaining a secure cloud environment.

Control plane management

The control plane manages and configures cloud resources, making it a critical target for attacks. Securing the control plane involves ensuring that administrative access is tightly controlled and monitored. Strong authentication mechanisms, such as multi-factor authentication, and regularly auditing access logs can help prevent unauthorized changes.

Additionally, using role-based access controls and least privilege principles can mitigate risks. Properly securing the control plane is essential to maintaining the integrity and security of cloud environments.

API management

Effective API security involves implementing strong authentication and authorization mechanisms, such as OAuth and API keys, to ensure only authorized users and applications can access the APIs. 

Additionally, monitoring API traffic for unusual patterns and integrating rate limiting can help prevent abuse and attacks. Regularly updating and patching API endpoints, along with conducting security assessments and audits, are essential practices to safeguard against potential threats and maintain a secure cloud environment.

Divio facilitates cloud migration and management

There's no denying that maximizing cloud migration security while mitigating all cloud migration risks can be tricky, especially if you don’t have the necessary expertise and resources. But with the right partner, cloud migration doesn't have to be hard.

Divios managed cloud hosting service helps you establish the optimal cloud by addressing your web application security, compliance, computing, and storage needs.

Even better: You can save up to 60% compared to setting up your cloud environment by yourself, as we partner with many cloud providers and have the necessary resources to efficiently manage your cloud.

Profit from round-the-clock cloud resource management and monitoring to make your cloud migration a full success: https://www.divio.com/our-prices/.