KUWAIT: Ensuring security and compliance: key steps for effective cloud audits

12.12.2024

Organizations are increasingly migrating into the cloud because of its scalability, cost-effectiveness, flexibility and innovation in operations. Thus, thorough audits of the cloud have become critical to provide a resilient and optimized environment for the organization. A cloud auditor’s first step is to align the audit plan with organizational goals, focusing on high-risk areas to protect critical assets.

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The audit plan should consider several key areas to ensure a comprehensive audit of the cloud. First, it must ensure an appropriate level of data classification across the organization. Appropriate categorization of data is critical in any type of organization to ensure suitable controls are implemented.

Data security and encryption are also highly critical. Auditors should assess how different types of data are protected, both at rest and in transit, to preserve their confidentiality, integrity and availability. The most sophisticated encryption methods should be implemented for the most sensitive data types. Furthermore, multi-factor authentication (MFA) must be imposed to grant access levels appropriate to the user’s role.

Another important area is identity and access management (IAM). This is mainly because operations in the cloud environment take place across shared spaces. So, the principle of least privilege must be kept intact across the cloud. Auditors should verify that privileged accounts are well-protected by several layers, and that systems for logging and real-time monitoring are well-operated to identify suspicious activities.

Cloud services should also comply with several regulatory requirements, such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS. Auditors should validate compliance through certifications and adherence to proper data protection policies. In addition, auditors should verify that service-level agreements (SLAs) between the organization and the cloud provider are constantly being met. They must also assess any risks associated with relying on the vendor, such as the provider’s ability to recover from downtime or security incidents.

Cost management is a growing concern in cloud environments. Since most cloud services operate on a Pay-As-You-Go basis, overspending is a common issue. Auditors should review the organization’s cloud usage to identify areas where resources may be over-provisioned or underutilized, ensuring that costs are optimized.

On the other hand, several common oversights can undermine the quality of cloud audits. One frequent misstep is failing to account for the shared responsibility model. Cloud providers manage the infrastructure, but customers are strictly responsible for securing their own data and configurations. Another common oversight is ignoring shadow IT, where unauthorized cloud services are used without the IT department’s knowledge, posing all kinds of security risks. 

Auditors should continually monitor the cloud and maintain a strong cooperation with providers, mitigating risks while avoiding common pitfalls such as Shadow IT and misconfigurations. By following such best practices and maintaining close collaboration with cloud providers, organizations can ensure that their cloud environments are operating efficiently.

Written By: May Al-Roomi

References:

  1. Cloud Security Alliance (CSA). Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM). Available online at https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/research/cloud-controls-matrix/. Accessed November 10, 2024.
  2. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Cloud Security Technical Reference Architecture. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2022. Available online at https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/cloud-security-technical-reference-architecture-tra. Accessed November 10, 2024.
  3. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity, Version 1.1. U.S. Department of Commerce, 2018. Available online at https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework. Accessed November 10, 2024.
  4. European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA). Cloud Computing Risk Assessment. European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, 2009. Available online at https://www.enisa.europa.eu/publications/cloud-computing-risk-assessment. Accessed November 10, 2024.
  5. Amazon Web Services (AWS). "Data Classification: Secure Cloud Adoption" Available online at https://d1.awsstatic.com/whitepapers/compliance/AWS_Data_Classification.pdf. Accessed November 10, 2024.