A multi-cloud network is a cloud network that consists of more than one cloud services provider. A straightforward type of multi-cloud network involves multiple infrastructure as a service (IaaS) vendors.

Can you use AWS and Azure together?

For example, you could have some of your cloud network’s servers and physical network provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS), but you’ve integrated that with your servers and physical networking that’s provided by Microsoft Azure. The product and service offerings from one cloud services vendor to another could be a bit different, and this is a way that your organization can take advantage of the best of both worlds.

Another type of multi-cloud network could involve utilizing a cloud vendor’s software as a service (SaaS) or platform as a service (PaaS) with your own infrastructure or another vendor’s IaaS.

No matter which form your multi-cloud network takes, you’re mixing the technologies and services from one company with technologies and services from another company. It could be the most effective way of fulfilling your organization’s unique cloud networking needs.

But getting all of those different entities to work well together takes a bit of careful effort. And properly security hardening such a diverse cloud network comes with its own challenges! Each vendor has its own policies and cybersecurity measures.

But it is possible to deploy a reasonably secure and compliance friendly multi-cloud network. Here are eight best practices that you must keep in mind.

Multi-Cloud Security Best Practices

1) Understanding how shared models work

Make sure that your organization’s business partners and other stakeholders understand how the shared security model applies to you and your cloud vendors.

Usually, cloud providers are responsible for the security of their own infrastructure, and they should be able to provide your organization with some of the capabilities (Read more...)