Businesses are increasingly reliant upon network cloud solutions for on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially for data storage and to gain computing power, without direct active management by the user. However, this increased connectivity raises the prospect of new threats occurring and hence alternative solutions. These new measures required are discussed by Mark Nunnikhoven from Trend Micro in an interview with Digital Journal. This includes reviewing Trend Micro’s work with Amazon Web Services.
Digital Journal: How important is the cloud becoming for businesses?
Mark Nunnikhoven: The cloud is absolutely critical for businesses. IT drives modern business and is often a major line item in the budget. While that’s not going to decrease with the cloud, it does give businesses focus. Moving infrastructure to the cloud and, ideally having the cloud service provider manage that infrastructure, allows businesses to put their efforts into work that is a differentiator for them.
Outside of a few IT service companies (such as the business’ cloud provider), no business gains an advantage by running Linux better than their competitors, they simply lose less.
Moving into the cloud allows businesses to focus IT on delivering direct business value.
DJ: With cloud computing, what are the main cybersecurity issues?
Nunnikhoven: Of course, the move to the cloud isn’t without its challenges. One recurring challenge is cybersecurity. The good news here is that moving to the cloud can make it significantly easier to deploy technology in a more secure manner.
The reason is simple: everything in the cloud operates using a “shared responsibility model.” This model lays out which areas the user is responsible for and what the service provider is responsible for. At a minimum, a service provider is taking on half to the load (the physical, infrastructure, and virtualization layers). When a business moves towards abstract services (like AWS’ S3) they only have to worry about the configuration of the service and the data stored there.
If a business understands this model, they can excel in the cloud. Alternatively, misunderstanding this model usually results in needless exposures, and a higher probability of a breach.
DJ: What solutions does Trend Micro offer?
Nunnikhoven:Trend Micro offers solutions to help business fulfill their security responsibilities in the cloud. The goal is to provide a simple, automated way to build security into your solution from the start instead of bolting it on as an afterthought.
DJ: What is your involvement with Amazon Web Services?
Nunnikhoven:As a long time AWS Advanced Technology Partner, Trend Micro works very closely with AWS and their teams to ensure that our technologies work seamless in the AWS Cloud. Trend Micro has also achieved a number of AWS competency designations—as AWS acknowledgement of a technical speciality—that highlight our long track record of working with AWS.
DJ: How does your solution impact business applications?
Nunnikhoven:The goal of any modern security solution is to complement business applications. Traditional solutions are typically cumbersome and often act as digital gatekeepers. Trend Micro’s Deep Security, a hybrid cloud security solution, acts as a safety net for business applications and a layer of security they need without slowing down development, or restricting technology choices.
DJ: How does the solution aid business performance?
Nunnikhoven:Business software is complex and when businesses move to the cloud, small teams can now create applications on a completely new scale. At that larger scale, ensuring that everything is properly configured and not exposing data needlessly can be difficult. Solutions like Trend Micro’s Deep Security have been designed not only to stop cybercriminals but to help development teams ensure that they are meeting the goal of cybersecurity – to ensure the their applications work as intended and only as intended.
