Why Security is Non-Negotiable in the Cloud Era

It is increasingly difficult to maintain business functions completely in-house. A true cloud-based system may be the solution you need to stay ahead.

According to Flexera's 2025 State of the Cloud Report, 77% of organizations cite security as their top cloud concern. At the same time, over 60% of leaders believe cloud solutions improve business agility and growth.

But speed without control is risky, and unchecked cloud growth can expose organizations to new security threats, compliance pitfalls, and operational breakdowns.

So how do you achieve both? Here are four areas to consider as you fortify your cloud environment.

1. Asset & Network Monitoring

Here’s the reality: without visibility into cloud assets and activity, you’re flying blind.

Monitoring your network allows you to have a constant pulse on the health and reliability of your network. Meanwhile, end-point monitoring ensures you understand what is happening on specific devices, such as PCs or mobile devices.

Your Next Steps:

• Implement or evaluate your current endpoint protection solution.
• Deploy Security Event and Incident Management (SEIM) software across cloud and hybrid environments.
• Identify indicators of compromise such as unusual access, geolocation anomalies, and failed logins.
• Conduct regular log reviews and tune alerts specific to finance, HR, and OT environments.

This is especially critical for organizations with distributed teams or operational tech (OT) environments. Proactive monitoring supports business continuity and real-time issue resolution.

2. Identity & Access Management

Who has access to your system and what can they do? Identity and access controls are your key lines of defense.

Your Next Steps:

• Enforce multi-factor authentication across cloud apps. Microsoft recommends it to prevent nearly all account compromises.
• Enable sign-in and risk-based authentication across all platforms.
• Add additional levels of protection with enhanced conditional access policies. For example, by location (U.S. only), or by compliant device.
• Establish a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to control and encrypt remote network activity.

Manufacturing Spotlight:

Nearly a quarter of mid-market manufacturers cite cybersecurity as a top business challenge. Protecting vendor and supplier access points to inventory and production systems is critical for uptime and compliance.

3. Application Governance

Unapproved apps and overlooked updates create silent entry points for attackers. Without centralized control, cloud agility is worthless.

Your Next Step:

• Audit and catalog all SaaS apps and prohibit unauthorized tools and usage.
• Automate application updates and firewalls to keep these solutions up to date.
• Run pen-tests and vulnerability scans regularly.

Construction Spotlight

More than 20% of construction leaders say their tech stack needs re-evaluation. Legacy tech and manual data entry compound risk when apps aren’t monitored or secured.

4. Data Protection & Resilience

Your data is the foundation of your business. If you lose control, you lose everything.

Your Next Steps:

• Encrypt data at rest and in transit.
• Leverage secure key management.
• Maintain backups and test your recovery times.
• Provide ongoing cybersecurity training for employees.

Assessing Your Current State: Is Your Cloud Security Ready?

When security is treated as an afterthought, cloud migrations can expose you to breaches, regulatory scrutiny, and operational headwinds. But when cloud adoption is proactive and strategic, it accelerates growth, trust, and performance.

Before adopting new solutions, assess your current security environment:

• Document tools and platforms already in place.
• Identify gaps and overlapping functionalities.
• Consider consolidation to simplify vendor management and reduce cost.

If you do find gaps in your security posture, it is important to consider the cost and complexity of filling these gaps. Strategic consolidation of vendors can boost visibility, reduce complexity, and lower licensing costs — especially when scaling.

Our Work in Action: Extra Space Storage

Extra Space Storage needed a scalable way to manage its rapidly growing volume of data from thousands of facilities across dozens of states. Their on-premises stack wasn't keeping pace. Inconsistent data access and siloed systems created risk, hindering timely insights and complicating compliance.

We designed and implemented a Microsoft Azure–based data platform that centralized their data environment. This included:

• Healthier asset visibility and monitoring, with controlled access and data-flow oversight.
• Scalable data warehousing with embedded encryption, backups, and compliance protocols.
• Automated governance, including identity and access management, role segregation, and MFA.

Let’s Protect What You’ve Built

Whether you’re migrating to the cloud, building a hybrid environment, or expanding operations, cloud security isn’t a one-time checklist. It’s a continuous, business-critical strategy.

We help you:

• Design secure cloud strategies aligned with business goals.
• Conduct cloud security assessments and penetration tests.
• Align with audit, compliance, and regulatory expectations.

Let's protect what you've built together.