Cloud security challenges are escalating as organizations increasingly adopt hybrid and multi-cloud environments. The "2024 Cloud Security Report" by Cybersecurity Insiders reveals critical insights into these evolving challenges and the strategies cybersecurity professionals are prioritizing to manage them effectively.

According to the report, most organizations are leveraging hybrid and multi-cloud strategies to harness the benefits of diverse cloud services. However, this shift brings significant security concerns, with 59% of respondents identifying security and compliance issues as major barriers to cloud adoption. The complexity of securing multiple cloud environments is further compounded by a severe shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals, with 93% of survey participants expressing concern over this gap.

"After years of rapid adoption, cloud growth has slowed as the market matured. At this point, the hype appears to have found its equilibrium, and the benefits of cloud computing are well understood," writes Frederick Harris, Fortinet senior director of product and solution marketing, cloud security, on the company's blog, discussing the report.

"Most organizations recognize that security needs to be included in their cloud strategies. The cybersecurity challenges associated with the cloud and the need for enhanced security measures in hybrid, multi-cloud environments have become more critical in the face of new AI-based threats. In fact, 96% of organizations report being moderately or extremely concerned about cloud security," Harris writes.


Unified Cloud Security

The report strongly advocates for the adoption of a unified cloud security platform, as echoed by 95% of respondents. Such platforms are seen as crucial for simplifying and automating security management across various cloud services, which helps mitigate the talent shortage and enhance overall security through consistent policy enforcement and better visibility.

Resource allocation is also a key focus, with 61% of organizations planning to increase their cloud security budgets. This planned increase underscores the growing recognition of the importance of tough, fully developed cybersecurity to guard against increasingly complex cloud infrastructures.

The findings of the "2024 Cloud Security Report" underscore the urgent need for integrated security solutions that can respond immediately with how quickly changes evolve in cloud technologies and the expanding threat landscape.


Fortinet's Solutions

To this end, solution providers may want to consider Fortinet Cloud Security, which can provide the following:

•     FortiGate Virtual Machine (VM) provides network security for multi-cloud environments by integrating with cloud networking services, supporting seamless connectivity and consistent security policies across hybrid deployments.
•     FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (CNF) combines next-generation firewall (NGFW) capabilities like intrusion prevention system (IPS), web filtering, domain name system (DNS) security, and more—with distinct cloud SaaS advantages.
•     FortiWeb Web Application Firewall (WAFs) defend web applications and APIs against threats, utilizing machine learning to improve detection accuracy and reduce false positives, adaptable across various cloud platforms.
•     FortiEDR delivers behavior-based endpoint detection and response, protecting workloads across Google Cloud and ensuring secure cloud operations.
•     FortiCNP, a Cloud Native Application Protection Platform, integrates with cloud service provider security services and the Fortinet Security Fabric, offering full-stack cloud security and actionable insights for cloud workloads.
•     Secure SD-WAN by Fortinet combines WAN path selection with security functions in a cloud-based solution, simplifying cloud connectivity while enhancing security and reducing operational costs across cloud and data center interconnections.
•     Network Security With FortiGate VM NGFWs: FortiGate VM next-generation firewalls offer robust network segmentation to protect cloud-to-internet and intra-cloud traffic, ensuring application performance and security across hybrid multi-cloud environments through centralized management via the Fortinet Security Fabric.

Partners have opportunities to provide additional services given this report's findings on the lack of skilled resources and the complexity of multi-cloud. For more information on how partnering with Fortinet to bring cloud solutions to your customers, visit the Fortinet Cloud Partner webpage.

Solution providers may learn more about Fortinet's Engage Partner Program here: https://partnerportal.fortinet.com/English/