Cloud space over the last decade has seen an exponential growth and acquisition of Red Hat by IBM for $33.4 billion gives us the idea that how the cloud computing space will pan out over the next decade. Here are some of the cloud service providers, who have been leading the race of service provider,

1. IBM Cloud

On March 2011, IBM announced the IBM smart cloud framework to support the smarter planet. IBM cloud is reasonably priced with pre-configured tools that can be customized according to user needs. IBM cloud offers service such as Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS) and infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). IBM offers a wide range of cloud services both virtual and hardware-based servers for different types of networks like the public, private and management networks.

The hardware and virtual based servers are combined into an on-demand cloud platform. The on-demand cloud platform helps the user to achieve a complete infrastructure control. This provides the user a sole access to the entire server. The combination of hardware and virtual based servers will help reduce the security issues and improve the server speed.

IBM cloud is integrated and managed by a single system that can be controlled via a web portal or API (Application Programming Interface) or mobile apps. IBM cloud offers full server customization for the user with features such as pay as a feature and also handpicking the server.

IBM also offers Lite Tier, which offers flexibility in duration along with 256 MB of cloud foundry memory. These options help you certain the features the user wants to use and pay only for them.

2. Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Amazon Web Services (AWS) was founded in 2006; it provides on-demand cloud computing to individuals and organizations. AWS offers an extensive range of services in IaaS and PaaS domain. AWS offers extensive admin control via the secure web client. Users can access a number of features like encryption key creation and auditing.   AWS lets the user customize the infrastructure requirements. This cost is far less if the user can set up the infrastructure in own premises.  The EC2 service provides the user with the flexibility of acquiring and running servers as necessary.

AWS has three different pricing models: Pay as you Go, save when you reserve and pay less using more. AWS also offers a free 12 month trial period after that you can choose a paid plan.

3. Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure was released in 2010 and users can run any service on the cloud or combine with existing applications, data center or infrastructure. Microsoft Azure offers a wide variety of computing solutions taking into account different industry requirements.  Azure doesn’t require physical servers on site; this reduces the cost of the server and also the cost of the server support team. The migration center from Azure also helps in transferring the data much faster and easier.

A 12-month free trial period is offered which includes access to all popular services along with $200 credit and 25 always free services. The user can tailor each of the plans according to the needs.

4. Google Cloud

Google Cloud Platform is a Google cloud service provider to create business solutions using modular web services. For the user, Google provides multilayer secured infrastructure to help the user to build, modify, save and share data securely. This is done through transparency in data protection and a team of highly skilled engineers working on the same.

Google cloud has a variety of tools to ensure consistent performance and management here most frequently used tools App Engine, container engine, cloud storage, computer engine, and big query. The user can have a smooth transition to virtual machines with flexible pricing.

5. Rackspace Cloud

Rackspace Cloud is a cloud-computing product company based in the United States (US). Rackspace was founded in the year 2006 and it’s one of the first companies to introduce a cloud computing product along with Microsoft releasing Azure in 2010. The Rackspace big cloud platform became a foremost cloud- computing product provider with its unique approach of big cloud platform with a personal touch for users.

Rackspace allows the user to choose a cloud provider with that user can easily interact using a Rackspace platform. The product developed by Rackspace works with major cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and VMware. The advantages of using Rackspace are the user has some of the biggest cloud providers for stability and for scalability user has a customer support of a smaller company.

The public cloud option provides quick and easy access to the IT resources the user needs to reduce the cost of the data center management. Public cloud is a multi-tenant service offers user service of “pay-as-use”. Public cloud is ideal for users that have heavy or unpredictable traffic. For more information on the cloud, you can download our whitepaper.

Rackspace offers a wide range of cloud service this includes public, private, hybrid and multi-cloud service. In the IaaS solution, Rackspace has now built an entirely different open source system as it uses the operating system Open Stack.

The private cloud offers the option of a single tenant environment, eliminating the noisy neighbor effects with reduced the server speed. The private cloud offers maximum security, dedicated only for your use. The cost of a private cloud is higher compared to a public cloud.  Rackspace also has the option of hybrid cloud which gives access to a combination of both private and public cloud.

The user can sign-up for Rackspace for free this will include features like security guidance, technical account manager, free server monitoring, and reporting. Rackspace has an in-depth guide to their prices and features offered they can even be customized according to your needs.

For more information on cloud computing based on performance, pricing and storage download our whitepaper on cloud computing.

Cisco networking and security chief praised that we have the world’s first native hybrid Kubernetes environment for AWS. Customers of AWS and Cisco will now be getting the access to Cisco’s container platform to manage workloads on and off Amazon cloud.  This will also help in promoting the Cisco’s hyper-convergence hardware and demand for bundled software.

Hybrid cloud has been the focus for tech giants for the past couple of years. Hybrid cloud currently represents 30 percent of all enterprise deployments and by 2022 the number might hit 55%. Governments across the world are also leveraging cloud platform for setting up digital networks and even public domain work.

The Hybrid-cloud partnership will be launched in December, Cisco’s software only subscription starting at $65,000 a year and contracts offered for duration one, three, and five years. Extra fees would be charged for Amazon EKS clusters, and computing power necessary to run AWS cloud.

Alibaba, an e-commerce giant has been making rapid strides in the cloud computing business. The cloud computing business saw a rise to $ 820 million at the end of the quarter a 90 percent year-on-year rise. Cloud computing accounted for 7 percent of total revenue that has increased from 5 percent last year.

Zhang during his interview mentioned that they have no hard revenue targets for the sector. Alibaba is expanding the cloud business into new territories outside China over past two and half years. It has opened new data centers across Asia and Europe.  Trying to achieve a better digital footprint around the world, it recently opted for the data center in the U.K.

Alibaba is looking towards cloud computing to diversify its business beyond retail – Amazon did a decade ago. The company also announced its plan to design own artificial intelligence chips that can help servers to handle a huge amount of data and boost cloud division of Alibaba.

The project is designed to examine how researchers can leverage big data and cloud computing resources? NSF is already contributing $3 million towards the project. The cloud providers for the project are Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform.

Manish Parashar, the director of NSF added that “People are really excited to see the journey and adoption process. With any new, disruptive trend there would be a learning curve along with a change in the current process.”

Under the first phase of E-CAS, it would involve allocating cloud resources to six research proposals after that two proposals will be selected to see if the cloud could be able to accelerate the scientific discovery. The cloud access point is a broader push within the NSF to bring cloud capabilities to researchers. NSF is looking to bring new disruptive technology the first step is taken with cloud access program.

The main concept behind the partnership is to create a roadmap that inculcates modern technology and different types of biomedical data. Such partnership helps in accelerating the pace of research advancements.

Syntopy’s technology is a Palantir’s developed tool that allows the user to structure and analyze data. Medical data can be from various types of sources and it can be overwhelming as medical trails require a long period of time. Syntropy can analyze data from any type of sources allowing the researchers to follow data safety and transparency protocol.

Merck KGaA Chairman and CEO Stefan Oschmann said in a statement “The success of science hinges on the ability to act on insights. Syntropy would facilitate the collaboration within the global scientific community. ”

Big Pharma companies are slowly making their moves towards data analytics acquisitions and investments. Over the past few years, we have seen many examples of it Roche’s $1.9 billion purchase of New-York based oncology Data Company.   According to the last year tally of acquisitions and mergers, the healthcare sector totaled to 967 and with a combined cost of $175.2 billion.

Here are certain key points to focus to make cloud utilization easy for enterprises:

1. Service Option: It’s easy to get carried while implementing a new technology across the platform, but having an end goal in mind what you want to achieve through the implementation will make your decision-making process easier. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) both will offer you management solutions and reducing your cost of infrastructure.

2. Application Monitoring and management: Application Performance Management (APM) is key for many organizations while switching to the cloud. If the applications have performance and usability issues customers or employees can become frustrated. So IT team needs to understand the requirement of memory and performance.

3. Availability: Up-time of cloud server can be a factor which affects the organizations that need real-time data.  A hospital application cannot be down for any minute under any circumstances. Usually, cloud vendors provide a backup server to have zero-affect service during maintenance downtime.

4. Security: Security or in better words access and identity management, transferring sensitive data onto the cloud can be a humongous business decision and with this security of the data becomes of prime importance for enterprises using the cloud. Two or Three step authorization is now used for better security on the cloud.

The organizations in the UK are embracing the cloud but there are barriers standing in the way of adoption.

Here are some figures that can help you understand the cloud scenario in the UK:

1. Organizations are adopting a multi-cloud strategy, with 75 percent of current cloud users deploying two or more cloud-based By 2019, 84 percent of the cloud users will look to increase their cloud usage to pursuit a digital transformation.

2. The organizations are well aware of the cloud technology and threats presented with it, 55% think that the sector will be disrupted with cloud technology in the next two years.

3. Overall 68 percent of the organizations have implemented or in process of implementing a cloud

4. Skill shortage is a key factor coming as a barrier for digital transformation with 50 percent of the current workforce lacking cloud management skills.

Many barriers in the adoption of the cloud or applications of cloud AI, IoT and Blockchain are kind of same that we saw with the cloud earlier. The vendor community and the channel have a big role to play in the journey of digital potential service.

Every cloud security providers should qualify certain terms like:

1. Encryption of data and documents stored on the cloud.

2. Layers of security protection for data stored on a public cloud.

3. Easy monitoring of access point to check unrestricted access.

4. Securing cloud applications.

5. Policies for cloud governance

Let’s discuss the different cloud security software’s and suit organizational requirements in securing the data:

AlienVault Unified Security Management (USM)

AlienVault Unified Security Management (USM) is used for cloud threat detection, incident response and policy management across the cloud. AlienVault USM has different types of products available based on the requirements of the organizations- USM Anywhere, USM for MSSPs, and Managed Security Services powered by USM. USM Anywhere is specifically designed for cloud and its applications, USM for MSSPs and Managed Security Services powered by USM is for secured networks. The USM Anywhere platform is cost-effective, speedy deployment and simple to manage. It significantly reduces the cost and delays caused due to on-site installation, management, and hardware maintenance.

AlienVault Unified Security Management (USM) Anywhere is an all-in-one security management software based on SaaS technology. The SaaS security management platform converges and reduces threat with detection, incident response and compliance management across cloud and on-premises servers. Unified Security Management (USM) Anywhere stands by its name- asset finding, risk assessment, intrusion detection (network, host, and cloud), response to risk, risk management and reporting can be done through a unified platform. USM provides the IT admin with actionable insights for risk response.  It helps organizations to skip the process of purchase, integrate, and manage multiple security products.

Key Features:

USM Anywhere provides the following security features that act as important touch points for the organizations to manage their cloud security

1. Vulnerability Assessment: Scanning live network and risk assessment monitoring.

2. Asset Discovery: Built-in active and passive network discovery, infrastructure inventory and software inventory.

3. Behavior monitoring: Monitoring the behavior of users across the infrastructure- on-premises network, and cloud assets.

4. SIEM or Cloud management: Event Correlation, analysis, and reporting.

5. Threat Detection: Cloud IDS (AWS IDS, Azure IDS), Host IDS (HIDS), Network IDS (NIDS) and file integrity monitoring.

6. Incident Response: Policies for risk containment and mitigation.

7. Compliance Reporting: Customized reports according to the policies and compliance according to the requirements.

AlienVault Unified Security Management (USM) is a good fit for all organizations of any size without straining security teams and cost. USM provides an easy solution and cost-effective solutions to eliminate multiple products that need to be integrated.

Open DNS Umbrella

Open DNS Umbrella is a security product developed by Cisco and is a combination of features of Umbrella and OpenDNS. Cisco brought OpenDNS for $ 635 million in cash in 2015, OpenDNS was an Internet Security Service provider preventing users from connecting to dangerous IP addresses that are associated with malicious links and downloads. Cisco Open DNS Umbrella provides the security needed to protect users across all devices connected to the organization’s network and remote users accessing the organization’s network. The combination of umbrella and Cisco Cloudlock’s helps the organization identify SaaS apps can be used to implement the policies. Stop an attack even before the actual launch of the attack. Umbrella solves more than 100 billion internet requests every day by analyzing live data of over more than 11 billion historical events. The insights help in detecting the threats and block them.

Organizations that are currently using Cisco security tools are also leveraging the machine learning to uncover the known and emerging threats. Block all the connection to threats at the DNS and IP layer. Using Cisco open DNS umbrella organizations can integrate the existing system, security appliances, cloud and lets the security to be extended for locations and devices beyond the perimeter. Umbrella is a cloud-delivered internet gateway that shields all ports and devices over current and future threats. It’s a cloud-based security service so no hardware or no software is required.

Netskope Security

The patented cloud XD technology eliminates the security leak points by going deeper than other security providers. It has the ability to quickly target malicious links or websites and control the activities across thousands of cloud services. Netskope Security cloud protects its users for every type of threat both common and advanced. Netskope cover thousands of cloud services through published cloud APIs or through inline decoding. Netskope security covers all kinds of devices connected to the organization’s cloud and works on all kinds of technology. Netskope is like having a comprehensive cloud DLP that can cover all the cloud traffic coming in from mobile apps, clients, and native apps to all off-premises devices allowing you to inspect all the traffic for violations.

Using the patented technology the user can view the real-time activity on the cloud this includes devices, location, date, time and content. The user can also control the activities of the visitor, such as share, approve, edit, download, and many more services can be included. Netskope believes in providing end to end security that means implementing cloud security throughout the globe with any number of users. Netskope would not in any interfere with user experience or the functioning of the cloud. Enterprises all over the world are accepting cloud as secured technology and uploading sensitive business data. This has resulted in regulations being implemented for data security and protecting the user data on the cloud. Cloud Security is imperative for more cloud adoption.

For more information, you can download our whitepapers from cloud & security.

Here are 5 ways, the cloud will change in the year 2019:

1. Increase in enterprise spending: Alibaba, Microsoft Azure, IBM, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, and Oracle will continue to expand in 2019. The companies will also increase the spending to update the aging applications. The global cloud computing market will surpass the $200 billion mark in 2019.
2. Container, Kubernetes (K8s), and Serverless: Container adoption increased many folds in 2018 and will continue to increase as older apps are replaced by new apps. In 2019, we would see an increase in K8 adoption with easier management, monitoring, upgrading and securing.
3. The approach towards private cloud: The cloud management will take a new approach in 2019, the organizations will build the system itself with vSphere and developer focused tools. The second approach companies might adopt is converged software stacks. The third approach would be OpenStack to use own team capabilities.
4. Platform-as-a-Service(PaaS) Strategy: Organizations in 2019 have to constantly reevaluate their strategy to use PaaS- whether to leverage cloud provider or operate on cloud neutrality to make sure the strategy used by them is still relevant or not.
5. Software as a Service(SaaS) will gain popularity: SaaS industry and integration will expand in 2019. Cloud, for example, could decrease the multi-customer aspect and form more agile, efficient systems for organizations that need to change an aspect in real time due to external interference.

The new configuration, Amazon S3 Block Public Access can work on the account level, individual buckets and future buckets created by the user. It will give user extra accessibility to block existing public access or control the access for newly created items. The new feature is an extension of already available access controls like Access Control Lists (ACL), or Identity and Identity Access Management (IAM) bucket policies. Users will not be charged any extra amount for the configuration feature aside from usual prices for a request made for S3 API.

The ACL and policies gave the user flexibility so that you can grant permission to multiple accounts; restrict access to specific IP addresses, granting access to other accounts to upload new objects in a bucket, use of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and many more features.

New Amazon S3 Block Public Access

The new level of protection works on buckets and objects making it easier for the user to control. It works on the account level and individual buckets, including your future requirements. Using the new Amazon S3 block will help to block existing public access and also block the newly created items. In case of AWS account being used to host the data or application the public level protection will act as a guard against accidental public exposure. The public access is used for different types of web hosting.

When dealing with public access settings for the AWS account, you have two options to deal with- Manage Public Access Control Lists (ACLs) and Manage Public Bucket Policies.

Here are some points to take into consideration while dealing with them:

1. Block new public ACLs and Uploading public objects: The option allows the user to configure buckets and objects, disallowing them to use a new public bucket or object ACL. The option will not affect the existing buckets or objects but will ensure that future PUT requests that include ACL option will fail. The setting can be used to protect against future attempt to use ACL to create buckets or objects public. If an application tries to upload an object with public ACL or if an admin tries to apply the public setting to the bucket it will block the public access setting for the bucket.

2. Remove public access granted through public ACLs: The option allows the user to set S3 and not to evaluate any public ACL while authorizing a request. This ensures that no buckets or objects can be made public using ACLs. The setting overrides current or future public access setting. The setting will override the setting of an object that is currently uploading using public ACLs.

3. Block new public bucket policies: This option discards all the new public bucket policies and is used to ensure that future PUT requests that include them will fail. However, this would not affect the existing buckets or objects to ensure that bucket policy cannot be updated to grant public access.

4. Block Public and cross-account access to buckets that have public policies: The options set the bucket that is publicly accessible could be accessed by bucket owner and AWS services.  This option will protect buckets that have public policies and also your functions. It protects the data in the bucket from becoming publicly accessible. AWS wants to make that the user use public buckets and objects without making them publicly accessible just due to certain misconfiguration. It has been a long-term problem for the Amazon cloud service and its users. Cloud is a shared responsibility while the provider is responsible “Of cloud” i.e. infrastructure and the user is responsible “in Cloud” i.e. configuration. AWS recently also changed the color of objects and buckets that are public so that a user can easily identify them.

Conclusion:

The recent high profile leaks have led many experts commenting that the ease of using cloud depends on the user. It’s important that you take the responsibility of the cloud as your system and configure it utmost security. Hiring cloud security personnel will be better than having just an IT personnel handling the configuration of the cloud.

For more information on cloud configuration, you can download our Whitepaper.