Applying security principles to address cloud cost challenges is the need of the hour. This first part in the series on security and cost optimisation in the enterprise cloud explains that these are not isolated concerns but are truly interconnected in a well-managed cloud environment.
As an enterprise cloud security architect and cloud cost consultant, I have had the opportunity to explore the intersection of cloud security and cost optimisation. Initially, I approached these areas separately, but I soon realised the synergies between them. In this article, I will explore the challenges of complex cloud cost optimisation and the benefits of adopting a combined approach. This approach proves effective, especially in scenarios where no single solution exists and there are limitations in control and visibility.
Enterprises have prioritised cloud migration in the past decade. However, they have often underestimated the challenges that arise when it comes to effectively managing security and cost post-transition. The distributed and dynamic nature of the cloud presents unique and unforeseen hurdles for enterprises in their pursuit of implementing robust security controls and optimised cost management.
To better comprehend an enterprise cloud environment, enterprises commonly utilise one or more cloud service providers, manage multiple cloud accounts, and leverage multiple regions, availability zones, and hybrid on-premises extensions to provision their infrastructure. Within this intricate environment, multiple teams, applications, and users with varying skillsets and business objectives interact with the cloud, utilising different methods. Additionally, the dynamic nature of cloud environments enables changes to be made by anyone, from anywhere, through various means of interaction with the cloud.
In this landscape, dynamic provisioning is performed by individuals with varying levels of understanding. Hence, any misconfigurations or misprovisioning are easily exposed to the cloud provider, potentially leading to cost leakage and security risks when exposed to the internet. This amplifies the security and cost challenges compared to traditional on-premises setups. Regrettably, many enterprises face increased expenses or compromised security postures in the cloud compared to on-premises environments due to these reasons.
The challenges
Let’s explore why cloud security and cost optimisation are closely intertwined challenges.
Design flaws
Both security and cost optimisation are fundamental aspects that should be deeply rooted in the design, architecture, development practices, and implementation of the cloud environment. When the architecture is not optimised for cost efficiency and security, it can result in unnecessary resource utilisation, inefficient workflows, misconfigurations or overprovisioning of cloud resources. Enterprises often treat security and cost as afterthoughts.
Complexity and obscurity
The dynamic nature of the cloud, with its vast array of services, configurations, and data, can create a lack of visibility and understanding. The obscurity inherent in the cloud environment can contribute to misconfigurations that can expose sensitive data or lead to unauthorised access.
Inefficient resource allocation is another consequence of the lack of understanding and visibility. Without clear insights into resource utilisation and performance, enterprises may inadvertently provision resources with higher capacity than necessary, leading to cost leakage.
Limited control
Enterprises often rely on distributed teams to handle security implementation and cost optimisation. However, limited control over these decentralised teams can hamper the effectiveness of security monitoring and cost optimisation efforts.
In an enterprise cloud landscape, ensuring coordination across teams, implementing unified controls and enforcing best practices becomes difficult, leading to inconsistencies in security practices and cost optimisation strategies.
Varying business objectives
Enterprises and business units often have diverse business objectives when it comes to cloud usage. Some prioritise agility, while others prioritise cost optimisation or compliance. However, aligning these divergent priorities and goals can be challenging, resulting in fragmented security practices and inefficient cost management.
This misalignment can occur due to the varying needs, priorities, and perspectives of different stakeholders within the enterprise. This can lead to a lack of cohesive strategy, inconsistent implementation of security measures, and suboptimal cost management approaches.
Reactive approach
Enterprises often prioritise security and cost only when situations escalate beyond their control, such as a security breach or cost bleed. Addressing security and cost considerations reactively when situations escalate beyond control can be extremely expensive.
Potholes
Enterprises often overlook the importance of being aware of potential cost leakage that can be exploited by cloud service providers due to misprovisioning or misconfigurations in their cloud implementations, similar to how attackers continuously exploit vulnerabilities in security systems.
Assumptions
Failing to validate the effectiveness of security controls or the capacity of provisioned resources can pose risks and negatively impact both security and cost management. When assumptions are made without proper benchmarking or validations, vulnerabilities may arise, potentially compromising the system’s security.
Likewise, assuming resource capacity without adequate benchmarking can result in overprovisioned and underutilised resources, leading to unavoidable expenses or performance issues.
The right approaches
While there are similarities in the challenges, there are also similarities in the approaches to remediate them. Embracing this synergy empowers enterprises to not only conquer challenges but to architect a cloud environment that thrives on proactive enhancements.
Proactive approach
Integrating security and cost considerations early in the design and implementation stages is vital for a secure and cost-efficient cloud environment. By incorporating multilayered security controls and comprehensive cost controls from the start, enterprises can prevent vulnerabilities and inefficiencies. Proper benchmarking and capacity planning enable understanding of resource needs, optimising allocation, and avoiding unnecessary expenses.
Governance and policies
Establishing governance frameworks and policies ensures consistent implementation of security measures and cost optimisation strategies. These policies act as guardrails, enforcing compliance across all enterprise teams and promoting consistency. Continuous evaluation and refinement of these policies enhance cloud operations, strengthen security and risk management, and optimise costs effectively.
Continuous improvement
Real-time monitoring is essential for both security and cost optimisation. In security, it helps to identify and respond to threats and vulnerabilities. In cost optimisation, it helps to identify areas for improvement and cost-saving opportunities.
Achieving the right balance between security and user experience is important in cloud security. Enterprises must avoid unnecessary restrictions while ensuring adequate protection. In cloud cost optimisation, enterprises strive to achieve an optimal equilibrium between resource requirements and cost efficiency.
By actively pursuing continuous improvement, enterprises can strengthen their cloud security posture, minimise cost leaks, and effectively adapt to evolving threats and changing business requirements in the cloud environment.
Risk management
Both cloud security and cost optimisation require assessing potential risks. Enterprises need to prioritise security measures and provision resources diligently to mitigate identified risks. Similarly, in cost optimisation, enterprises assess their cloud environment to identify potential sources of cost leakage and inefficiencies. Conducting risk assessments in both disciplines allows enterprises to focus efforts on critical areas of failure and make informed decisions for enhanced security and cost efficiency.
Anomaly detection
Cloud security anomaly detection involves identifying abnormal or suspicious activities in a cloud environment to detect potential security threats or breaches. By analysing security data, logs, and events, enterprises can spot anomalies that deviate from expected behaviour. Implementing effective cloud security anomaly detection enables proactive threat response, data protection, and a strong security posture.
Likewise, monitoring and analysing factors like resource utilisation, service usage, data transfer, and billing data help identify anomalies in cloud costs. This allows enterprises to uncover cost inefficiencies, billing errors and unauthorised usage, and mitigate unexpected expenses.
Automation and tools
Automation is essential for improving cloud security and cost management. It enables consistent implementation and management of security controls, provides insights into resource utilisation and cost allocation, and enhances operational efficiency.
In cloud security, automation tools monitor for threats, detect anomalies, and facilitate swift incident response. Similarly, for cost management, these tools analyse usage data, identify cost-saving opportunities, enforce budget controls, and generate detailed cost reports.
Embracing automation ensures continuous monitoring and optimisation of security and cost in the cloud environment, reducing manual effort and building visibility. Furthermore, automation can be calibrated to automatically address cost anomalies or leakages, like an automated response for security incidents.
Collaboration and awareness
Establishing central teams responsible for defining policies, approaches, and solutions is essential. These teams work in collaboration with decentralised development and operations teams to ensure effective implementation. Streamlined processes for resource allocation are necessary to maintain consistent security measures and optimised cost management across distributed teams and applications.
Training employees on security best practices and cost optimisation strategies creates a culture of security and cost consciousness. This empowers individuals to contribute to a secure environment and optimise cloud costs effectively.
Integrating cloud security principles into cost optimisation minimises risks and promotes consistent cost governance. Proactive analysis of potential leakage enhances financial performance and budget control, and leads to optimised cloud costs.
While cloud financial operations (FINOPS) is still a developing discipline, there is a lack of structured approaches to address cloud cost leakages. In the next article in this series, I will delve into how applying additional security principles can help to optimise cloud costs and mitigate financial risks.
