Securing Multi-Cloud Environments

Cloud computing has fundamentally changed how we consume and deploy technology.

And the growing raft of Public Cloud shared infrastructure, utility type consumption models offer an extremely attractive solution for enabling businesses to easily scale up and down to meet rapidly changing business needs, but security still needs your absolute attention.

New ways of working introduce new security threats

In this post, we’ll be covering a few of the most important areas to look at in order to secure your adoption of multi-cloud architecture.

Inevitably, cloud technology has changed the concept of a network and there is no longer a one size fits all for all businesses.

Whilst environments are changing, so is the growing number of entities across the technology stack as businesses cater for office, home based and new hybrid ways of working.

You need to protect multi-cloud architecture from cyber-attacks and social engineering

Multi-cloud architecture allows progressive organisations to deploy workloads across multiple cloud environments both private and public.

However, this increased complexity comes with security concerns that must be addressed in order to protect the business from cyberattacks and social engineering – simply securing at the perimeter edge alone is no longer sufficient.

Securing a multi-cloud environment requires a comprehensive approach that takes many different concepts into consideration.

As businesses adopt more ‘as a service’ technology by moving applications and services to the cloud, developing a multi-cloud security strategy is an absolute necessity.

Yet in order to deploy the right strategy it is critical for businesses to fully understand the shared responsibility model.

When adopting public cloud into your infrastructure you need to consider what security tasks are handled by the provider and what tasks remain your responsibility?

Shared responsibility when working in multi-cloud environments

One of the biggest challenges of working in multi-cloud environments can be managing different vendors and contracts.

Often working with multiple service providers provides an additional level of challenges as each company will have their own responsibilities, and your expectations may need to change based on the service they are providing.

For example, your cloud service providers will operate the IT infrastructure and deliver the services that you have paid for, but have you checked what security responsibilities they have and what you are responsible for as a user?

In many cases, you’ll be expected to have your own cloud security and encryption solutions, and you’ll be the one deciding who has access to what features in your cloud infrastructure.

In other words, you’ll need to decide what is handled by you as the business owner and what is managed by the company you hire.

Here is a check list of some things to consider when securing multi-cloud environments:

• How educated and security aware are your staff?
• Do they need additional training in order to promote safe and secure use of public, private, and hybrid cloud environments?
• Have you implemented security solutions into all of your processes?
• Are you planning ahead for disasters and minimizing downtime?
• Have you estimated costs yet to see how much you’ll be paying each service provider and if you need to pay for additional or extra services?

Managing multi-cloud environments can be tricky and will present many different security-focused challenges. However, with the right approach and effective management techniques, you’ll find that it can be easy to secure multi-cloud environments.

Nouveau is dedicated to securing your organisation

At Nouveau we help you to navigate public cloud nuances and ensure you have a robust cloud security strategy that reflects your chosen environment.

Our services are geared to increase your resilience by learning and adapting to the changing threat landscape identifying and addressing negligent or criminal behaviours.

We can also optimise user accessibility and network speed with a robust security policy that keeps you safe, is compliant with current legislation and best practice, and evolves with changing security threats.

Nouveau Solutions is a Microsoft Azure and AWS Marketplace Consulting Partner with decades of experience in IT Infrastructure and networking security.

We assist our clients in designing, building, and securing multi-cloud environments. From educating staff to helping you design processes and discovering new tools, we are a full-service company that helps companies optimise their multi-cloud environments and cloud technology solutions.

Whether you’ve already moved applications and workloads to the cloud or are just getting started with your transition to cloud-based services, we’re here to help and support you throughout the entire journey.

Spring is nearly here and as we start to consider spring-cleaning our houses, how about spring cleaning your computer too? Keeping your computer up to date and free of harmful viruses will help to improve your system performance as well as increasing the lifespan of your device. Here are top 5 tips to clean up your computer and keep it operating at its best.

Step One

Before cleaning your computer, make sure you conduct a complete backup. There are plenty of ways to keep your data safe and avoid losing your important documents, program settings and most importantly your photos.

Discover the most popular ways to do this:

Backup through an External Drive

Back up to an external USB hard drive by using your computer’s built-in backup features. The benefits of choosing this backing up option is that is cheaper and faster, however, if you lose the physical drive, you won’t be able to recover your information.

Backup through Internet Programs

Some programs over the internet will run in the background on your PC, automatically backing up your files to the service’s web storage. This is a great opportunity to protect your files from natural disasters or hard drive failures.

Use a Cloud Storage Service

There are various cloud storage services available which will help you to easily save your information, although there may be storage costs to bear.

Photo by Luis Villasmil on Unsplash

Step 2 – Update Your Software

Making sure your operating system is up to date is key in offering some protection against cyber-attacks. Software updates might help to mitigate security gaps and remove computer viruses. We also encourage everyone to do regular updates, as your computer will have new features or better compatibility with other applications. This process will also improve the performance of your existing programs, which will refine your user experience.

Step 3 – Install An Anti-Virus Software

Imagine having a house without a door. This is equivalent of having a computer without an Anti-Virus software. An unprotected house will receive unwanted guests, such as thieves and in the computer world, this reflects an open door to malware and hacker attacks. If you are using a work computer or laptop it may be that your company has multi subscription to an Anti-virus service. It is worth checking when this software will need updating, with no risk of it running out. Working on a personal laptop? Do not worry there are plenty of anti-virus subscriptions available, and plenty of free ones.

Step 4 – Remove Unnecessary Files and Programs

Unwanted files and programs will only occupy unnecessary space on your disk, as well as impact your laptop effectiveness and speed. By removing or uninstalling programs that you don’t use anymore; you can easily boost your computer performance and open room for new and productive programs.

This does not mean completely deleting these files but removing them and storing them on an external device will only have a positive impact on your machine.

Step 5 – Clean It Up Inside and Out

Dusting your computer

Once you have done an inside clean, you will now need to take care of the outside. If you work with a computer, you may have noticed that these devices produce a lot of heat and depending on your work environment attract a lot of dust. You should take a dry cloth and wipe over your computer and monitor screen; any tough stains use distilled or filtered water.

Keyboard

The most used part of your computer or laptop is your keyboard. We may not want to think about it, but you will be touching these for long hours of the day, and from this they will begin to collect bacteria. Firstly, we would start by unplugging your keyword and flipping it over, you may be amazed at how much dirt, crumbs fall out! A quick spray using your can of compressed air will get rid of any stuck, stubborn dirt. Finally, we would then use an anti—bacteria wipe and gently wipe down.

Vents and fan health

To combat overheating, every computer has several small fans built into it, that take cooler air from around the computer and cycle it through to cool it down. To ensure these continue to do their job you should regularly check and clean the vents and fans. We recommend using a can of compressed air, that will gently blow away the dust. Excess dust, dirt, or grime can damage your computer, which will directly affect your PC performance and shortening its lifespan.

The pandemic has caused great disruption to our society, in the way we live, work, and the impact is also being felt across universities and colleges. Education’s changing security challenges are a pain point

As a result, educators have had to rapidly adapt and build a curriculum that can be delivered through online courses and deploy infrastructure to support remote and distance learning. Tackling today’s emerging cyber challenges is easier said than done.

The challenge is doing this securely and at scale, not only to support the needs of today but to also meet the demands of the future.

That’s why Nouveau has teamed up with Education Technology Magazine and Fortinet to provide you with the tips and advice you need to understand the steps and practices needed for you to implement and maintain a safe, secure, remote e-learning environment.

Watch our webinar on the topic below. You can also watch it directly on our YouTube channel here.

For a large majority of companies and consumers alike, 2021 hasn’t been the easiest of years. With working from home hitting hard and fast, the security of VPNs and devices became even more important. As we approach the halfway point of 2021, now is the time to look ahead to what IT trends are fast approaching.

Here are our top IT trends and predictions your business should be thinking about now to prepare for 2021.

Distributed Cloud for remote working

2020 brought with it all sorts of business challenges however, one core technological challenge which became apparent during lockdown is data storage. With a large percentage of the country working from home, the need to access data remotely and by multiple parties became vital.

According to Gartner, the world public cloud services market is forecasted to have grown by 6.3% this year. This is a big trend we are expecting to see continue into 2021 and beyond with more companies becoming more flexible with remote working the demand for data storage is only set to get bigger.

Cyber security – a continuing IT trend

As well as ensuring we have the right technology to enable us to work from home what has become even more important to many companies now is to ensure cyber security and VPNs are as secure as they can be.

This was an issue that became apparent earlier in 2020 when Covid-19 hit meaning most of us were working from home for a significant amount of time. With this brought along more cyber-attacks calling for companies to review their cyber security.

Although we hope to go back to some kind of normality in 2021 and return to the office, the choice of working from home looks like it may now become more of a flexible option for many office placed staff. This will result in cyber security continuing to be a priority for many businesses.

The evolution of AI

Back in the 1950s AI or Artificial Intelligence was just a science fiction concept, we didn’t have the ability or technology to make it a reality. However, through our ever-evolving digital world, AI has become a bigger part of our life, than we could have imagined. It is used in a variety of sectors and products already, from hospitals and schools to household appliances and cars.

We may still be a few years away from building AI smart enough to potentially overthrow us, however, there are other concerns and preparations companies need to think about if they are considering using AI. Fortinet has a great article which discusses these concerns and the reason why this will be a trend in 2021.

Hyper automation – a modern concept for a modern workplace

In these modern, tech lead times we are often quite impatient, we want everything to happen instantly. We have had automation in many of our systems for quite a few years now, but the idea of hyper automation is a reasonably new concept. This is something which is sure to become bigger in 2021 as an IT trend.

The idea of hyper-automation is exactly what you imagine it to be. It is the concept that everything within a company or office could be automated, should it be. In a world where time is precious and often expensive, the ability to automate where and whenever possible not only saves money but it increases speed and efficiency for multiple processes. We look forward to seeing this crop up multiple times in 2021!

So, those are our top 2021 IT trends which businesses need to know about before the new year arrives. Many are continuations from this year but are likely to be more prominent in 2021.

For more information on our 2021 IT trends or advice on how to be prepared for the new year contact us today.

All that is left is to thank all our current and new customers for their custom throughout this year, we appreciate you all. We look forward to continuing to work with you all in 2021 and beyond. 

Wow what a year!

Firstly, I would like to start this message by thanking the great team we have here at Nouveau who have done an amazing job this year as ever in supporting our clients and delivering a great service in challenging times. Also, to our clients who have entrusted us to support them with their technology ambitions throughout the year and for their continued confidence in us.

Technology has played a pivotal role in 2020 in both our professional and personal lives. In some instances this year has been an accelerator for adopting digital technology which has fuelled the boom in online spending, connected us with friends and family and ensured that businesses continued to communicate and collaborate with each other, customers and suppliers.I am excited to see what 2021 brings.

As the festive season approaches on behalf of the whole team at Nouveau, I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Enjoy our festive video message, created virtually with some of the team which also features our *opening hours over the festive period.

Warm Regards,

Andy

*If you receive out of hours support, please refer to your contract for support telephone number and require assistance outside of these times.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with us by emailing to hello@nouveau.co.uk or calling 01189 186822.

The widespread disruption caused by the global pandemic has left those in higher education reeling and with many challenges. We recognise that educators are working hard to keep students safe by deploying remote and online learning solutions to support what’s fast becoming a ‘new normal’ for higher education. The impact of coronavirus has led to a dramatic shift in remote learning. Not only has this resulted in a steep learning curve for educators to form a new curriculum, but also a challenge in offering continuous remote access to course content, at scale and, most importantly, securely.

HIGHLY PUBLICISED RANSOMWARE ATTACKS INCREASE DATA BREACHES

The increased demand for online solutions has stretched IT departments to the limits to ensure the right infrastructure is in place. As the technical boundaries have shifted, so too have the threats. The increase in remote learning has put more demands on networks and VPNs, and there has been a spike in web-based malware and phishing attacks. More recently, several leading colleges and universities have been hit with highly publicised ransomware attacks that have seen hackers infiltrate computer networks, steal data and then demand payments to unlock systems. Not only have these latest incidents led to massive disruption at a time when universities are dealing with many issues and while enrolling students but have also raised concerns over data breaches.

SHARED RESPONSIBILITY MODEL IS CRITICAL TO MAINTAIN OPTIMUM SECURITY

The rapid adoption of remote and cloud-based learning across the education sector creates many security implications, but also requires a shared responsibility model. Students must be made aware of the latest online threats and trained in cybersecurity basics. It’s also important for them to follow good personal password hygiene and understand what to do if they suspect a threat. Now is the time for those in higher education to review their policies and practices to ensure that they are fit for purpose when it comes to remote and online learning.

INCREASE SECURITY FOR REMOTE WORKING

As more students operate remotely, there is an increase in home-based devices connected to networks. To protect data and security, universities and colleges now need to insist on the use of secured VPN connections to transfer data. As learning continues to shift online, there also needs to be a hardening of web-based security. Students need to be made aware of possible threats and follow the latest guidelines. Web-based applications must also be able to detect and deal with unauthorised connections and activity.

With an expected rise in cyberattacks, universities and colleges need to consider platforms that can monitor infrastructure and network usage, detect security breaches, and carry out a thorough investigation following a security event. The recent growth in remote and distance learning is likely to result in a long-term sea change in the way higher education is delivered. And, although initially challenging to set up, it could produce many benefits – including a rise in those attending higher education in the future.

COMBINING FORCES TO DEFEAT THE THREATS

Fortinet offers intelligent, seamless protection across the expanding attack surface. Nouveau solutions is a trusted IT partner in consulting, designing, and implementing solutions that provide support in cloud, compliance, and cybersecurity. Our experience and expertise in delivering and proactively monitoring security services, combined through Fortinet solutions enables us to detect and respond to both malicious and non-malicious; internal and external threats, keeping your information secure. Together, we can improve your security posture and increase your operational resilience by learning and adapting to the changing threat landscape to identify and address negligence or criminal behaviour.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with us by emailing to hello@nouveau.co.uk or calling 01189 186822.