As More Organizations Move to the Cloud, They Need to Up Their Cyber Defenses

The prevalence of a hybrid work model has swiftly increased companies’ adoption of cloud and cloud-based apps. According to Pluralsight, 70% of organizations have at least half their infrastructure in the cloud. Migrating to the cloud enables companies with many innovative AI capabilities like real-time fraud protection, predictive maintenance, and financial forecasting. 

However, consolidating data in the cloud also increases the likelihood of a data breach. For organizations, activating sensitive data while remaining secure and compliant is a big challenge in the AI adoption journey. 

Part of the problem is that the cloud enables workers to access company info on devices that sit outside traditional on-premises security. Legacy IT systems often verify users and devices once without continuous re-validation. This leaves cloud environments vulnerable to infiltration.

Turning to the cloud doesn’t have to be such a concern if companies take the right approach. Zero trust cybersecurity can mitigate these cloud risks by assuming any user, device, or application can be a threat, and requiring continuous authentication before granting access. Projected to be the fastest growing network security market segment, according to Gartner, zero trust adds new levels of threat intelligence, anomalous behavior detection and multi-factor authentication, doing away with outdated perimeter-based security methods.

Zero trust abilities are built into the 4th Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors to help businesses take advantage of the flexibility and scalability of the cloud while reducing the risk of exposing sensitive data.

Given the complexity of today’s connected environment—including the sheer number of devices and users, public and private clouds, and as-a-service offerings—it’s important for companies to adopt zero trust principles early in their AI journeys.

Cloud security is imperative, but shouldn't limit data utilization. With appropriate measures, companies can reduce risk while harnessing data's full potential.

When secured, data opens up AI’s most innovative capabilities. Businesses can put their data to work to accomplish everything from detecting fraud and developing more responsive supply chains to training breakthrough AI models.

When creating a data strategy, business leaders need to foster a culture that sees security as a means of bolstering innovation, rather than treating it as an either/or situation. The 4th Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors empower organizations to have their data, and protect it too, with built-in Intel® Security Engines. These components apply confidential computing—a cloud technology that allows data to be used while reducing the risk of exposure. This opens new possibilities for businesses to harness data that was previously too sensitive or regulated to be put into AI models and other purposes.