Bridging Cloud & Edge Security: Multi-Cloud Context & Remediation

Is your multi-cloud strategy creating security blind spots?

In this episode of the Cloud Security Podcast Ashish Rajan sits down with Check Point’s Paul Barbosa and Brian McHenry to tackle the complexities of edge and cloud security in today’s dynamic environments.

Discover why native cloud tools often fall short for enterprise needs and how a federated, context-aware approach is crucial.

Multi-Cloud Security

A multi-cloud strategy, while offering flexibility, cost optimization, and resilience, can inadvertently create security blind spots due to the complexity of managing multiple cloud environments. These blind spots arise from inconsistent security policies, fragmented visibility, and challenges in correlating data across diverse platforms.

Multi-cloud environments involve using services from multiple cloud providers (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) to meet diverse business needs. However, this approach introduces several security challenges:

• Fragmented Visibility: Each cloud provider has its own management tools, security protocols, and logging mechanisms. Without a unified view, security teams struggle to monitor assets comprehensively, leading to blind spots where threats can go unnoticed. For example, 60% of teams can’t correlate findings across cloud and SaaS environments, making it harder to assess risks effectively.
• Inconsistent Security Policies: Different cloud platforms have unique configurations and security models, which can result in misconfigurations. For instance, a 2021 study found that 42% of AWS CloudFormation templates had at least one insecure configuration, such as exposed SSH ports or disabled encryption.
• Identity and Access Management (IAM) Complexity: Managing identities across multiple clouds often leads to fragmented IAM systems, excessive permissions, or inconsistent multi-factor authentication (MFA). Over 50% of cloud identities in 2023 had access to all permissions, creating significant risks if compromised.
• Edge Computing Challenges: As enterprises integrate edge devices (e.g., IoT, 5G endpoints), the attack surface expands. Edge deployments often lack the robust security controls of centralized clouds, and 69% of IT leaders report difficulties integrating cloud-native workflows like automation at the edge.
• Misconfigurations and Human Error: Misconfigurations remain the leading cause of cloud breaches, with 95% stemming from unaddressed misconfigurations. Manual processes and siloed tools exacerbate this, as teams struggle to keep up with dynamic cloud resources.

These challenges create blind spots where attackers can exploit vulnerabilities, such as insecure APIs, unencrypted data transfers, or excessive privileges, often undetected until it’s too late.

Conclusion

A multi-cloud strategy can create security blind spots due to fragmented visibility, inconsistent policies, and edge computing complexities. However, by adopting a unified, context-aware approach with tools like CNAPPs, SIEM, and SASE, organizations can bridge cloud and edge security.

Emphasizing visibility, automation, zero trust, and continuous compliance ensures proactive remediation and minimizes risks. Enterprises that integrate these practices will not only eliminate blind spots but also turn multi-cloud complexity into a competitive advantage