Page 183 - Cyber Defense eMagazine RSAC Special Edition 2025

1. Implement Continuous Security Monitoring (CSM) and Real-Time Alerts: CSM tools are
essential for early detection and swift response to potential threats. Cloud analytics play a crucial
role in this process by continuously monitoring your environment and setting up real-time alerts
for any suspicious activities or anomalies. This is especially important in complex cloud
environments where workloads are constantly being moved, and user licenses are frequently
added or removed.

Real-time alerts enable security teams to respond immediately to potential threats, minimizing the impact
of cyber-attacks. For example, if an unusual login attempt is detected, an alert can be triggered, allowing
the security team to investigate and take appropriate action. This proactive approach helps prevent
security breaches before they occur.

2. Utilize Machine Learning and Behavioral Analysis: Machine learning and behavioral analysis
are powerful tools for predicting and preventing cybersecurity incidents. These technologies use
algorithms to analyze massive data sets in real-time, identifying patterns and detecting anomalies
that may indicate security threats.

Cloud analytics enhances these capabilities by providing the data needed for machine learning models
to learn and improve. For instance, behavioral analysis can track user behavior over time, identifying
deviations from normal patterns that could signal a potential threat. By leveraging cloud analytics,
organizations can gain deeper insights into user behavior and detect threats more accurately.

3. Maintain Comprehensive Activity Logs: Activity logs provide detailed information about system
operations, making troubleshooting faster and more efficient. Cloud log management tools can
analyze logs from various sources, correlate events, and provide an overall view of system
operations.

Maintaining comprehensive activity logs is crucial for forensic analysis and auditing. Cloud analytics can
help by aggregating and analyzing log data, providing insights into who did what and when. This level of
detail is essential for identifying the root cause of security incidents and ensuring accountability.

To maximize the effectiveness of activity logs, organizations should ensure notifications are switched on
within their log management platform. This way, they can be alerted to any suspicious or unusual activity
in real-time. Additionally, it's important to retain activity logs for the recommended length of time for the
log type, to ensure that historical data is available for analysis.
4. Enforce Strong Identity and Access Management (IAM): IAM is a critical component of cloud
security, and can help protect organizations from up to 600 million identity attacks per day.
Implementing robust IAM policies helps control access to cloud resources and reduces the risk of
intrusion, data loss, or ransomware attacks.

Cloud analytics enhance IAM by providing visibility into access patterns and identifying potential security
risks. For example, analytics can track login attempts, flagging any unusual activity that may indicate
unauthorized access. By using a zero-trust model, including multi-factor authentication (MFA) and least
privilege principles, organizations can minimize the risk of unauthorized access.

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