CyberGlossary

Cloud Security

Cloud Security

Also known as: Cloud computing security, Cloud cybersecurity

Definition

The set of policies, controls, and technologies that protect data, applications, and infrastructure hosted in public, private, or hybrid cloud environments.

Cloud security covers the practices used to secure workloads running on infrastructure that an organization does not fully own — typically AWS, Azure, GCP, or SaaS platforms. It spans identity and access management, network segmentation, encryption of data in transit and at rest, configuration hardening, workload protection, and continuous monitoring of cloud APIs and audit logs. Because the cloud is API-driven and elastic, traditional perimeter defences are insufficient; controls must follow the workload and integrate with the provider's native services (IAM, KMS, CloudTrail, Security Hub, Defender for Cloud). Mature programs combine CSPM, CWPP, CIEM and CNAPP tooling with strong governance under the shared responsibility model.

Examples

  • Using AWS Config and GuardDuty to detect drift and threats across multi-account AWS estates.
  • Deploying a CNAPP such as Wiz or Prisma Cloud to unify posture, workload, and identity findings.

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