Ebook

How cloud security

reduces threat risk
and paves the way
to SASE
Modern solutions for protecting the new way
businesses work
 Ebook

The cloud changed

everything — now security
needs to change, too
The move to the cloud has been revolutionary for modern businesses — connecting users to tools
and data in new ways that allow for greater productivity, collaboration, and flexibility in how they
work. Cost-effective, scalable, and easily accessible, it’s no wonder there’s been such a massive,
rapid migration.

As of 2020, 91% of businesses use a public cloud and 72% use a private one.
Most enterprises actually use both — with 69% opting for a hybrid solution.1
But, revolution doesn’t come easy, and the cloud has also introduced new challenges in keeping
organizations secure. As work moves outside the centralized office and goes remote, users are
accessing the cloud directly - leaving the protection of the corporate network and leaving them
open to threats. And with infrastructure, applications, and massive amounts of sensitive data now
stored in the cloud, companies face serious consequences if compromised.

Traditional firewalls or secure web gateways no longer provide all the protection organizations need.
The time has come for new solutions that address the unique security considerations of the cloud.

© 2022 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. How cloud security reduces threat risk and paves the way to SASE
 Ebook

As work evolves,
so do threats
Technological innovation is growing bigger and moving faster all the time —
unfortunately, this applies to the threat landscape as well. Even as new technologies
advance the way we work, attackers are also growing and advancing — invading
organizations with more unique methodologies, targeted specifically at the cloud.
Threats are multiplying at a startling pace

56%
But, while cyberattacks are only getting quicker, smarter, and stealthier, IT professionals of large companies
are still relying on traditional network defenses, which only grow more outdated and handle 1,000+ security
less effective at preventing sophisticated cloud-based threats. alerts each day.

To keep ahead of this new class of attack, modern security solutions must be
proactive, not reactive — no longer simply addressing threats as they come, but

70%
actively tapping into data, insight, and intelligence to block threats before they of security professionals
ever reach your network or users. have seen alerts double
in the past 5 years.2

© 2022 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. How cloud security reduces threat risk and paves the way to SASE

What’s standing in the way of cloud security?
Businesses know they need new and better
protection for the cloud. But, getting there isn’t
always easy. According to a recent report, the top
3 barriers to introducing cloud security are talent,
and training shortages (53%); an inability to integrate
new solutions with existing technologies (37%); and
budget constraints (36%).3
Top 3 barriers to introducing cloud security
53%
37%
36%
© 2022 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Limited budget will always be an issue for security
teams, but it’s integration that’s the real problem
these days. Disparate, disconnected systems — where
new security solutions are “bolted on” rather than
embedded — can actually make it harder to stay on
top of threats, especially with a lack of IT resources.
With numerous alerts from various systems, it’s difficult
staff, talent, and training shortages
an inability to integrate new solutions with
existing technologies
budget constraints
Ebook
to get a complete picture of security posture and to
know which alerts require immediate attention.
Cloud security works best when solutions are consolidated
and simplified, and when IT has complete visibility and is
able to stay on top of the latest developments.
72%
of organizations aren’t
confident in their cloud
security posture.3
How cloud security reduces threat risk and paves the way to SASE
 Ebook

The answer to cloud-based risks

is cloud-based security
To truly protect users, devices, data, and applications in
the cloud, security teams need comprehensive visibility
that extends beyond the perimeter of the business.
They need the ability to identify potential threats, block
malicious destinations and activities, and respond to
attacks faster — no matter where users are accessing
the internet.
And, they need to be able to simply and effectively
enforce consistent security policies from one place.
In short, they need a cloud-based security solution
— one that provides visibility, control, and protection
anywhere and everywhere. And there’s a clear path
for getting there.

Key components of a cloud-based security solution:

Protection made for the cloud
• Comprehensive visibility and control over
connected cloud applications
• Extended security and control for applications
running on public cloud infrastructure
• Protection for the cloud applications you build
or subscribe to
Proactive performance
• Reliable intelligence that allows threats both
on and off network to be identified more easily
and blocked sooner
• Identification of malicious infrastructure and
remediation of sensitive data in the cloud
Built for today’s needs — and tomorrow’s
• Scalable security across environments and
seamless integration with existing stacks
Robust security
• Defense against compromised accounts, insider
threats, cloud malware, and data breaches

© 2022 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. How cloud security reduces threat risk and paves the way to SASE
 Ebook

SASE: a new approach for

protecting users, apps, and
devices everywhere
As mentioned earlier, one major roadblock to cloud security is the fact that many solutions don’t play well together,
creating additional work and potential gaps in protection. To keep up with today’s threats, it’s become increasingly
clear that networking and security functions must be consolidated in the cloud.

That’s where SASE comes in.

Introduced by Gartner in 2019, the secure access service edge — or SASE — model converges traditionally siloed
security services and brings them closer to users and devices at the edge. By unifying these varied solutions — and
delivering them to any user, location, or device through the cloud — SASE can offer IT teams tighter security, better
control, and simplified management.

SASE architectures feature a number of security services, including:

Secure web Cloud-delivered Cloud access DNS-layer

gateway firewall security broker security

© 2022 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. How cloud security reduces threat risk and paves the way to SASE
 Ebook

How SASE can solve your

security challenges
Your journey to the cloud is unique to your organization — and so is your journey to secure it. But,
wherever you are in the process, SASE architecture can help address your unique needs:

Budget restrictions
The right platform — open, tightly integrated, and
sold as a single offer — will give you the building
blocks you need to move towards the SASE standard,
providing maximum protection without spending on
unnecessary services. You’ll also be able to scale and
expand easily as IT and networking needs evolve.
Staffing and talent shortages
A single, unified security service reduces the
complexity of monitoring and managing threats
and alerts, so your team can do more with less.
Plus, fewer attacks and infections overall mean
less remediation time, less downtime, and
fewer of the costs associated with each.
Integration and compatibility issues
To meet an ever-growing list of needs, many
organizations leverage dozens of fragmented security
solutions with the hope of more layered protection.
However, these solutions often don’t work together,
making management a real challenge. By closely
integrating and unifying solutions as one, teams
have a more consistent, less complex experience.

© 2022 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. How cloud security reduces threat risk and paves the way to SASE
 Ebook

Introducing Cisco Umbrella

Cisco is driving the charge towards SASE, and Cisco Umbrella is the foundation of our approach, combining multiple
security functions into one cloud-delivered solution that extends protection to every device, remote user, and distributed
location. Quick to deploy, simple to use, and completely scalable, Cisco Umbrella is cloud security that can meet your
unique needs and challenges, both today and tomorrow.

Secure web Cloud- Cloud access

DNS-layer security broker
security gateway delivered
firewall (CASB)

Remote Integrated security

Interactive Data loss Cloud malware platform
threat intel browser prevention
isolation detection

SD/WAN Merika ON/OFF NETWORK

MX Viptela DEVICES

Get ahead of threats. Enhance protection. Simplify management.

• Leverage world-class intelligence to uncover
current and emerging threats.
• Block threats earlier by identifying and
stopping malware before it reaches your
network or endpoints.
• Extend protection and remove blind spots.
• Improve security with no impact on end-user
productivity.
• Ensure compliance.
• Reduce the time spent resolving infections.
• Unify visibility and enable automated
remediation steps with Cisco SecureX,
a cloud-native, built-in platform that
connects the Cisco Secure portfolio and an
organization’s existing infrastructure.

© 2022 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. How cloud security reduces threat risk and paves the way to SASE
Cisco: your next step
towards SASE Cisco Umbrella:
A different kind of work requires a different kind of protection. Here
at Cisco, we believe that the SASE approach is the future of cloud
security — and we’re ready to lead the way. 620B 5B
resolved internet requests web reputation requests
Cisco Umbrella and our other security solutions are backed by the
every day processed per day
proven strength and stability of Cisco. With over 30 years’ experience
building and securing the world’s networks, we’re proud to protect

2B
100% of the Fortune 100.
170M+ malware samples
SASE has never been closer. To see what malicious DNS queries
processesd per day
streamlined, simplified, and scalable cloud-based blocked daily

security could look like in your organization, start

your free trial of Cisco Umbrella today.
1,000+ 200+
new vulnerabilities
Start free trial peering partnerships
discovered per year
leveraged and a global
network of Cisco managed
Sources: data centers
1. Hosting Tribunal, Cloud Adoption Statistics for 2021, August 2021.

2. Dark Reading, 56% of Large Companies Handle 1,000+ Security Alerts Each Day, July 2020.

3. Cybersecurity Insiders, 2021 Cloud Security Report, 2021.

© 2022 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. To view a list of Cisco trademarks, go to this URL: www.cisco.com/go/
trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not
imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. (1110R)
How cloud security reduces threat risk and paves the way to SASE