What Is Network Cloud Security?

Most organizations have moved their critical workloads to the cloud. The network security approaches that worked on-premises didn’t make the trip. The traditional network perimeter, which once defined your security boundaries, no longer exists. Your data now flows across public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud networks.

Network cloud security refers to the combination of technologies, policies, and controls that protect cloud infrastructure, network traffic, and cloud resources from unauthorized access and security threats. Unlike traditional network security that focused on protecting an on-premises network with firewalls and physical controls, cloud network security must account for distributed cloud deployments, shared responsibility models, and the dynamic nature of cloud computing.

Why traditional approaches fall short

Your security team probably built its processes around a straightforward assumption: you control the network, so you control security. That assumption breaks down when your cloud provider manages the underlying compute and network infrastructure. You can’t install your own firewalls in someone else’s data center.

However, that doesn’t mean you’re helpless. It simply means you need to rethink how network security works in the cloud context. Security in the cloud operates on a shared responsibility model. Your cloud service provider handles security of the cloud (physical infrastructure, hypervisors, networking hardware), while you handle security in the cloud (your data, applications, identity management, and security configurations).

The problem? Many organizations fail to understand where their responsibilities begin and end. They assume their cloud provider has everything covered, leaving dangerous gaps in their security posture. 

Core components of cloud network security

Building effective cloud network security requires multiple layers working together. Here’s what a strong cloud network security solution should address:

Network segmentation and access controls

Network segmentation divides your organization’s cloud environment into isolated segments, limiting the extent to which an attacker can move if they breach one area. In cloud networks, this typically involves virtual private clouds (VPCs), subnets, and security groups that control network access between workloads.

Your security policies should define exactly who and what can access cloud resources. Implementing cloud network security begins with the principle of least privilege, granting users and systems only the network access they absolutely require.

Traffic inspection and monitoring

Visibility into network traffic is crucial for detecting security threats before they escalate into breaches or security incidents. Security monitoring tools should capture and analyze traffic flowing between:

• Cloud workloads and the internet
• Different cloud services within your environment
• Your on-premises network and cloud deployments
• Third-party integrations and APIs

Without this visibility, your security team operates in the dark. You can’t protect what you can’t see.

Identity and access management

In cloud computing, identity has become the new network perimeter. Strong cloud network security strategies treat every access request as potentially hostile, verifying identity and authorization before granting network access to cloud assets. This zero-trust network approach assumes a breach and continuously validates rather than trusting users simply because they’re inside the network.

The role of cloud providers in your security

Your relationship with cloud providers shapes your overall security. When implementing cloud network security, it is essential to understand the specific security features each provider offers and identify any gaps that may exist.

Major cloud providers offer native security tools like:

• Virtual firewalls and security groups
• DDoS protection
• Network logging and flow analytics
• Encryption for data in transit

However, these tools only protect resources within that specific provider’s environment. If you operate hybrid cloud networks spanning multiple cloud environments and on-premises infrastructure, you need cloud-based network security solutions that provide centralized security visibility across all environments.

This is where many organizations struggle. They end up with fragmented security monitoring, different security controls in each environment, and no unified view of their security posture across the entire attack surface.

Best practices for cloud network security

After analyzing billions of security signals across millions of organizations, we’ve identified the practices for cloud network security that actually reduce breach risk. Here’s what works:

Establish visibility before making changes

You can’t secure cloud assets you’re unaware of. Before implementing new security measures, inventory every cloud resource, integration, and data flow to ensure comprehensive coverage. Shadow IT and forgotten cloud deployments create blind spots that attackers actively seek out.

SecurityScorecard’s platform provides continuous discovery of your external attack surface, identifying cloud assets and potential security vulnerabilities that your internal tools might miss. This outside-in view often reveals cloud services that security teams are unaware of.

Adopt a zero trust architecture

Zero trust has become the foundation of effective cloud network security. The core principle is simple: never trust, always verify. Every user, device, and application must prove its identity and authorization before accessing network resources.

In practice, this means:

• Authenticating and authorizing every access request
• Limiting access to the minimum necessary
• Encrypting all network traffic
• Continuously monitoring for anomalous behavior
• Assuming breach and designing for containment

These principles apply whether you’re running a single cloud workload or managing a multi-cloud environment with thousands of services.

Integrate security orchestration

Manual security processes can’t keep pace with the speed of cloud deployments. When your development team can spin up new cloud infrastructure in minutes, your security controls need to deploy just as quickly.

Security orchestration automates response to security issues and integrates your various security tools into coordinated workflows. When your security information and event management (SIEM) system detects a threat, orchestration can automatically isolate affected systems, gather forensic data, and alert the right people.

Monitor third-party cloud risk

Your organization’s cloud security extends beyond the infrastructure you directly control. Every SaaS application, cloud-based service, and third-party integration creates a potential security risk. A vendor’s breach can quickly become your breach.

At SecurityScorecard, we built our platform specifically to address this challenge. Our Security Ratings provide continuous, non-intrusive monitoring of your vendors’ security posture, covering network security, application security, patching cadence, and other critical risk factors. When a cloud provider or SaaS vendor experiences security incidents, you’ll know about it quickly.

Our cloud data security best practices guide goes deeper into protecting sensitive information across cloud environments.

Implement continuous compliance monitoring

Regulatory requirements increasingly mandate specific network security measures for cloud deployments. Whether you’re dealing with SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, or industry-specific frameworks, maintaining compliance across dynamic cloud environments requires continuous monitoring rather than point-in-time audits.

Cloud-native application protection platforms (CNAPP) and cloud security posture management (CSPM) tools help identify misconfigurations and compliance violations before auditors or attackers discover them.

Benefits of cloud network security done right

Organizations that implement robust cloud network security strategies see measurable improvements.

Reduced breach risk

Proper network segmentation limits blast radius. When (not if) attackers breach one system, strong controls prevent lateral movement to other cloud assets.

Faster incident response

Centralized security monitoring and management across all cloud deployments means faster detection and containment. Our data shows that organizations with better security postures experience fewer incidents and recover faster when incidents occur.

Simplified compliance

Consistent security policies across cloud environments make audits easier and reduce compliance costs. Rather than documenting different controls for each environment, you demonstrate a unified, robust model for security governance.

Better vendor accountability

With continuous monitoring of cloud service providers and SaaS vendors, you can hold third parties accountable for their security practices. SecurityScorecard customers use our platform to establish security requirements in contracts and verify vendors actually meet them.

Increased trust

In an era where customers and partners scrutinize security practices, demonstrating strong cloud network security becomes a competitive advantage.

Building a cloud network security strategy

Transitioning from ad-hoc security measures to a cohesive cloud security strategy requires deliberate planning. Here’s how to approach it:

Assess your current state

Start by understanding what cloud users actually do in your environment. Map your cloud infrastructure, identify security controls already in place, and document gaps. Include both sanctioned cloud services and shadow IT.

Evaluate your current security posture using both internal assessments and external perspectives. SecurityScorecard’s free account allows you to see how your organization appears from the outside, providing the same view that attackers have when selecting targets.

Define your security model

Based on your risk tolerance, regulatory requirements, and business needs, define what good security looks like for your organization. This includes:

• Acceptable cloud providers and configurations
• Required security controls for different data classifications
• Incident response procedures specific to cloud environments
• Metrics for measuring security effectiveness

Document these decisions and communicate them clearly throughout your organization so that everyone understands the expectations.

Prioritize based on risk

You can’t fix everything at once. Prioritize network security best practices that address your highest risks first. Focus on:

• Protecting your most sensitive cloud data
• Securing connections between cloud and on-premises environments
• Addressing security vulnerabilities in externally-facing services
• Monitoring your highest-risk third-party relationships

Tackling these areas first yields the greatest security gains for your effort.

Build continuous improvement processes

Cloud security isn’t a project with an end date. New cloud services, changing threats, and business growth require ongoing attention. Build processes that continuously evaluate and improve your cloud network security posture.

How SecurityScorecard strengthens your cloud security

We believe that secure cloud environments require visibility beyond your own perimeter. That’s why we’ve built the industry’s most trusted platform for monitoring security risk across your entire digital ecosystem.

Our Security Ratings platform provides instant visibility into the security posture of any organization, including cloud providers, SaaS vendors, and partners. We continuously scan over 12 million companies across 10 risk factor categories, including network security, to help you understand and manage third-party risk.

For organizations that need help operationalizing their third-party risk management programs, our MAX managed services provide hands-on support. The MAX team works directly with your vendors to identify issues, drive remediation, and improve security outcomes across your supply chain.

When security incidents do occur, our STRIKE threat intelligence team provides expert analysis and guidance. We monitor threat actors, track campaigns, and deliver actionable intelligence that helps you stay ahead of attackers targeting cloud environments.

Whether you’re just starting your cloud journey or looking to strengthen existing cloud deployments, understanding network security in cloud computing is essential. The organizations that get this right will operate with confidence. Those who don’t will find themselves dealing with preventable breaches and their aftermath.