What Is Cloud Security
Cloud security is protecting systems and data hosted on AWS, Azure and GCP. Most cloud breaches come not from exotic exploits but from misconfiguration, which makes it a learnable, in demand skill.
The shared responsibility model
The provider secures the infrastructure. The customer secures configuration, identity and data. Most breaches happen on the customer side, and most of those are misconfiguration, not sophisticated attacks.
What causes most cloud breaches
| Cause | Example |
|---|---|
| IAM misconfiguration | Over permissive roles and wildcards |
| Public storage | Exposed buckets and blobs |
| Metadata abuse | SSRF reaching instance credentials |
| Unencrypted data | Snapshots and volumes left open |
The AWS specific version is in AWS security misconfigurations if published, and IAM is the recurring theme.
Why identity is the new perimeter
In cloud there is no network edge to defend. Identity and access management is the boundary, which is why IAM misconfiguration is the number one cause of real cloud compromise.
Why it pays well
Cloud security needs both security and infrastructure skill, a combination few candidates have. That scarcity is why it is among the highest paid security specialisations. See cloud security engineer salary.
Related
Frequently asked questions
What is cloud security?
Protecting systems and data hosted on cloud providers like AWS, Azure and GCP, mostly by getting configuration and identity right.
What causes most cloud breaches?
Misconfiguration, especially over permissive IAM and public storage, not exotic exploits.
Which cloud should I learn first?
AWS for most demand, then map concepts to Azure and GCP. Depth in one beats breadth across all.
Is cloud security a good career?
Yes, it is among the highest paid security specialisations because the combined skill set is scarce.
Do I need DevOps experience?
It helps a lot. Reading and writing infrastructure as code is a strong differentiator.