How to Implement Zero Trust in Multi-Cloud Environments

Many information technology (IT) departments seeking to improve their multi-cloud environment’s security posture consider zero trust for its effectiveness, control and consistency. How should the average team implement it? More importantly, why do they consider implementation necessary?

Why Multi-Cloud Environments Need Zero Trust

Distributing applications and data across several cloud platforms renders perimeter-based security impractical. At the same time, it expands companies’ attack surfaces and multiplies entry point quantity, exponentially increasing their breach risk. While standard security measures can compensate for these shortcomings, they magnify the burden IT teams face.

Manually securing remote and on-premises users, applications and data is time-consuming. Considering 85.8% of companies reported experiencing an IT personnel shortage in 2024, many lack the resources to effectively and consistently manage multi-cloud environments — and this is without considering extenuating circumstances like cyberattacks.

While the cloud can be more secure than on-premises hosting and storage, misconfigurations, non-compliant vendors and weak access controls often result in nonoptimal outcomes. Frankly, indicators suggest these factors are only worsening. Over 2,500 known cloud vulnerabilities existed in 2022, a 150% increase over the previous five years.

With the security of multi-cloud environments uncertain and the shortage of IT personnel persisting, companies must consider a permanent, proactive solution. Zero-trust architecture is one of the few scalable, widely accessible options available. It operates on the belief that implicit trust should never be given to users or devices, regardless of title or location.

With zero trust, only authorized individuals and systems are granted access to a specific account or database. Even then, they can only view, edit, save or send the information assets the IT department has pre-defined as relevant to them — no more forgotten test accounts with administrator privileges or end users with local administrator rights.

Zero trust reduces the likelihood of data breaches, restricts attackers’ lateral movement and improves the organization’s overall security posture. Considering the average data breach costs more than $9.44 million, this architecture could also prevent substantial losses. Since cybersecurity spending is on the rise, every dollar saved counts — and pleases the board.

The Challenges of Applying Zero-Trust Principles

A zero-trust architecture isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, so various complications will likely accompany implementation — especially in conditions as complex as those in a multi-cloud environment. For one, activity log and verification notification volumes may be overwhelming. Manually reviewing records and approving requests is incredibly time-consuming.

There is also the issue of data security that will inevitably accompany the influx of user and device IDs. While managing them with existing security measures and access controls — and the new zero-trust principles, of course — mitigates any breach risk, visibility and accessibility remain significant issues.

Interoperability is another potential challenge of implementing zero trust in a multi-cloud environment. Since providers offer varying levels of native support for these privilege controls, standardization and management may become problems. At the very least, decision-makers may have to accept having data silos or segmented policies.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, overreliance on providers can become a problem. While IT teams may prefer using a single platform that provides native support for extensive zero-trust mechanisms, the convenience comes at the cost of their flexibility. Vendor lock-in is a serious possibility — one that may leave them in an unfortunate position if they ever need to switch.

Naturally, challenges don’t just apply to those the IT team faces — employees and end users may struggle during implementation, as well. Although nearly 60% of cloud users feel concerned about security, many don’t like jumping through additional verification hurdles to secure their accounts. The adverse effect on user experience can create unintended friction.

Implementation Tips for Multi-Cloud Environments

IT departments implementing zero-trust principles for multi-cloud environments should consider these tips for seamless implementation:

1.    Automation

Automation technologies like artificial intelligence and robot process automation can streamline processes like audits, log reviews, data classification and activity monitoring. Since most IT teams are short personnel, automating tedious, daily responsibilities to free up time for critical tasks is a sound strategy.

2.    Encryption

Around 62% of companies report they already have a standard encryption strategy, meaning about 38% still have yet to encrypt their cloud data. Decision-makers who haven’t done so should make it a part of their implementation process. Although it isn’t technically a standard aspect of zero trust, it’s considered a best practice.

3.    Classification

In a true zero-trust architecture, every information asset is locked behind authentication and verification walls. While this approach guarantees a robust security posture, it can unnecessarily complicate implementation. Team leaders should consider classifying datasets by risk level and importance to determine how to scale the level of access controls they deploy.

The Reality of a Multi-Cloud Implementation Strategy

Multi-cloud setups are complex — monitoring and managing them requires an organized, ongoing effort. Realistically, implementing a zero-trust architecture in this environment will take extensive planning and may even require downtime. However, although the process can seem daunting, the additional security is worth the effort.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Zac writes for ReHack as the Features Editor and covers cybersecurity, IT, and business tech. His work has been featured on publications like AllBusiness, CyberTalk, and BLR. For more of his writing, follow him on Twitter or LinkedIn.