Microsoft Azure: Addressing Security in the Age of Cloud Computing

15th March 2018

Few, if any, companies are as inseparable from the emerging trends, as well as established norms of their industry, as Microsoft. The emergence of several synergistic technologies – that redefine capacities and possibilities – is ushering in a transformative age in Information Technology. As intrinsic as IT has become to the modern business already, technologies and solutions such as IoT, Cloud Computing, AI, Machine Learning and Virtual Machines hold forth a promise that can dwarf even the metamorphosis that came before them.

The fundamental advantages of Cloud Computing have been obvious to enterprises for a few years. Especially because the IT industry has reacted to emerging possibilities with remarkable creativity – resourceful solutions are adding to the basket of services on a near daily basis. The exceptional profits recently posted by Microsoft Azure also underscore the general interest in, and enthusiasm for, Cloud Computing. Nevertheless, while several functions – such as email, storage and resource sharing – have been fairly enthusiastically adopted, many of the most exciting possibilities continue to be hindered by concerns around security.

From proprietary advantages to industry compliance, several factors make the security of Cloud based SaaS, IaaS and PaaS deployments a matter of concern for businesses. The advent of several new technologies, that are bound to become indispensable business advantages, are further complicating choices. Clearly, the profusion of game-changing technologies on offer must come bundled with credible, effective and dependable security, for adoption to reach an even greater scale.

Symantec partners Microsoft Azure for enhanced cloud based security

In this scenario, the announcement that Symantec is partnering Microsoft in providing a cloud based security stack could be a formidable driver of change. Moving forward, Symantec Web Security Service will be enhancing secure cloud connectivity to both Office 365 and Azure. Threat protection as an integrated feature of applications – comprehensive, coherent and applied across devices, networks and technologies – should make greater adoption of hybrid cloud infrastructure much easier.

In the recent past, remote and mobile access has traditionally been routed through corporate data centers with elaborate security infrastructure. While effective to an extent, this model has built in costs and performance limitations. The introduction of a cloud based security stack dramatically lowers costs while at the same time reducing latency and adding enhanced security.

Conclusion

Flexibility of operations, functional speed and magnified capacities, at a much reduced price point, has been the greatest promise of cloud computing. While these advantages have been obvious for a while, concerns regarding security have not been entirely unfounded either. Symantec’s collaboration with Microsoft Azure could finally address the opportunity cost for businesses and steer industry into a brave new world of efficiency, profitability and growth. To know more about the latest options for enhanced security in a cloud computing environment, contact us on marketing@levtechconsulting.com for your complimentary consultation.