which cloud service model does not typically offer the most extensive security controls and compliance certifications?

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What is PaaS?

Platform-as-a-service (PaaS) is a complete, scalable development and deployment environment that is sold as a subscription service. PaaS includes all...

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What is PaaS?

Platform-as-a-service (PaaS) is a complete, scalable development and deployment environment that is sold as a subscription service. PaaS includes all elements that a developer needs to create and run cloud applications—operating system, programming languages, execution environment, database, and web server—all residing on the cloud service provider's infrastructure. An organization can develop and deploy custom cloud applications without needing to invest in hardware or development tools. Likewise, an organization can use PaaS to extend or re-architect their existing applications in the cloud. Examples of platform-as-a-service are AWS Lambda, Microsoft Azure PaaS, Google App Engine, Apache Stratos, and Force.com, which is a development platform for Salesforce customers. PaaS providers can have different specialties. There are database-specific PaaS providers, for instance, as well as an emerging type called high productivity application PaaS (hpaPaaS), which features a graphical, low-code approach to development. PaaS offers a number of advantages over on-premises development, including:

Low infrastructure and development costs

Built-in application development tools and support

Rapid time-to-deployment

On-demand, scalable resources

Thanks to these benefits, even developers in small businesses can afford to create innovative cloud applications to make their organizations more competitive. With many organizations focusing on digital transformation and responding to rapid changes in the market, the concept of PaaS development makes business sense.

PaaS security practices

In the cloud, security is a shared responsibility between the cloud provider and the customer. The PaaS customer is responsible for securing its applications, data, and user access. The PaaS provider secures the operating system and physical infrastructure.

Below are seven PaaS security best practices for ensuring an organization’s data and application security in the cloud.

Research the provider’s security – Ask about the provider’s security patch management plan, and ask whether it uses updated security protocols. Check the security procedures for employee access to IT systems and the physical facilities. Ask if they have an incident response plan when a security breach does occur, as well as a disaster recovery plan when the entire system becomes out of service. If the PaaS service goes down, what happens to the applications and data running on it?Use threat modeling – The majority of security flaws are introduced during the early stages of software development. Security-conscious developers can identify and fix potential flaws in the application design by using threat modeling practices and tools. The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) has information on threat modeling and Microsoft offers a free threat modeling tool and information.Check for inherited software vulnerabilities – Third-party platforms and libraries often have vulnerabilities. Developers can inherit them if they fail to scan for these potential liabilities.Implement role-based access controls – Role-based identity and access management helps to ensure developer and other user access to the resources and tools they need, but not to other resources.Manage inactive accounts –Unused accounts provide potential footholds for hackers. Deprovision former employee accounts and other inactive accounts. Hackers look for people who have recently left or joined companies—LinkedIn is a great source for that—and take over the accounts. Also, lock root account credentials to prevent unauthorized access to administrative accounts.Take advantage of provider resources – Most major PaaS providers offer guidelines and best practices for building on their platforms. Many also provide technical support, testing, integration, and other help for developers.

PaaS security solutions

Organizations can deploy their own security technologies to protect their data and applications from theft or unauthorized access. Three important cloud security solutions are: Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB), Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP), and Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM).

CASBs, also called Cloud Security Gateways (CSGs), provide a variety of security services, such as monitoring for unauthorized cloud services; enforcing data security policies including Data Loss Prevention (DLP); restricting access to cloud services based on the user, device, and application; and auditing cloud configurations for compliance and risk.CWPP Unsecured workloads and containers offer cybercriminals a path into the cloud environment, so CWPPs discover and monitor the containers and workload instances. CWPP services also apply malware protection and simplify security management across multiple PaaS environments.Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) A security posture manager continuously audits the cloud environment for security and compliance issues, as well as provides manual or automated remediation. Increasingly, CASBs are adding CSPM functionality.

Cloud security continues to improve with new advancements in architecture and security technology. As an example, the advent of containers, which package individual applications and their dependencies, helps make PaaS development more secure by isolating individual application instances from vulnerabilities in other applications on the same server.

स्रोत : www.skyhighsecurity.com

SaaS vs PaaS vs IaaS: What’s The Difference & How To Choose – BMC Software

The cloud is everywhere, with countless options, so how do you choose? Read on to understand everything you need to know about SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS!

Multi-Cloud Blog

SaaS vs PaaS vs IaaS: What’s The Difference & How To Choose

June 15, 2019 9 minute read

Stephen Watts, Muhammad Raza

The cloud is a hot topic for small businesses all the way to global enterprises, but remains a broad concept that covers a lot of online territory. As you begin to consider switching your business to the cloud, whether it be for application or infrastructure deployment, it is more important than ever to understand the differences and advantages of the various cloud services.

Though as-a-service types are growing by the day, there are usually three models of cloud service to compare:

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

For each of these, we’ll look at the concept, benefits, and variances. We’ll also help you understand the key differences among SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS—so you can best choose one for your organization.

(More interested in cloud setup? Learn more about public, private, and hybrid cloud differences.)

Key differences

Key differences Common examples of SaaS, PaaS, & IaaS

Platform Type Common ExamplesSaaS Google Workspace, Dropbox, Salesforce, Cisco WebEx, Concur, GoToMeetingPaaS AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Windows Azure, Heroku, Force.com, Google App Engine, Apache Stratos, OpenShiftIaaS DigitalOcean, Linode, Rackspace, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cisco Metapod, Microsoft Azure, Google Compute Engine (GCE)

SaaS: Software as a Service

Software as a Service, also known as cloud application services, represents the most commonly utilized option for businesses in the cloud market. SaaS utilizes the internet to deliver applications, which are managed by a third-party vendor, to its users. A majority of SaaS applications run directly through your web browser, which means they do not require any downloads or installations on the client side.

SaaS Delivery

Due to its web delivery model, SaaS eliminates the need to have IT staff download and install applications on each individual computer. With SaaS, vendors manage all potential technical issues, such as data, middleware, servers, and storage, resulting in streamlined maintenance and support for the business.

SaaS Advantages

SaaS provides numerous advantages to employees and companies by greatly reducing the time and money spent on tedious tasks such as installing, managing, and upgrading software. This frees up plenty of time for technical staff to spend on more pressing matters and issues within the organization.

SaaS Characteristics

There are a few ways to help you determine when SaaS is being utilized:

Managed from a central location

Hosted on a remote server

Accessible over the internet

Users not responsible for hardware or software updates

When to Use SaaS

SaaS may be the most beneficial option in several situations, including:

Startups or small companies that need to launch ecommerce quickly and don’t have time for server issues or software

Short-term projects that require quick, easy, and affordable collaboration

Applications that aren’t needed too often, such as tax software

Applications that need both web and mobile access

SaaS Limitations & Concerns

Interoperability. Integration with existing apps and services can be a major concern if the SaaS app is not designed to follow open standards for integration. In this case, organizations may need to design their own integration systems or reduce dependencies with SaaS services, which may not always be possible.Vendor lock-in. Vendors may make it easy to join a service and difficult to get out of it. For instance, the data may not be portable–technically or cost-effectively–across SaaS apps from other vendors without incurring significant cost or inhouse engineering rework. Not every vendor follows standard APIs, protocols, and tools, yet the features could be necessary for certain business tasks.Lack of integration support. Many organizations require deep integrations with on-premise apps, data, and services. The SaaS vendor may offer limited support in this regard, forcing organizations to invest internal resources in designing and managing integrations. The complexity of integrations can further limit how the SaaS app or other dependent services can be used.Data security. Large volumes of data may have to be exchanged to the backend data centers of SaaS apps in order to perform the necessary software functionality. Transferring sensitive business information to public-cloud based SaaS service may result in compromised security and compliance in addition to significant cost for migrating large data workloads.Customization. SaaS apps offer minimal customization capabilities. Since a one-size-fits-all solution does not exist, users may be limited to specific functionality, performance, and integrations as offered by the vendor. In contrast, on-premise solutions that come with several software development kits (SDKs) offer a high degree of customization options.Lack of control. SaaS solutions involves handing control over to the third-party service provider. These controls are not limited to the software–in terms of the version, updates, or appearance–but also the data and governance. Customers may therefore need to redefine their data security and governance models to fit the features and functionality of the SaaS service.

स्रोत : www.bmc.com

IaaS vs. PaaS vs. SaaS

Understand the IaaS, PaaS and SaaS cloud service models and their benefits.

स्रोत : www.ibm.com