Understanding ISO 27017 for Cloud Environments
ISO 27017 extends ISO 27002's information security controls with additional implementation guidance specific to cloud computing. The standard addresses the unique security challenges of cloud environments including multi-tenancy, virtualization, data jurisdiction, and shared responsibility models.
Cloud service customers (CSCs) using AWS, Azure, GCP, or OCI must implement appropriate controls on their side of the shared responsibility model. ISO 27017 helps organizations understand which security controls they're responsible for implementing and provides specific guidance for cloud-based information security management.
Just-In-Time Access for ISO 27017 Access Control
ISO 27017 emphasizes robust access controls in cloud environments, particularly controls CLD.6.2.1 (Identity and access management) and CLD.9.2.4 (Monitoring of cloud service customer activities). Cloudanix's Just-In-Time (JIT) access implements time-bound, temporary privileged access across AWS, Azure, GCP, and OCI.
JIT access addresses ISO 27017's requirements for managing user access rights, limiting privileged access, and maintaining audit trails of access activities in cloud environments. Zero-standing-privileges approach minimizes security risks associated with permanent administrative access in multi-tenant cloud infrastructures.
Database Activity Monitoring (DAM) for ISO 27017 Compliance
ISO 27017 control CLD.12.4.1 addresses logging and monitoring in cloud environments, requiring organizations to establish procedures for monitoring cloud service usage and detecting security events. Cloudanix's DAM provides comprehensive database activity monitoring across AWS RDS, Azure SQL, Google Cloud SQL, and Oracle Cloud databases.
DAM helps organizations comply with ISO 27017's requirements for security event logging, regular review of audit logs, and detection of unauthorized access attempts. Real-time monitoring and alerting ensure that security incidents in cloud databases are detected and investigated promptly as required by the standard.
Cloud Identity and Access Management
ISO 27017 CLD.6.2.1 specifically addresses identity and access management in cloud services, requiring proper management of both human users and non-human identities such as service accounts, API keys, and workload identities across multi-cloud environments.
Cloudanix provides comprehensive identity governance across AWS IAM, Azure AD, GCP IAM, and OCI IAM, continuously monitoring permissions for all identity types. This includes detecting excessive privileges, enforcing least-privilege access, managing cloud service accounts and API keys, and ensuring proper segregation of duties in cloud environments as required by ISO 27017.
Secure Cloud Configuration Management
ISO 27017 control CLD.12.1.1 addresses secure configuration of cloud services, emphasizing the cloud service customer's responsibility to properly configure their cloud resources. Misconfigurations are a leading cause of cloud security incidents and data breaches.
Cloudanix continuously scans AWS, Azure, GCP, and OCI environments for security misconfigurations including publicly accessible storage, unencrypted data, weak network controls, and insecure virtual machine configurations. Automated detection and remediation help organizations maintain secure cloud configurations aligned with ISO 27017 guidelines.
Cloud Workload Security and Virtual Machine Protection
ISO 27017 CLD.12.1.5 provides guidance on securing virtual machine instances, including proper configuration, hardening, and monitoring. Cloud workloads including containers, Kubernetes clusters, serverless functions, and virtual machines require comprehensive security controls.
Cloudanix secures cloud workloads across AWS EC2/ECS/EKS, Azure VMs/AKS, GCP Compute/GKE, and OCI Compute through vulnerability scanning, runtime protection, configuration compliance monitoring, and network security enforcement. This comprehensive approach helps organizations meet ISO 27017's requirements for virtual environment security.
Software Supply Chain Security for Cloud Services
ISO 27017 emphasizes the importance of security throughout the cloud service supply chain. Organizations must understand and manage risks introduced by third-party software components, open-source libraries, and container images deployed in cloud environments.
Cloudanix generates comprehensive Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs) for containerized applications and cloud workloads across AWS, Azure, GCP, and OCI. SBOM capabilities provide visibility into software components, identify known vulnerabilities, enable risk assessment of third-party dependencies, and support ISO 27017's requirements for managing supply chain security risks in cloud services.
