Accelerating your journey to Microsoft Azure.

There are a number of steps you can take to secure your Azure environment and protect your resources from unauthorized access and threats. If you’re wondering how to secure Azure, best practices include:

1. Use Azure Identity and Access Management (IAM) to control access to your resources: Azure IAM allows you to assign role-based access to your resources, so you can grant users the permissions they need to perform their tasks and limit their access to only the resources that they need.
2. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA): MFA adds an extra layer of security to your accounts by requiring users to provide a second form of authentication, such as a code sent to their phone or a security key, in addition to their password.
3. Use Azure Security Centre: Azure Security Centre is a security management service that helps you detect, prevent, and respond to threats across your Azure environment. It includes features such as vulnerability assessment, threat protection, and advanced threat analytics.
4. Use Azure Private Link: Azure Private Link allows you to securely access Azure PaaS (Platform as a Service) and SaaS (Software as a Service) resources over a private network connection, rather than using a public internet connection. This can help to reduce the risk of data exfiltration and other threats.
5. Use Azure Virtual Network Service Endpoints: Azure Virtual Network Service Endpoints allow you to secure access to your Azure PaaS and SaaS resources by restricting traffic to only the virtual network and its connected on-premises network.
6. Monitor and log activity: It is important to monitor and log activity in your Azure environment to detect and respond to potential threats. Azure provides a number of tools and services for monitoring and logging activity, including Azure Monitor, Azure Log Analytics, and Azure Activity Log.

If you’re wondering how to secure your Azure functions, you can use function level security. This is different from app-level security, which secures the entire application by allowing or preventing access to resources at the application level. For example, if you have an app with multiple functions and want to restrict access to one specific function, you can use function level security instead of app-level security.

Function level security enables you to define authorisation policies for each function based on who is calling it, where it’s being called from, and what type of data is being accessed. The policy can be applied during development time or when deploying your code as part of your production environment. After defining policies, they will be automatically applied when a request comes in through the API gateway to that specific endpoint.

We’re often asked: What is the difference between public and private cloud?

Public cloud and private cloud refer to different models of cloud computing, which is a way of delivering computing resources (including storage, networking, and processing power) over the internet.

In a public cloud, the computing resources are owned and operated by a third-party cloud provider and made available to the general public over the internet. Public cloud providers offer a range of services, including infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and software as a service (SaaS), which can be used by organisations on a pay-per-use basis.

Private cloud, on the other hand, refers to a cloud computing environment that is owned and operated by a single organisation, typically for its own use. A private cloud can be implemented on-premises, or it can be hosted by a third-party provider and accessed over a private network. Private clouds offer many of the same benefits as public clouds, such as scalability and elasticity, but they are typically more expensive to set up and maintain.

In general, public clouds are more cost-effective and flexible, but they may not offer the same level of control and security as a private cloud. Private clouds, on the other hand, offer greater control and security, but they are generally more expensive and less flexible. The decision between a public cloud and a private cloud will depend on the specific needs and requirements of your organisation.

The security of a private cloud versus a public cloud depends on a number of factors. In general, private clouds can offer more security controls and customisation options, since they are dedicated to a single organisation and are not shared with other users. This can make it easier to implement and enforce security measures such as access controls, data encryption, and compliance requirements.

On the other hand, public clouds are operated by cloud service providers and are shared among multiple organisations. While these providers typically have strong security measures in place, the fact that the infrastructure is shared means that there is a higher risk of data breaches or security incidents occurring. However, public clouds can also offer a higher level of security in some cases, as the providers may have access to more resources and expertise for security measures than an individual organisation could afford on their own.

Ultimately, the security of a private or public cloud depends on how well it is configured and managed. Both types of cloud environments can be secure if they are properly configured and maintained, but it is important to carefully consider the specific security needs of your organisation and choose the appropriate cloud model to meet those needs.

Two key characteristics of the public cloud are scalability and the fact it’s a shared environment.

Scalability means that you can increase or decrease your capacity at will, without having to install new hardware. This means you don’t have to invest in expensive assets until you actually need them. You can also add or remove resources as needed, which allows you to scale up or down with ease.

A public cloud is also shared environment, meaning that many customers share the same resources. This is different from private clouds, which are dedicated to individual customers.

Public cloud infrastructure services provide computing resources, such as servers, storage, and networking, over the internet. These resources are owned and operated by a cloud service provider and are made available to users on a pay-per-use basis. Public cloud infrastructure services can include Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS).

Public cloud infrastructure services offer a number of benefits, including scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. They allow users to quickly and easily access the resources they need to build, deploy, and run applications and services in the cloud, without having to invest in and manage their own infrastructure.