Imagine a castle with three different gates, each with its own security system and guards. One gate might have a complex alarm system, another a well-trained dog and the last a simple lock. An attacker only needs to find the weakest point to breach the castle.
Using a multi-cloud approach can open organisations up to the same peril. Different cloud providers have unique security features and tools baked in. Haphazard oversight of these varied tools means you might have strong security in one cloud and vulnerability elsewhere.
The result? Inconsistencies related to:
- Security policies: Without a centralised policy for access control, encryption, and comprehensive cloud vulnerability management, weaknesses in one area can expose your entire environment.
- Limited visibility: Each cloud provider has its own monitoring tools. Without a unified view across all clouds, it's difficult to identify and respond to security threats in a timely manner.
- Misconfigured resources: Cloud resources are powerful but can be complex. Accidental misconfigurations in any cloud can create security vulnerabilities.
What produces these gaps? Myriad issues, such as:
Vendor lock-in
For context, think of vendor lock-in similarly to moving into a house with customised, brand-specific doors and windows. If you decide to move, you'd either need to completely renovate the new house or find another one with the same custom features. In a multi-cloud environment, vendor lock-in occurs when one becomes overly reliant on a specific cloud provider's services and technologies.
Why do organisations go with this all-in approach? For those who’ve developed their own proprietary technology, some cloud providers use unique functionalities or APIs that aren't compatible with other cloud platforms.
Migrating away becomes difficult and expensive for their solution upkeep. Plus, if your data is stored in a proprietary format specific to a cloud provider, moving it to another platform can be complex and time-consuming.
Management mayhem
Imagine juggling while riding a unicycle. That's what managing a complex multi-cloud environment without proper planning can feel like. That confusion stems from a few different areas.
Due to the presence of multiple cloud providers, each cloud provider has its own management console and tools. IT teams must learn and use multiple interfaces, which increases complexity and reduces efficiency.
In addition, security, billing and other processes can differ between cloud providers. This lack of consistency makes it difficult to establish standardised procedures across the entire multi-cloud environment.
Finally, skilled-staff shortages. Managing a multi-cloud environment requires specialised skillsets. Without proper training and resources, IT teams can become overwhelmed.
Hidden costs
Cloud migration and maintenance aren’t cheap. In fact, they’re rife with cost-related issues that become more significant when dealing with multiple providers.
Cloud services often have various charges beyond base compute costs, like data transfer, storage fees and API calls. Without a clear understanding of these costs across different providers, your bills can balloon unexpectedly.
Then, there’s the matter of mission-critical cloud components going unused. It's easy to forget about idle cloud resources in a complex environment. These "zombie resources" continue to accrue charges even when not in use.
Finally, let’s circle back to vendor lock-in. Some cloud providers offer deep discounts or other benefits in exchange for long-term contracts. Breaking these contracts early can come with hefty penalties, which can disincentivise companies from switching partners.
Compliance challenges
Data privacy regulations can be a complex maze to navigate, especially in a multi-cloud environment.
Chief among those challenges relate to data location. Data privacy regulations often have specific requirements regarding where data can be stored. Spreading data across different cloud providers located in various regions can make compliance difficult.
Regulative bodies often require detailed audit trails and reports on data handling practices for auditing and reporting. Managing these across multiple cloud providers can be a significant burden.
Then there’s assessing vendors' responsibility. Cloud providers share some responsibility for data security and compliance, but the ultimate responsibility lies with the organisation using the cloud service. Understanding where this responsibility lies is crucial for staying compliant.
These challenges are inherent to multi-cloud strategies, but they don’t have to be inevitable. Using one or more providers enables your company to create a tailor-made cloud stack calibrated to its needs and goals. But it requires a strategic mindset.
By planning your multi-cloud strategy carefully, you can avoid security, vendor lock-in, management, cost and compliance pitfalls. This will allow you to reap the full benefits of a well-architected, multi-cloud environment.
Endava is a proud Google Cloud partner, combining our technology services expertise with Google’s next-level capabilities to execute initiatives related to cloud migration, integration and sustainability, to name a few. Visit our Google Cloud partnership page to learn more about the collaboration and connect with us.