In response to the growing trend of enterprises adopting multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments, where data is distributed across different platforms and accessible through multiple devices and networks, Alibaba Cloud recently announced new features for its unified security solution and content delivery service. .
A recent survey by Statista revealed that as of 2024, 73 percent of organizations reported using a hybrid cloud setup in their organization. Additionally, an IDC report indicates that nearly 90% of businesses in the Asia-Pacific region are adopting multi-clouds.
With the significant increase in adoption of multi-cloud and hybrid cloud solutions, many organizations often use a mix of security tools from different cloud vendors, each addressing specific cybersecurity needs. While this diversity can strengthen defenses, it also complicates management and integration.
That's why Alibaba Cloud has rolled out advanced security features for its Security Center, a centralized security management system. These new capabilities are specifically designed to address the increasing security challenges that come with the increasing complexity of modern cloud architectures to support artificial intelligence (AI) and other IT initiatives.
New features in Security Center for better optimization
One of the notable new features of the Security Center is the Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) tool. This innovative solution enables organizations running in multiple cloud environments to monitor configurations and compliance across different cloud platforms. Previously limited to single cloud environments, CSPM is a game-changer for users navigating a complex cloud landscape.
“Alibaba Cloud Security provides CSPM capabilities in the Cloud Security Center product, offering more than 700 detection items and more than 100 configurations for one-click processing. This enables the detection of system security configuration issues,” said Ouyang Chen, general manager of security products at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence. cloud infrastructure, identity and permissions management issues, and meets users' compliance detection needs and continuous security risk monitoring requirements.”
With over 700 product configuration checks available, CSPM simplifies the security hardening process, making it easier to manage multi-cloud and hybrid cloud security. Security Center also offers one-click remediation, allowing users to quickly adjust configurations directly from the console. This enables organizations to address vulnerabilities, significantly enhancing their security posture immediately.
The Security Center, a cloud-native architecture, covers the full lifecycle of security operations, providing comprehensive protection and simplifying security operations. It provides continuous monitoring of cloud resources, allowing real-time detection of potential threats, immediate action against malicious attacks, and comprehensive analysis to quickly identify and resolve issues.
Another major addition is the Cloud Threat Detection and Response (C-TDR) solution. Another cloud security solution to enhance detection, analysis and response capabilities, seamlessly integrating with Alibaba Cloud products for a unified approach to security threat management.
With the development of cyber threats, especially with the emergence of artificial intelligence, the Security Center also uses Alibaba Cloud Qwen's Large Language Model (LLM) to identify and detect security anomalies, launch defense mechanisms, and provide security consulting services to users in China.
“Information security is critical for all technology applications because it ensures the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of the data that IT systems rely on to make accurate decisions. AI systems, in particular, often process vast amounts of sensitive data, making them attractive targets for cyberattacks. Without strong security, AI models can be manipulated through data poisoning, unauthorized access, or hostile attacks, which damages trust and can lead to harmful outcomes. Effective information security measures help maintain reliability and ethical use of AI, which protects… Individuals and organizations from Potential risks.
The Security Center has become a preferred choice among Alibaba Cloud's international customers in various industries, including finance and e-commerce.
BES Global, a digital platform and development company in Singapore, has used Alibaba Cloud's powerful and secure infrastructure to digitize its business. The company faced communication challenges between mainland China and international locations, which was critical to its operations. Partnering with Alibaba Cloud allows BES Global to address these challenges.
“By adopting Alibaba Cloud's powerful infrastructure and cloud-native security solutions, BES Global has improved its operational efficiency and ensured data security, enabling us to effectively expand global services,” said Robin Ma, general manager of BES Global.
Enhanced edge security to provide closer protection for end users
Today, more data and applications are handled closer to users. With computing resources distributed closer to users and devices, these endpoints can be vulnerable to cyber threats, making it essential to protect them to protect user data and overall network integrity.
To address these challenges, Alibaba Cloud has updated its Dynamic Content Delivery Network (DCDN), enhancing it with advanced security features. The new offering, Edge Security Acceleration (ESA), protects critical workloads on edge infrastructure, ensuring data and applications remain protected from unauthorized access, breaches, and other vulnerabilities.
New capabilities include Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection, Web Application Firewall (WAF), bot management, API security, and SSL certificates – all delivered locally through Alibaba Cloud's vast global network of more than 3,200 nodes. This significantly reduces latency and reduces the risk of failure while meeting the needs of various industries, including gaming, e-commerce and financial services.
In the financial services sector, where network availability and security are critical, ESA provides critical protection for dynamic and interactive financial transactions. With advanced features like Edge WAF and DDoS protection, ESA ensures that every transaction meets the highest security standards.
With more than 140 security and compliance certifications worldwide, Alibaba Cloud offers a wide range of security products, including DDoS and WAF protection, cloud firewall, key management service, and certificate management service.
