Fortinet, the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networks and security, has released its 2024 Cloud Security Report, providing important insights into the current trends driving cloud security. It focuses on the key challenges organizations face in securing complex cloud environments and provides a comprehensive examination of security solutions and strategies to ensure effective protection of data and systems.
The report, which is based on a comprehensive survey of 927 cybersecurity professionals around the world, provides valuable guidance for Saudi organizations seeking to adopt cloud computing technologies safely and efficiently. The release of this report underscores Fortinet’s commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation journey by providing advanced security solutions that help organizations protect their cloud environments and enhance their cybersecurity capabilities. This is in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to build a secure and prosperous digital economy.
According to the report, 78% of organizations worldwide are adopting hybrid and multi-cloud strategies. These organizations prefer to consolidate multiple deployments into a single operating environment to benefit from the flexibility, control, and unique benefits that diverse cloud services provide.
The report indicates that 43% of these organizations prefer hybrid infrastructure that combines public and private cloud platforms. Meanwhile, 35% of them adopt a multi-cloud strategy, reflecting their preference to leverage the strengths of different cloud providers to meet different use cases. Only 22% rely on one cloud provider.
These findings indicate that organizations are increasingly realizing the benefits of adopting a hybrid or multi-cloud approach to achieve their strategic objectives and enhance customer experiences. These global trends are in line with the Saudi government’s focus on supporting the adoption of cloud computing technologies and diversifying cloud service providers, contributing to digital transformation across all sectors in the Kingdom.
Security and compliance issues are the primary barriers to faster adoption of multi-cloud strategies, cited by 59% of report respondents. Technical challenges follow closely behind, with 52% of respondents noting that cloud adoption is not always easy, requiring specific skills and technologies to manage complex cloud environments, which may hinder organizations that lack these resources to adopt the cloud.
Additionally, 49% of respondents recognize that resource constraints, including lack of staff experience and budget constraints, pose significant obstacles to the success of cloud computing initiatives. This emphasizes the importance of adequate investment in human and financial resources to develop the necessary skills and manage cloud computing environments effectively.
These challenges also highlight the urgent need for robust cloud security solutions that can address the evolving threat landscape and regulatory requirements in Saudi Arabia.
The report found that 93% of organizations are concerned about the industry-wide shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals, which directly impacts their security posture and strategic cloud initiatives.
The ever-widening gap between the growing demand for specialized cybersecurity talent and a limited workforce is intensifying security vulnerabilities in an increasingly complex cyber landscape. Fortinet stresses that Saudi organizations must adopt a multifaceted strategy to address this challenge. This includes strengthening partnerships with academic institutions to attract new talent, investing in training programs to grow in-house expertise, and adapting to evolving cloud security requirements.
The vast majority (95%) of survey respondents support having a single, integrated cloud security platform to simplify security management, mitigate the talent gap, and enhance security through consistent policy enforcement and visibility across cloud environments.
With a unified platform, organizations can reduce the operational burden of navigating multiple security interfaces, strengthen their overall security posture, and provide effective protection against automated and sophisticated attacks. This approach is in line with Saudi Arabia’s focus on leveraging advanced technologies, including unified cloud security solutions, to enhance cybersecurity and drive digital transformation across all its sectors.
As Saudi Arabia steadily moves towards digital transformation and increasingly relies on cloud computing solutions to achieve the goals of Vision 2030, the importance of securing these cloud environments has become more evident and is now a top priority for organizations in the region.
The 2024 Cloud Security Report highlights the challenges and best practices that Saudi companies must address to ensure the security and compliance of their cloud-based operations. By providing unified visibility, consistent policy enforcement, and advanced security automation across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, Fortinet helps Saudi businesses overcome the complexities of cloud adoption and focus on driving innovation and growth.
Sami Al-Shuwaikh, Senior Director, Fortinet, Saudi Arabia
