This blogpost investigates three aspects of cloud security: an overview of cloud security in general, the European Union Cloud Security Certification (EUCS), and the MEDINA project. This article helps organizations to familiarize themselves with the future cloud security and certification landscape within the European Union.

Cloud Security

Cloud computing has revolutionized the way we handle data and information technology infrastructure. It offers advantages, such as scalability, cost-efficiency, and accessibility, but it also poses large scale of security challenges.

Cloud security is a critical aspect of the digital age, focused on safeguarding data and infrastructure in cloud environments. Organizations do remain responsible for data security even as cloud providers implement security practices. Challenges include for example a lack of visibility into data access, multitenancy risks in public cloud environments, managing access in cloud settings, compliance complexities, and misconfigurations that can lead to vulnerabilities. To address these challenges, organizations can employ solutions like Identity and Access Management (IAM) for user control, Data Loss Prevention (DLP) for data protection, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) for threat monitoring, and Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery for data recovery. Cloud security is not a one-size-fits-all solution; it requires continuous assessment and adaptation to address evolving threats.

European Union Cloud Security Certification (EUCS)

The European Union Cybersecurity Certification Scheme for Cloud Services  (EUCS) represents a significant step towards standardized cloud security standards within the European Union (EU). Its primary goal is to create a unified European framework, simplifying the certification process for cloud service providers. EUCS is designed to replace existing national certification systems within the union, harmonizing cyber security certifications across EU member states.

EUCS is built upon the Cybersecurity Act established by the European Parliament and Council in 2019. This act aims to bolster cybersecurity defences across the EU. EUCS, along with initiatives like the European Union Common Criteria and European Union 5G Security Certification, seeks to elevate the overall cybersecurity posture of the region. It also enhances citizens’ digital sovereignty and the EU’s readiness to respond to cross-border cyber threats. In addition to that, EUCS aims to improve the free movement of ICT products and services across Europe. EUCS covers a wide range of cloud services, including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), and various sub-services.

The MEDINA Project: Innovating Cloud Security Auditing

The MEDINA project is an EU-funded research initiative focused on cloud security and auditing. Its primary objective is to develop a framework for continuous evidence based auditing achieve EUCS certification compliance. Medina aims to assist cloud service providers in adhering to EU cybersecurity standards, facilitating their expansion into the EU market.

Currently, many cloud service providers collect evidence to prove their compliance with various certification systems, like SOC2, or ISO 27001 and CSA STAR. They gather this evidence using monitoring tools, log files, version control, and other methods. However, these pieces of evidence are not always easy to assess and audit automatically because there are no standardized processes or toolchains in place. This is where Medina steps in, offering continuous, automated monitoring and assessment.

The MEDINA toolset is designed to integrate into existing cloud supply chains, and it will support continuously assessing the efficiency and efficacy of security measures to achieve and maintain a certification. The project includes standardized methods for testing platform technical requirements. By reducing the workload on developers and technical staff, Medina enables experts to focus on more productive tasks. The experts at Nixu have been in a crucial role in developing the project into one that can serve our clients with their needs. The MEDINA project is all about making cloud service auditing more efficient and effective, which, in turn, enhances the overall security of cloud services. It’s a welcome initiative in the ever-evolving world of cloud computing and cybersecurity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, cloud security is a pressing concern in today’s interconnected world, and the European Union is taking proactive steps to address it through the European Union Cloud Security Certification (EUCS) and initiatives like the Medina project. EUCS promises to harmonize cloud security standards across the EU, benefiting both service providers and customers. Medina offers an innovative approach to continuous auditing, simplifying compliance with EUCS and bolstering the overall security of cloud services.

Every organization and company using cloud services should possess a solid understanding of their organization’s cloud security and have plans in place to mandate and update security practices through new certifications. Staying informed about industry news and promptly responding to updates contributes to achieving compliance with new regulations more efficiently. Tools like Medina play an important role in this process, aiding companies in obtaining continuous audit-based certification in alignment with the EU-wide cloud security certification scheme.