Main takeaways from this article:
Cloud security standards guide organizations in protecting sensitive data and infrastructure through encryption, access control, and regulatory compliance.
Frameworks like ISO/IEC, NIST, and GDPR help mitigate security risks, ensure compliance, and build trust with clients and partners.
Compliance reduces legal and operational risks while enabling secure operations across diverse regulatory regions.
These standards minimize vulnerabilities and bolster defenses, creating a resilient cloud environment against cyberattacks.
CSPs provide additional frameworks to align with best practices and enhance security.
What are cloud security standards?
Cloud security standards are structured guidelines and regulations crafted to secure cloud computing environments, developed by international standards bodies, governmental agencies, and industry leaders.
These standards cover various facets of cloud security, including data protection, identity and access management, and regulatory compliance, providing organizations and cloud service providers (CSPs) with a framework to safeguard sensitive data and cloud infrastructures.
Organizations adopt diverse cloud models like IaaS, SaaS, or PaaS, each bringing distinct security demands. This range of adoption paths complicates security oversight, making it difficult to accurately assess security postures and stay compliant with universal standards.
Given these varied challenges—alongside common issues such as flawed configurations, insufficient authentication, and weak access control—adhering to cloud security standards is essential. They set the benchmarks for CSPs and organizations alike, offering a structured path for building and maintaining a secure cloud environment resilient against modern threats.
The importance of cloud security standards
Cloud security standards not only safeguard digital assets but also support businesses in managing risk and building trust with clients, partners, and stakeholders. Here’s why they’re essential:
Enhanced data protection: Cloud security standards mandate data encryption, access control, and monitoring protocols to protect sensitive information. By following these guidelines, organizations can prevent unauthorized access, data breaches, and loss of customer information, ensuring data security in cloud environments.
Regulatory compliance: Many cloud security standards, like those established by ISO, NIST, and GDPR, help organizations adhere to regional and industry-specific regulations. Compliance with these standards demonstrates a commitment to secure operations and helps companies avoid legal penalties, foster trust with clients, and smoothly operate across different regions with varying compliance requirements.
Risk mitigation: Security standards address critical areas of cloud vulnerabilities, providing frameworks to identify and remediate potential threats. By implementing these standards, organizations can minimize the risk of cyberattacks and reduce exposure to threats, creating a safer, more resilient cloud environment.
Trust and confidence: Adhering to recognized security standards demonstrates an organization’s dedication to protecting its cloud assets and customer data. This transparency boosts trust among clients, investors, and business partners, building a reputation of reliability and enhancing customer loyalty.
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Top 10 cloud security standards
Here’s a quick look at the top 10 standards to ensure organizations implement effective security practices across various cloud services.
Below is a closer look at each standard.
ISO/IEC standards
The ISO/IEC standards for cloud security provide a framework for securing cloud infrastructure and data through an information security management system (ISMS). These standards are especially valuable for organizations managing personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI), as they help organizations meet regulatory requirements, avoid compliance risks, and safeguard data privacy.
The ISO/IEC 27000 series, which includes standards like 27001, 27002, 27017, and 27018, is fundamental to cloud security management:
ISO/IEC 27001 and 27002 provide general best practices for information security, focusing on risk management, access control, and data privacy. These standards lay the foundation for implementing security controls across various environments, including the cloud.
ISO/IEC 27017 is specifically tailored to cloud security, addressing the shared responsibility model by defining roles within service level agreements (SLAs) and setting guidelines for data segregation, virtual machine hardening, and network security alignment.
ISO/IEC 27018 focuses on safeguarding PII in public cloud environments, outlining requirements for encryption, regular audits, and data management, with clear protocols for deletion, processing, and transparency.
Key components of ISO/IEC 27017 controls
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
| Shared responsibility | SLAs must clearly define the roles and responsibilities of customers and providers in securing cloud infrastructure (CLD.6.3.1). |
| Cloud service customer assets | Providers must return or delete customer assets after contract termination or when security cannot be ensured (CLD.8.1.5). |
| Cloud data segregation | Data must be isolated in multi-tenant environments to prevent unauthorized access (CLD.9.5.1). |
| Virtual machine hardening | Both providers and customers must secure virtual machines against unauthorized modifications (CLD.9.5.2). |
| Administrator’s operational security | Customers must document administrative operations, and providers must demonstrate compliance through certifications (CLD.12.1.5). |
| Monitoring of cloud services | Providers must enable monitoring for swift detection and resolution of security threats (CLD.12.4.5). |
| Network security alignment | Providers must ensure consistent security policy configurations across virtual and physical networks (CLD.13.1.4). |
ISO/IEC 27018:2019 - PII protection principles
ISO 27018 provides additional controls for securing PII in public clouds, including requirements for:
Encryption of PII in transit and at rest.
Routine audits of cloud service provider operations or, where appropriate, self-assessments with evidence.
Data retention and deletion protocols to ensure PII is deleted when no longer needed.
Processing transparency with clear SLAs for data processing, sub-processors, and customer access to review PII storage and processing practices.
By adhering to ISO/IEC standards, organizations can implement consistent security controls to protect sensitive information, ensure compliance, and build trust with customers in cloud environments.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Security Controls
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides comprehensive frameworks to support secure cloud adoption, foster compliance with regulations such as HIPAA and PCI DSS, and enhance cybersecurity for federal agencies and organizations working with them.
NIST Cloud Computing Security Reference Architecture (SP 500-292)
NIST SP 500-292 outlines a cloud security architecture that defines the roles, services, and activities of key cloud actors, including consumers, providers, auditors, brokers, and carriers. Each actor has specific responsibilities, as detailed below:
| Actor | Description | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud consumers | Users of IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS services for tasks like storage, application deployment, and database management. | Encrypt data, ensure data integrity, and conduct privacy audits to prevent unauthorized access and protect PII. |
| Cloud providers | Providers of IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS services, ensuring availability, security, and interoperability of shared cloud resources. | Manage infrastructure, monitor user access, audit services, and establish clear security responsibilities in SLAs. |
| Cloud auditors | Independent or internal assessors verifying compliance and security of cloud infrastructure. | Conduct security and privacy audits to ensure regulatory compliance. |
| Cloud brokers | Intermediaries managing cloud services and performance. | Facilitate access to CSP services and improve security and operational performance through aggregation and management. |
| Cloud carriers | Entities providing data transmission between providers and consumers. | Ensure secure data transmission, preventing packet hijacking, MITM attacks, and DDoS threats. |
NIST Special Publication 800-144
NIST SP 800-144 addresses security and privacy considerations in public cloud environments. It emphasizes the shared responsibility model, advising cloud customers to:
Plan security controls based on data sensitivity and organizational goals.
Independently verify CSP assurances, including encryption and regulatory compliance.
Maintain accountability by conducting regular penetration testing, risk assessments, and monitoring activities.
NIST Special Publication 800-53
SP 800-53 establishes a comprehensive framework of security controls designed for federal agencies handling PII. These controls, divided into 20 categories, provide a foundation for securing cloud environments. Key categories include:
Access Control (AC): Role-based permissions to protect sensitive data.
Incident Response (IR): Real-time detection and mitigation of security incidents.
Risk Assessment (RA): Ongoing evaluation of risks to infrastructure and data.
While not mandatory for non-federal organizations, implementing NIST controls enhances cloud security, ensures regulatory compliance, and builds customer trust in protecting sensitive data.
Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Standards
The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) provides a trusted framework for cloud security through its CSA STAR Program and Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM), offering standards that help organizations secure cloud environments and demonstrate compliance with best practices.
CSA STAR Program
The Security, Trust, Assurance, and Risk (STAR) Program is a certification initiative that evaluates cloud service providers (CSPs) based on their adherence to CSA security principles and leading standards like ISO/IEC and NIST. The STAR Program offers three levels of assurance:
Self-Assessment: Providers assess their security practices against CSA guidelines independently.
Third-Party Audit: Independent auditors verify compliance, offering a higher level of transparency and assurance.
Continuous Monitoring: Advanced monitoring practices enable ongoing compliance and risk management insights.
Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM)
The CCM is an in-depth framework that organizes cloud security controls by service model (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), provider, and user roles. It addresses key security areas such as cryptography, data protection, identity and access management, and vulnerability assessments, offering tailored control guidelines for various cloud use cases. By aligning with ISO/IEC and NIST cloud security frameworks, the CCM provides a strong foundation for implementing security practices that meet regulatory standards and support secure cloud adoption.
Together, CSA’s STAR Program and CCM create a structured, transparent approach to cloud security, empowering organizations to assess and enhance their cloud security postures effectively.
Center for Internet Security (CIS) Benchmarks
The Center for Internet Security (CIS) Benchmarks are a set of consensus-based, vendor-agnostic cybersecurity standards for implementing cloud technologies and services. They include two profile-level benchmarks classified based on ease of implementation and security/sensitivity impact, with the first level being less sensitive than the second. The benchmarks also cover areas such as OS, CSP, server, and network security configurations.
CIS Benchmarks helps organizations improve network, device, and server performance with:
Guidelines for controlling administrative access and granting privileges
Authenticating users
Limiting app permissions
Securing container and VM images.
FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program)
FedRAMP is a U.S. government program designed to standardize cloud security assessments, authorizations, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services used by federal agencies.
Managed by the General Services Administration (GSA), FedRAMP establishes a rigorous framework that cloud service providers (CSPs) must follow to secure and protect federal information in the cloud. The program involves a multi-step process, including security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring, ensuring that CSPs meet stringent requirements for confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
FedRAMP offers three levels of impact—low, moderate, and high—based on the sensitivity of the data being processed. Wiz recently achieved moderate FedRAMP authorization.
SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2)
SOC 2 is a widely recognized auditing standard for assessing the security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy of customer data handled by service organizations, especially those in cloud computing.
Developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), SOC 2 is a voluntary compliance standard that ensures organizations have effective controls to protect data from unauthorized access and ensure reliability. SOC 2 audits are based on the organization’s adherence to the Trust Services Criteria, focusing on security practices like access control, encryption, monitoring, and incident response.
SOC 2 reports provide clients with an assessment of a service provider’s security practices, helping businesses make informed decisions when selecting vendors.
HIPAA and HITECH
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act are U.S. regulations governing the protection of sensitive health information.
HIPAA establishes national standards for securing patient data to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability of Protected Health Information (PHI). HITECH expands HIPAA’s reach by promoting the use of electronic health records (EHRs) and mandating stricter enforcement and breach notifications.
Together, HIPAA and HITECH require healthcare providers, insurers, and associated organizations (business associates) to implement physical, administrative, and technical safeguards for PHI. Compliance with these standards helps organizations avoid fines, protect patient data, and ensure trust in healthcare data management.
PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of security standards developed by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council to protect cardholder data. Applicable to all organizations that handle payment information, PCI DSS requires measures such as encryption, access control, and vulnerability management to secure sensitive payment data during processing, storage, and transmission.
PCI DSS is structured around 12 core requirements covering areas like:
Secure network configurations
Cardholder data protection
Access control
Regular testing of security systems
By meeting PCI DSS compliance, organizations help prevent fraud, ensure data privacy, and enhance trust in their payment security practices.
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a comprehensive data privacy law enacted by the European Union to protect the personal data of EU residents.
GDPR mandates that organizations must implement strict measures to:
Secure personal data
Obtain clear consent for data processing
Allow individuals to control their data, including to access, rectify, and erase it.
Non-compliance can lead to severe fines.
GDPR has a broad reach, applying to any organization worldwide that processes the data of EU residents, making it one of the most influential data privacy laws.
Standards from CSPs
Besides the standards we’ve already discussed, individual CSPs also provide architectural frameworks, best practices, and standards for their customers to follow, such as:
AWS Well-Architected Framework: AWS provides a structured framework covering best practices across five pillars—security, reliability, performance efficiency, cost optimization, and operational excellence—to help organizations build secure, high-performing cloud applications.
Google Cloud Architecture Framework: Google’s framework provides a comprehensive set of guidelines focusing on security, scalability, cost management, and operational efficiency, designed to help businesses optimize their Google Cloud environments.
Azure Well-Architected Framework: Microsoft Azure’s framework offers recommendations across five core pillars—cost optimization, operational excellence, performance efficiency, reliability, and security—helping organizations design and deploy secure, resilient applications on Azure.
Implementing cloud security standards with Wiz
Wiz ensures compliance with automated assessments and precise security posture scores across 100+ industry built-in frameworks. This helps you streamline audits, identify vulnerabilities early, and prevent non-compliance from escalating into costly issues.
For organizations with unique security frameworks, Wiz allows you to tailor assessments to your specific needs, ensuring your compliance strategy aligns seamlessly with your operations.
Ready to make compliance easier? Book a demo today to see how Wiz can transform your cloud security strategy and bring you peace of mind.
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