Cloud Security Operations Service Framework
November 4, 2025
10 min read
1.0 Overview
The Cloud Security Operations Service Framework outlines our organization's comprehensive approach to safeguarding cloud environments and assets. By effectively integrating best practices and aligning with industry standards, while focusing on proactive strategies and continuous oversight, we aim to provide robust security operations that protect our cloud environments from evolving threats and ensure regulatory compliance.
2.0 Governance and Strategy
2.1 Governance
Establishes the policies, procedures, and controls that guide our organization's security efforts to ensure adherence to regulatory standards and alignments with organizational objectives.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Strategic Planning | Define the organization's strategic direction and long-term security goals. |
| Policy Development | Create and maintain security policies aligned with organizational goals and regulations e.g. Data Privacy Policy. |
| Regulatory Alignment | Ensure compliance with regulatory laws and standards. e.g. GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI-DSS. |
| Audit Management | Conduct regular internal audits to ensure adherence to security policies across the cloud environment and identify gaps. |
2.2 Compliance and Audit Readiness
Ensures continuous adherence to regulatory standards and prepares the organization for successful audits through proactive measures.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Compliance Management | Implement processes to comply with relevant laws, regulations, and standards. E.g. NIST CSF, ISO 27001 |
| Regulatory Mapping | Map organizational controls to specific regulatory requirements using GRC frameworks e.g. UCF |
| Audit Readiness Program | Develop and maintain a program to prepare for internal and external audits using standard guidelines e.g. ISO 19011 guidelines. |
| Compliance Monitoring | Automate and use industry-recognised tools to continuously monitor compliance status across cloud resources and environments. e.g. AWS Security Hub, Azure Security Center |
3.0 Risk Management
Identifies, assesses, and manages risks to the organization's cloud-based assets, including those posed by third parties, to inform decision-making and prioritize security efforts.
3.1 Asset Management
Identifies and manages the organizational assets to ensure that critical resources are known, tracked, and protected.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Asset Inventory | Ensure a comprehensive inventory of cloud resources and assets is maintained and constantly updated. |
| Asset Classification | Ensure proper categorization of cloud assets and resources based on sensitivity and criticality. |
| Ownership Assignment | Assign responsibility for assets to specific individuals or teams. |
3.2 Risk Management
Identifies, assesses, and prioritizes risks to the organization's cloud environment to inform decision-making and resource allocation.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Risk Assessments | Regularly perform assessments and simulations to identify potential threats and vulnerabilities utilizing frameworks like ISO 27005, NIST SP 800-30 etc. |
| Risk Register | Maintain a risk register to document and track identified risks and mitigation measures. |
| Risk Mitigation Strategies | Develop plans to address and reduce identified risks. |
3.3 Third-Party Risk Management
Manages risks associated with third-party service providers and partners to ensure they meet security and compliance requirements.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Vendor Assessments | Evaluate the security posture of third parties via a thorough assessment of the vendor's security practices, security certifications, policies and reputation check. Tools like SIG questionnaires can be used. |
| Contractual Obligations | Include security requirements in contracts and agreements, with key clauses on audit rights, liability and indemnification. |
| Monitoring and Review | Continuously monitor third-party compliance and performance with agreed upon standards and regulations. |
| Access Controls for Vendors | Limit and monitor vendor access to systems. |
4.0 Security Controls Implementation
Implements technical and administrative controls to protect the organization's assets, including identity and access management, network security, data protection, and secure configurations.
4.1 Identity and Access Management
Implements Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) mechanisms to enforce role-based and activity-based access controls, protecting the cloud environment from unauthorized access and actions.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Access Controls | Implement least privilege principles and Role-Based access Control (RBAC) for user permissions. |
| Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) | Add extra security layers beyond passwords via the use of MFA tools. |
| Zero-Trust Architecture | Ensure no implicit trust, requiring verification for every access request. |
| Audit Trails | Log all access activities for review and compliance. |
4.2 Data Protection, Recovery and Network Security
Ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive information stored and processed in our cloud environments through segmentation, firewalls, encryption, access control, and robust data loss prevention mechanisms.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Network Segmentation | Ensure proper division networks into segments to limit breach impact. |
| Data Encryption | Ensure sensitive data and backups are encrypted at rest and in transit to protect confidentiality. |
| Data Classification and Tagging | Categorize and ensure proper data labels to apply appropriate security controls. |
| Backup and Recovery | Ensure regular data backups and constantly test recovery procedures. |
| Data Loss Prevention (DLP) | Monitor and prevent unauthorized data access, sharing, or exfiltration. |
4.3 Configuration Management
Maintain secure and consistent configurations for all organizations' cloud assets to prevent misconfigurations that could lead to vulnerabilities.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Baseline Configurations | Establish secure configuration settings for resources using industry recognized standards e.g. CIS Benchmarks |
| Configuration Drift Detection | Regular monitoring of changes within the cloud environment and remediation of unauthorized modifications. |
| Change Management | Control changes to cloud configurations with a defined approval process, Ownership, relevant stakeholders, impact analysis and maintenance window will put this in a standalone section |
4.4 DevSecOps Integration
Integrates security practices into the organization's DevOps process to ensure secure software delivery and deployment.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Secure Development Lifecycle | Embed security measures in every development phase in line with global best standards. |
| Automated Security Testing | Use security tools in CI/CD pipelines for continuous testing e.g. SonarQube. |
| Code Review and Analysis | Perform static and dynamic code analyses to detect coding standards violations, zero-day threats and potential security vulnerabilities. |
5.0 Threat and Vulnerability Management
5.1 Threat Monitoring and Detection
Identification and remediation of threats and vulnerabilities using advanced detection tools and intelligence feeds to reduce the likelihood and impact of security incidents.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Real-Time Threat Monitoring | Using tools to continuously scan cloud environments for suspicious activity. |
| Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) | Detecting unauthorized access or malicious activities within the cloud environment. |
| Anomaly Detection | Identify deviations from normal behavior using machine learning and analytics. |
| Threat Intelligence Integration | Leveraging global threat intelligence feeds to identify emerging risks. |
5.2 Vulnerability Management
Identifies, evaluates, and mitigates vulnerabilities in the organization's cloud environments to prevent potential exploitation.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Regular Vulnerability Scanning | Automate scans in the cloud environment for exploitable weaknesses. |
| Risk Prioritization | Classify vulnerabilities based on potential impact and likelihood. |
| Misconfiguration Detection | Identify and rectify cloud misconfigurations that could pose risks. |
| Patch Management | Ensure timely application of patches and updates to resolve vulnerabilities. |
5.3 Penetration Testing
Simulates attacks to test defenses and uncover vulnerabilities that automated tools might miss within the organization's cloud environment.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Scope Definition | Clearly define the scope and objectives of each penetration test simulation. Targets could be specific applications or network segments. |
| Testing Execution | Perform tests using industry-standard methodologies like the Metasploit framework. |
| Reporting and Remediation | Document findings and develop remediation plans with prioritized recommendations. |
| Periodic Testing | Schedule regular penetration tests to ensure ongoing security. |
6.0 Incident Response and Recovery
6.1 Incident Response and Management
Prepares for and manages the response to security breaches to minimize impact and restore normal operations swiftly.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Incident Response Plan | Develop a structured approach for handling incidents following guidelines like NIST SP 800-61 guidelines |
| Team Roles | Define roles and responsibilities within the incident response team eg. Incident Commander. |
| Communication Plan | Establish protocols for internal and external communication during incidents e.g. bulletin release |
| Incident Detection and Escalation | Identify and escalate security incidents to the appropriate teams for swift containment. |
| Incident Response Playbooks | Predefined workflows for addressing various cloud-specific incidents. |
| Post-Incident Analysis | Investigate root causes and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence. |
| Incident Simulation Exercises | Conduct drills to test the response readiness of the security team (Monthly or Quarterly). |
6.2 Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
Ensures the organization can maintain or quickly resume mission-critical functions following a disruption.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Disaster Recovery Plan | Outline procedures and failover strategies for recovering from major disruptions within the cloud environment. |
| Business Continuity Plan | Ensure critical business functions continue during and after a disaster. |
| Testing and Exercises | Conduct tabletop exercises to regularly test disaster recovery and business continuity plans. |
| Communication Plans | Establish communication strategies for stakeholders during recovery. |
7.0 Continuous Improvement and Training
7.1 Metrics and KPIs
Tracks performance indicators to measure the effectiveness of security measures and identify areas for improvement.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Define Metrics | Identify key metrics relevant to security goals e.g. Mean Time to Detect (MTTD), Mean Time to Respond (MTTR) |
| Regular Reporting | Generate and review reports periodically via monthly security dashboards. |
| Benchmarking | Compare performance against industry standards. |
7.2 Education and Awareness
Promotes a culture of security through training and awareness programs, ensuring that all personnel understand their role in maintaining security.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Training Programs | Educate employees on security best practices. |
| Security Culture | Foster an environment where security is everyone's responsibility. |
| Security Simulations | Test and improve employee readiness via simulations on threats like phishing. |
| Security Operations Team Training | Keep the security team updated on the latest tools and attack trends. |
| Policy Communication | Ensure policies are easily accessible and understood. |
| Knowledge Sharing | Conduct regular knowledge-sharing sessions to improve cloud security practices. |
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