As more and more companies shift their workloads to the cloud, cloud security becomes increasingly important. Azure virtual machines are a popular choice for running applications in the cloud, but just like with any other platform, it’s crucial to take the necessary steps to secure them. In this guide, we’ll cover the cloud security essentials you need to know to protect your Azure virtual machines.
1. Use strong authentication and authorization measures:
Managing your Azure accounts with strong passwords and multifactor authentication to access your virtual machines is the first line of defence against cyber attacks.
2. Regularly update your virtual machines:
Microsoft constantly updates its Azure platform to ensure that it is secure and up-to-date. Make sure to regularly update your virtual machines to ensure that they are running the latest versions of software and are protected against any known vulnerabilities.
3. Use firewalls to restrict traffic to your VMs:
Use Azure Network Security Group “NSGs” to restrict traffic to your virtual machines, as only traffic explicitly allowed in the NSG rules will be permitted. NSGs can be applied at the subnet or network interface level of your virtual machines and they can limit the traffic to and from a specific virtual machine.
4. Monitor your virtual machines:
Use Azure Monitor or an Application Performance Management system to monitor your virtual machines and alert you if anything abnormal is detected. This system can also help you troubleshoot and resolve issues before they escalate.
5. Enable Azure Security Center:
Azure Security Center can help you secure your virtual machines by identifying vulnerabilities, detecting attacks, and providing recommendations on how to mitigate the risks. The Security Center provides behavioural analytics, machine learning, and infrastructure security assessments helping to identify any vulnerabilities.
6. Use encryption:
Use BitLocker or Azure Disk Encryption to encrypt the disks of your virtual machines, both in transit and at rest. Also, use SSL/TLS certificates to secure the communication between your applications and virtual machines.
7. Create backups of your VMs:
Back up your virtual machines regularly and store the backups in a secure location, such as an offsite data centre or in Azure Backup.
With these Azure virtual machine security essentials in mind, you can help reduce the chance of experiencing security issues that may compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your systems. Regularly reviewing these security measures and making improvements can help ensure the safety of your cloud infrastructure.