The Future is Open - Open Cloud Security is Key in the Race Against Evolving Threats

Cloud security is failing to keep up with the rapid pace of innovation. With 80% of organisations experiencing a cloud security incident in the past year, it’s clear that traditional, closed security models are no longer enough. Cloud environments are more dynamic and complex than ever, yet many security solutions remain locked behind proprietary walls, thus creating blind spots, slowing response times and limiting collaboration. 

Configuring and securing early operating systems like Windows, Linux, and UNIX was never an easy task. Today, cloud service providers (CSPs) have become the new "operating systems," offering thousands of actions across platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP. This massive surface area is what security teams now must understand, configure and protect. It’s a daunting challenge and traditional, closed security models simply can’t keep up. The scale of modern cloud environments makes it too easy for secrets to slip through the cracks. If companies don’t take a proactive approach to identity and access management including locking down credentials, monitoring for exposure, and automating remediation it means they’re basically leaving the front door wide open. 

It’s clearly time for a new approach and that’s why the open cloud security movement is gaining momentum. Security shouldn’t be just a technical challenge - it should be a shared responsibility. Yet, many security tools remain locked behind proprietary walls, limiting collaboration and slowing down response times. The future of cloud security requires a different approach and one which is built on transparency and community-driven innovation.

Open source security tools play a critical role in this shift. They give organisations full visibility into how their security mechanisms work, allowing teams to adapt and improve protections without waiting for vendor updates. They can eliminate vendor lock-in, integrate seamlessly across diverse cloud environments, and foster a culture of collaboration where security teams can share knowledge, best practices, and even threat intelligence.

Closed security models, on the other hand, can create bottlenecks, leaving organisations vulnerable as attackers evolve. In contrast, an open approach enables security solutions at the same pace as the cloud, ensuring continuous improvement. This agility is crucial as attackers are constantly adapting and evolving, meaning organisations need to implement a comprehensive security strategy to ensure resilience and stay one step ahead.

Security needs to move as fast as the threats it’s protecting against. For organisations, that means building a strategy that’s flexible, resilient, and proactive. By embracing open cloud security, organisations can stay ahead of threats, build trust, and create a more resilient future for cloud security. The reality is that cloud security requires an industry-wide commitment to openness, shared responsibility, and collective defense - if organisations don’t embrace open cloud security then they risk getting left behind.