Cloud Exit Strategies: Why and How to Avoid Vendor Lock-in

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nIn a rapidly evolving cloud computing landscape, Bence Hezso, CISSP, arguesnthat vendor lock-in is increasingly a strategic concern for the board andnexecutive management. Effective and robust cloud exit strategies are needed,nto minimize business interruptions, regulatory risks, and risks related toninformation security.n

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nVendor lock-in is a situation in which a customer or organization feelsntrapped: compelled to continue using a particular brand, product or service,nregardless of its quality or performance, due to the impracticality or highncost of switching to another vendor or service provider. In cloud computingna similar situation known as data gravity also exists, in which datanaccumulates in a particular location (such as data warehouses and datanlakes) or with a specific cloud vendor, making it more complicated andnexpensive to move that data to a different location or house it with anotherncloud service provider (CSP). This, too, can lead to an organization feelingnlocked in, even though vendors claim that their services are based on opennstandards.n

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nWhy is This an Issue in Cloud Computing?n

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nThe ability to switch CSPs is, in fact, critically important. Reasons why annorganization may need to switch vendors include compliance with rapidlynchanging global and local regulations, business continuity, as well as datanintegrity and security.n

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nAnother valid reason is, simply, a better, more competitive deal:nnGoogle recently accused Microsoftnnof using its dominant market position to lock customers into its Azurenecosystem through complex licensing restrictions, hindering competition innthe cloud computing sector. This accusation was part of Google’s response tonthennFederal Trade Commission’s (FTC) inquirynninto cloud market competition, which also saw AWS and Microsoft defendingnthe competitiveness of the cloud industry.n

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nAs organizations have migrated rapidly to the cloud – especially during thenCOVID-19 pandemic – little-to-no time has been spent developing robust cloudnexit strategies as an essential aspect of a cloud management and governancenframework. A planned approach to migrate away from a CSP, if needed, wasneither never thought of, or was an afterthought. Many organizations havensince realized they are, indeed, locked-in to their original vendor.n

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nWhy Do Organizations Need a Cloud Exit Strategy?n

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nThere are many reasons why organizations need an effective cloud exitnstrategy in place in advance (as opposed to the prospect of dealing with ancloud exit/change without a predetermined plan). Here is a selection ofnthose risks you face without a plan:n

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nData Sovereignty and Portability Issues: Vendor lock-in maynleave you at the mercy of proprietary data formats or securityninfrastructure and policies, resulting in portability and sovereigntynissues. In the event of a security breach, you might need to migrate data tonanother environment quickly – much easier with a plan.n

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nLimited Ability to Deploy New Technology: As the demands ofna business changes over time, it becomes crucial for IT to stay up-to-datenwith the latest technological advancements. However, if organizations do notnhave a well-thought-out cloud escape plan, it may impact their businessnoperations negatively.n

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nInformation Security Risks: Relying on a single cloudnservice provider (CSP) can limit an organization’s ability to deploy thenbest security solutions. This limitation can also lead to potential datanbreaches, violating data protection regulations, and sometimes making itnchallenging to respond to emerging threats efficiently. Additionally,nvendor-specific security architectures may not be agile enough to adaptnquickly to new and evolving threats. You may also be restricted to yournvendor’s security features and controls; this may result in third-party ornsupply chain risks if a security vulnerability or software bug is discoverednwhich is beyond your control to fix.n

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nWhat Does a Cloud Exit Strategy Bring?n

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nBy contrast, investing in the development and maintenance of a cloud exitnstrategy brings significant advantages and benefits:n

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nnManaging Technology, Operational, and Business Continuity Risks:nnHaving an exit strategy in place allows you to evaluate whether the currentnIT or cloud is still the most suitable platform for your operational needsnand to plan a seamless transition to an alternative solution, eithernon-premises or with a different CSP. n

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nAchieve Flexibility and Scalability:A well-thought-outncloud exit strategy will ensure you remain resilient, flexible, and inncontrol of your technology infrastructure and data.n

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nAbility to Comply with Laws and Regulations: Changes innregulations or legal requirements may necessitate a move to another providernor to an on-premises environment to support the compliance standardsnrequired for the organization’s industry or geographic region. For example,nthe European Banking Authority (EBA)’snnguidelines on outsourcing arrangementsnnexpect financial institutions to have a documented cloud exit strategy whennoutsourcing critical or important functions in line with their outsourcingnpolicy and business continuity plans.n

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nEfficient Cost Management: When it comes to cloud strategy,nconsidering cloud exit planning is crucial for organizations to ensure ansmooth transition away from their current cloud service provider withnminimal disruption and cost.n

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nThings to Keep in Mind While Performing Cloud Exit Assessmentsn

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nOrganizations have been able to rely on manual risk assessments of vendornlock-in in traditional on-premise data center environments because the ratenof technology change was not as fast as it is today. However, with hundredsnof virtual machines spun-up in minutes in an enterprise cloud environment,nand databases being created and deleted on a need basis, performing anthoroughnncloud exit assessmentnnis, nowadays, paramount.n

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nIn my role as a Senior Cloud Security Architect, I’ve been involved innnumerous cloud migrations and security enforcements for enterprises innvarious sectors. However, in most cases, the cloud exit strategies remainednon the backlog due to a lack of time, capacity, or skillset. Here are thenthings I have learned during my projects and which I recommend to otherncyber security professionals working in the field:n

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nDon’t rely on Free Egress Traffic: Thanks to the EuropeannData Act, Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) now offernnfree egress traffic, so their clients won’t face extra costs for transferring data out of thencloud. But these initiatives from CSPs are relatively new and should not benseen as a reason to not develop and maintain a cloud exit plan.n

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nDon’t Rely Completely on Manual Assessments: Planning forncloud exits by completely relying on manual assessments can be a lengthy andnexpensive affair. They are also susceptible to inconsistencies and humannerrors. Manual cloud exit assessment requires extensive analysis of data andnsystems, contracts, and technical details that frequently result in delaysnand financial stress.n

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nLeverage Automation: On the other hand, automated cloud exitnassessment solutions can provide you with a comprehensive analysis of vendornlock-ins and any potential cost escalations from CSPs. Leveraging automatednsolutions is cost-effective, adapts changes quickly, and keeps up-to-datenwith ever-changing regulations and compliance requirements. This helps younovercome the difficulty of manual evaluations, avoid human errors, andnachieve better compliance. It allows you to plan for exit from your currentncloud in a cost-effective and compliant way, by providing valuable insightsnand autonomous discovery of your cloud assets.n

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nInvolve an Expert: Involving a professional team of expertnengineers, architects, and security specialists can help you achieve truencross-cloud portability. They have experience in supporting their clients asnthey move workloads in and out of the cloud, which is paramount. An expertnin cloud exit strategy will be well-aware of changing technologies,nregulations, and business environments and can help you formulate a plannthat fits your enterprise needs.n

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nTo minimize security risks and avoid the potential drawbacks of vendornlock-in, it’s essential to take a strategic approach by prioritizing opennstandards and adopting a multi-cloud and hybrid cloud approach. This cannhelp you maintain scalability and flexibility in your cloud investments.nSenior leadership should ensure that this journey through the cloud isnmarked by strategic choices that align with long-term business goals and thenorganization’s security needs, guaranteeing that organizations not onlynsucceed but maintain their operational independence in the constantlynevolving cloud landscape – all while remaining competitive, secure, andnagile in today’s digital age.n

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nBencenHezson, CISSP, has 10 years of experience in the finance, aviation, and technologynsectors. Hezso has held various technical roles, with responsibilities thatninclude designing robust security architectures for both startups andnenterprises. His cybersecurity work spans enhancing software supply chainnsecurity, performing cloud security assessments.

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