When your business moves workloads to the cloud, one question matters more than almost any other: who is actually responsible for keeping your data secure? The answer isn’t as simple as “your cloud provider handles it.” In reality, cloud security operates on a shared responsibility model — and the gap between what your provider covers and what falls on your organization is exactly where breaches happen. At Ashton Solutions, our team in Beachwood, Ohio has helped businesses across the Cleveland metro close that gap for over two decades. This guide breaks down the shared responsibility model, highlights the most common cloud misconfigurations, and explains what a qualified managed service provider (MSP) should be doing to protect your environment.
What Is the Cloud Shared Responsibility Model?
The shared responsibility model divides cloud security obligations between two parties: the cloud service provider (CSP) and you, the customer. According to AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform, this division is commonly described as “security of the cloud vs. security in the cloud.”
What Does the Cloud Provider Cover?
Major cloud providers take responsibility for the physical infrastructure — data centers, hardware, networking, and the hypervisor layer that runs virtualized workloads. They maintain:
- Physical security of data center facilities (biometric access, 24/7 guards, surveillance)
- Hardware redundancy and fault tolerance across availability zones
- Core network infrastructure — routers, switches, fiber backbone
- Host operating system patching for managed services (e.g., RDS, Lambda)
- Compliance certifications for the underlying platform (SOC 2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP)
What Does Your Organization Cover?
Everything above the infrastructure layer becomes your responsibility the moment you provision a cloud resource. That includes:
- Identity and access management — who can log in and what they can do
- Data classification and encryption — at rest and in transit
- Operating system patching on IaaS virtual machines
- Application-layer security — your code, APIs, and dependencies
- Network configuration — security groups, firewalls, VPCs
- Compliance enforcement for your industry (HIPAA, PCI-DSS, CMMC)
- Backup and recovery of your own data
- Security monitoring and incident response
This is a substantial list — and it’s why 99% of cloud security failures through 2025 were attributed to customer-side misconfigurations, according to Gartner research. Your MSP exists precisely to manage this complexity so your internal team doesn’t have to.
What Are the Most Common Cloud Security Misconfigurations?
Understanding where organizations go wrong is the first step toward prevention. The NSA and CISA jointly published a list of the most exploited cloud misconfigurations — and the results are sobering for any business running unmanaged cloud infrastructure.
1. Overly Permissive Identity Policies
Granting users, roles, or service accounts more permissions than they need is the single most common cloud security error. A 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report found that 68% of breaches involved a human element, with excessive privilege playing a central role. When an attacker compromises one over-privileged account, they can pivot across your entire environment.
2. Public S3 Buckets and Exposed Storage
Misconfigured cloud storage — particularly Amazon S3 buckets set to public access — has exposed billions of records over the past five years. High-profile breaches at major enterprises have traced directly to a single storage bucket accidentally left open to the internet. A properly configured MSP implements automated checks that flag any publicly accessible storage resource within minutes of creation.
3. Missing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
MFA is one of the simplest and most effective security controls available, yet Microsoft reports that over 99.9% of compromised accounts lacked MFA. Enforcing MFA across all cloud console access — especially privileged accounts — dramatically reduces the risk of credential-based attacks.
4. Unencrypted Data at Rest and in Transit
Cloud providers offer robust encryption services, but they must be explicitly enabled and configured. Data stored in databases, object storage, and backup systems without encryption represents a significant compliance and liability risk — especially for businesses subject to HIPAA or PCI-DSS requirements.
5. No Logging or Security Monitoring
Without comprehensive logging — via AWS CloudTrail, Azure Monitor, or Google Cloud Audit Logs — security incidents go undetected for an average of 204 days before discovery, according to the 2024 IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report. That dwell time dramatically increases breach severity and remediation cost.
How Does Data Loss Prevention Work in the Cloud?
Data loss prevention (DLP) in cloud environments protects sensitive information from unauthorized access, exfiltration, and accidental exposure. A cloud DLP strategy should address three core scenarios: data at rest (stored in cloud buckets, databases, file shares), data in transit (moving between services or to end users), and data in use (being processed by applications or users).
Effective cloud DLP involves:
- Data classification: Tagging data by sensitivity level (public, internal, confidential, restricted) so policies can be applied automatically
- Content inspection: Scanning files, emails, and API traffic for PII, PHI, financial data, or intellectual property
- Policy enforcement: Blocking or alerting on unauthorized transfers — for example, a user attempting to email a spreadsheet containing Social Security numbers
- Endpoint integration: Extending DLP policies to user devices that access cloud data through Microsoft Purview, Google Cloud DLP, or third-party tools
For Northeast Ohio businesses handling patient records, financial data, or regulated information, DLP is not optional — it’s a compliance requirement. Ashton Solutions deploys and manages DLP policies as part of comprehensive cloud security engagements for clients throughout the Cleveland and Beachwood, Ohio area.
Why Is Identity Management the Foundation of Cloud Security?
Identity is the new perimeter. In traditional on-premises environments, physical network boundaries provided a layer of inherent protection. In the cloud, there is no network perimeter — the only thing standing between an attacker and your data is whether they can authenticate as a legitimate user.
A mature Identity and Access Management (IAM) program for cloud environments should include:
- Zero Trust architecture: Verify every access request regardless of origin — “never trust, always verify”
- Principle of least privilege: Users and service accounts receive only the minimum access required for their role
- Privileged Access Management (PAM): Extra controls around admin-level accounts, including just-in-time access provisioning
- Single Sign-On (SSO) with MFA: Centralize authentication through Azure Active Directory, Okta, or similar identity providers
- Regular access reviews: Quarterly audits to remove stale accounts and reduce standing permissions
- Conditional access policies: Restrict access based on device health, location, and risk signals
According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, identity-related attacks accounted for 61% of all breaches in 2023. Robust IAM isn’t just a security best practice — it’s your primary defense against the most common attack vector targeting cloud environments today.
How Do You Maintain Regulatory Compliance in the Cloud?
Cloud environments introduce unique compliance challenges. When your data moves across virtual machines, regions, and managed services, maintaining a clear audit trail and demonstrating control effectiveness becomes significantly more complex than in traditional on-premises data centers.
Key Compliance Frameworks for Cloud Environments
- HIPAA: Healthcare organizations must ensure PHI is encrypted, access is audited, and Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) are in place with cloud providers
- PCI-DSS: Payment card data must be isolated in segmented environments with strict access controls and regular vulnerability scanning
- SOC 2 Type II: SaaS companies and service providers often need SOC 2 reports covering Security, Availability, Confidentiality, and Privacy trust service criteria
- CMMC: Defense contractors must meet Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification requirements — with cloud configurations subject to detailed assessment
- Ohio Data Protection Act: Ohio businesses that implement recognized cybersecurity frameworks receive affirmative defense protection under state law
Cloud-native compliance tools — AWS Config, Azure Policy, Google Security Command Center — enable continuous compliance monitoring rather than point-in-time audits. Your MSP should deploy these tools, configure compliance rulesets, and provide regular compliance reporting as part of managed cloud services.
What Should You Expect From Your MSP for Cloud Security?
Not all managed service providers offer the same depth of cloud security coverage. When evaluating your current MSP — or selecting a new one — here’s what a qualified cloud security MSP should deliver:
1. Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)
Your MSP should continuously scan your cloud environment for misconfigurations, policy violations, and compliance drift. CSPM tools provide a real-time security score and automatically flag risks like open security groups, disabled logging, or publicly exposed storage.
2. 24/7 Security Monitoring and Incident Response
Threats don’t follow business hours. Your MSP should operate a Security Operations Center (SOC) — or partner with one — that monitors cloud logs and telemetry around the clock. When an alert fires, defined incident response procedures should kick in immediately, not the next business day.
3. Vulnerability Management and Patching
Cloud virtual machines, containers, and applications require regular vulnerability scanning and timely patching. Your MSP should maintain a documented patch cadence, prioritize critical CVEs within 24-72 hours, and provide monthly vulnerability reporting.
4. Backup and Disaster Recovery
Cloud providers do not automatically back up your data — that responsibility falls on you. Your MSP should implement and test automated backup policies, define Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO), and conduct regular restore tests to validate that backups actually work.
5. Identity and Access Governance
A strong MSP manages your identity governance program — onboarding and offboarding users with proper permissions, enforcing MFA policies, conducting access reviews, and maintaining privileged access controls across your cloud footprint.
6. Compliance Reporting and Audit Support
When auditors come calling — and they will — your MSP should produce evidence of security controls, provide compliance dashboards, and support you through certification processes. This is a service Ashton Solutions provides routinely for healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing clients throughout the Beachwood and Cleveland, Ohio region.
Is Your Cloud Environment Truly Secure? Find Out Now.
The average cost of a data breach in 2024 reached $4.88 million, according to IBM — a 10% increase from the prior year. For small and mid-sized businesses in Northeast Ohio, even a fraction of that figure can be existential. The good news: most cloud security risks are preventable with proper configuration, monitoring, and governance.
Ashton Solutions offers a complimentary Cloud Security Assessment for businesses in the Cleveland and Beachwood, Ohio area. Our certified engineers will review your cloud environment, identify misconfigurations and compliance gaps, and deliver a prioritized remediation roadmap — at no cost and no obligation.
Schedule your free Cloud Security Assessment today and find out exactly where your shared responsibility gaps are — before an attacker does.
Frequently Asked Questions: Cloud Security and Your MSP
What is the shared responsibility model in cloud security?
The shared responsibility model divides security obligations between the cloud provider and the customer. Cloud providers secure the physical infrastructure and core platform. Customers are responsible for identity management, data protection, application security, network configuration, and compliance enforcement within their cloud environment.
What cloud security services should an MSP provide?
A qualified MSP should provide cloud security posture management (CSPM), 24/7 security monitoring, vulnerability management and patching, identity and access management governance, data loss prevention, backup and disaster recovery, and compliance reporting. Ashton Solutions delivers all of these services to clients throughout Northeast Ohio.
Why do cloud misconfigurations happen so frequently?
Cloud misconfigurations occur because cloud environments are complex, change rapidly, and default settings are rarely optimized for security. Without automated scanning tools and experienced cloud security engineers, organizations struggle to keep pace with configuration drift across hundreds or thousands of cloud resources.
How does an MSP help with cloud compliance?
An MSP helps with cloud compliance by deploying continuous monitoring tools aligned to frameworks like HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC 2, and CMMC; providing compliance dashboards and evidence collection; supporting audit processes; and remediating gaps before they become findings. This is especially critical for Ohio businesses subject to state and federal data protection requirements.
Does my cloud provider automatically back up my data?
No. Major cloud providers do not automatically back up customer data stored in virtual machines, databases, or object storage. Backup and recovery is the customer’s responsibility under the shared responsibility model. Your MSP should implement, monitor, and regularly test backup policies to ensure your data can be restored when needed.
