Cloud migrations are riddled with hidden security risks. It’s either data exposure during transfer or misconfigured infrastructure. Maybe it’s post-migration blind spots. Whatever the case, don’t fail to prioritize cloud migration security from day one. Those who do often see devastating breaches and compliance violations.
With more businesses accelerating their move to the cloud, of course, you want to focus on speed. You’re under pressure to reduce costs and improve agility, so you cut corners and take risks with cloud security.
But in cloud security, saying shortcuts are expensive is an understatement. For this reason, you’ve got to embed security throughout the migration lifecycle. You just can’t tack it on afterward.
This guide outlines:
- The most common cloud migration security risks
- Cloud security considerations before and during migration
- Post-migration best practices
You'll also learn about automation platforms like DuploCloud. These can help enforce cloud migration security-by-design at every step.
Key Takeaways
- Cloud migration security risks include data exposure, access control issues, and compliance failures.
- Organizations should inventory assets, assess security risk, and define data security requirements before migration.
- Post-migration, ongoing compliance checks, access audits, and integrity verification are critical.
Common Risks in Cloud Migrations
Of course migrating to cloud computing offers significant benefits. At the same time it introduces new security challenges. Like what? This cloud migration risk can compromise data integrity, system availability, and regulatory compliance.
Many organizations underestimate the complexity of securing a cloud environment during transitional phases. Thus, they leave critical gaps that attackers can exploit. Below are some of the most common cyber security risks to watch for and mitigate when planning and executing a cloud migration.
Data Exposure During Transfer
The cloud migration process, especially across public networks, can expose sensitive information. Especially if that cloud data is not properly encrypted. Inadequate TLS configurations, unsecured APIs, or poor key management can result in data leakage. It can also expose you to hackers.
Misconfigured Infrastructure
Cloud misconfigurations remain a top cause of cloud migration security challenges.
Examples include:
- Open storage buckets
- Excessive permissions
- Exposed management interfaces
- Unpatched virtual machines
These missteps come from a rushed migration strategy or unfamiliarity with cloud-native tooling.
Access Control Failures
Cloud environments operate with a shared responsibility model. Organizations have to be sure to implement strict Identity and Access Management (IAM) controls. Otherwise, users may gain unintended access to sensitive resources and poor data security. This increases the risk of insider threats and privilege escalation attacks.
Compliance Gaps
Cloud migration services can inadvertently introduce compliance violations. As an example, you might move protected health information (PHI). But you forget to ensure HIPAA compliance. This could lead to regulatory fines and legal consequences.
The same goes for a cloud infrastructure that moves financial records without ensuring PCI DSS compliance. It’s a cloud migration strategy without the essential network security protocols in place.
Security Considerations Before Migration
A secure cloud migration strategy starts long before the first workload is moved. You’ll want to lay the groundwork with:
- A thorough understanding of your current environment
- Clearly defined security requirements
- A well-architected cloud strategy
These will help prevent costly cloud security missteps later. The following steps are critical to building a strong data protection security posture from day one.
Asset Inventory and Risk Assessment
Before migrating, organizations should perform a comprehensive inventory of their digital assets. These include:
- Applications
- Databases
- VMs
- APIs
From there, you should map out dependencies to recognize any potential security threat. This means identifying data sensitivity levels, compliance requirements, and business-critical workloads.
Risk assessments should prioritize which workloads to migrate first. They should then flag any that require enhanced controls or need to remain on-prem for regulatory reasons.
Defining Security Requirements Upfront
Part of your cloud security posture management is to set clear, measurable security objectives. And you must do it before any workloads are moved.
This includes defining:
- Encryption standards
- Access controls
- Logging requirements
- Third-party integration security
Don't wait until you're halfway through the migration process to discover your cloud provider has an IAM model that doesn't support your compliance needs.
Choosing a Secure Cloud Architecture
Select cloud architectures and cloud resources that offer strong default security postures. For example, choose managed databases with built-in encryption and auto-patching. Also choose a serverless cloud environment with minimized attack surfaces.
Finally, be sure you design with principles like least privilege, zero trust, and defense-in-depth. This helps to ensure scalable, secure foundations.
Cloud Migration Security Planning
A successful cloud migration isn’t just about moving data. It’s about data security throughout a systematic move. By embedding security into every phase of your migration plan, you can minimize exposure and maintain compliance. The following practices help ensure your cloud migration journey is efficient and secure.
Building a Migration Strategy with Security Built-In
Security should be integrated into your migration roadmap from the beginning. This means defining guardrails for each stage (planning, pilot, execution, and post-migration. This is as opposed to conducting a security audit as an afterthought.
Use a phased migration strategy that allows for testing, validation, and refinement. Align each phase with appropriate controls, such as enabling logging before data migration begins.
Role of Encryption in Data Transfer
Use end-to-end encryption to protect data during transfer. Encrypt data at rest before exporting from your source environment. Then ensure it’s encrypted in transit with modern TLS standards.
Also, use secure key management practices to prevent unauthorized decryption. These include cloud-native services like AWS KMS or third-party tools like HashiCorp Vault.
Network Segmentation and Isolation
Migrating workloads into flat, unrestricted networks can expose them to unnecessary risk. Use network segmentation to isolate environments (e.g., dev, test, production), and restrict traffic between them.
Implement:
- Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs)
- Private subnets
- Security groups
This will help you control ingress/egress. Use firewalls and cloud-native network ACLs to limit access only to required services.
Security Best Practices During Migration
As workloads move to the cloud, maintaining strong security controls is essential. It will prevent gaps and misconfigurations. You might be enforcing least-privilege access. Maybe you’re monitoring for real-time threats.
Either way, the following practices will help safeguard your environment during the critical transition phase.
Enforcing Identity and Access Management (IAM)
IAM is one of the most critical controls during migration. Ensure users and services are granted only the permissions they need and nothing more. Rotate credentials frequently and audit their usage.
Also, be sure to use federated identities (e.g., SSO via Okta or Azure AD), enforce MFA, and disable default or legacy accounts that can be exploited.
Real-Time Threat Detection and Monitoring
Don’t fly blind during migration. Enable real-time threat detection and monitoring tools like:
- AWS GuardDuty
- Azure Security Center
- Google Chronicle
These services use AI and rule-based systems to detect anomalies and surface risks.
And don’t forget to use SIEM platforms. These will help you correlate logs across hybrid environments and receive alerts on suspicious activity as it occurs.
Automating Policy Enforcement
Security automation ensures that compliance rules are consistently applied, even as cloud resources scale or shift dynamically. Use infrastructure-as-code (IaC) with embedded security policies to create secure-by-default configurations.
Of course, tools like DuploCloud allow you to:
- Automate IAM policies
- Enforce network rules
- Deploy only compliant infrastructure
And you can do it all without manual intervention.
Post-Migration Security Checklist
Completing a cloud migration doesn’t mean the security work is over.
The post-migration phase is critical for validating that:
- Protections are in place
- Configurations are correct
- Compliance requirements are being met
Use this checklist to ensure your new environment is secure, resilient, and audit-ready.
Continuous Compliance Monitoring
Once migration is complete, ongoing compliance monitoring is essential. Use cloud-native tools and third-party platforms to track changes to configurations, permissions, and audit logs.
Automated compliance scans can detect drift from security baselines. It can also ensure you remain aligned with frameworks like CIS Benchmarks, NIST, or SOC 2.
Auditing Access and Permissions
Regularly review who has access to what. Over time, IAM policies can become bloated or obsolete, especially in fast-moving teams.
Use tools to:
- Audit access logs
- Detect unused permissions
- Generate least-privilege recommendations
This helps reduce the attack surface and mitigate insider risks.
Verifying Data Integrity and Protection
Confirm that no data was lost, modified, or exposed during migration. Use checksums or hash validations to ensure data integrity. Re-enable data loss prevention (DLP), antivirus, and backup systems in the new environment.
Also, test disaster recovery (DR) processes to verify data can be restored securely if needed.
Tools and Platforms That Simplify Cloud Migration Security
Securing a cloud migration is complex. But the right tools can make it manageable. You could be automating compliance, or maybe you’re integrating security into CI/CD pipelines. The bottom line is that platforms help reduce manual effort and enforce best practices at scale.
Below are key tools and approaches that streamline security throughout the migration lifecycle and beyond.
Security Automation with DuploCloud
DuploCloud offers a low-code platform that automates infrastructure deployment with security and compliance built in. Its policy-driven approach ensures that every resource provisioned during a migration is compliant from the start. This includes:
- VMs
- Containers
- IAM roles
- VPCs
DuploCloud acts as a bridge between DevOps and security. Our system enables developers to launch secure environments without needing deep cloud expertise. It also continuously scans configurations for drift and enforces compliance policies across the CI/CD pipeline.
Cloud-Native vs. Third-Party Security Tools
Cloud-native tools (like AWS Config, Azure Defender, or GCP Security Command Center) are tightly integrated and easy to use. Sadly, they’re also often limited in scope or coverage across multi-cloud environments.
In contrast, third-party tools (e.g., Wiz, Prisma Cloud, Lacework) provide deeper visibility, cross-platform support, and more robust automation features.
Of course, the ideal approach often involves a hybrid of both, integrated through a centralized control plane.
Integrating Security into CI/CD After Migration
Post-migration, security must remain a core part of the deployment process. Integrate static analysis tools, secret scanners, and vulnerability management platforms directly into your CI/CD pipelines.
Use tools like Snyk, Checkov, or GitHub Advanced Security to catch issues early. DuploCloud, for example, automates these validations as part of each infrastructure deployment.
This reduces manual effort and speeds up secure delivery.
Making Security a Default, Not an Afterthought
In the end, trying to “bolt on” security after cloud migration is risky, inefficient, and often expensive. It creates patchwork environments where inconsistencies and vulnerabilities flourish.
Instead, treat security as a core design principle. It should be built into your architecture, your processes, and your tooling from day one.
Modern cloud environments move too quickly for manual security checks to keep up. Automation ensures that every deployment meets your organization’s policies. It doesn’t matter if it’s encryption standards, IAM rules, or compliance frameworks.
When you partner with a DevSecOps platform like DuploCloud, it’s possible to shift security left without slowing down development teams. We allow organizations to bake in security and compliance controls automatically
So you can free up security teams to focus on higher-order risks.
Contact DuploCloud to book a demo.
FAQs
What are the top security risks during cloud migration?
The biggest risks include:
- Data exposure during transfer
- Misconfigured resources
- Overly broad IAM permissions
- Compliance violations
How can I ensure data is secure during migration?
Use end-to-end encryption, strong key management, and verify data integrity with checksums or hashes. Avoid transferring sensitive data over public networks.
Should I use native or third-party security tools?
Both have benefits. Native tools offer deep integration. Third-party tools provide broader coverage and customization. Many organizations use a mix.
What is the role of DuploCloud in cloud migration security?
DuploCloud automates secure infrastructure deployment. This ensures compliance and security are built-in from the start. It simplifies IAM, networking, and policy enforcement.
How do I maintain security after the migration is complete?
Conduct regular audits, enforce IAM best practices, monitor compliance continuously, and integrate security into your CI/CD pipelines.
