Riyadh: Fortinet, the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, released the 2024 Cloud Security Report, which provides critical insights into the current trends driving cloud security. It focuses on the key challenges that organizations face in safeguarding complex cloud environments and offers a thorough examination of security solutions and strategies to ensure effective protection of data and systems.

The report, based on a comprehensive survey of 927 cybersecurity professionals worldwide, offers valuable guidance for Saudi organizations seeking to adopt cloud computing technologies safely and efficiently. The release of this report underscores Fortinet's commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia's digital transformation journey by offering advanced security solutions that help organizations protect their cloud environments and enhance their cybersecurity capabilities. This aligns with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to build a secure and prosperous digital economy.

Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Strategies Dominate

According to the report, 78% of organizations globally are adopting hybrid and multi-cloud strategies. These organizations prefer integrating multi-deployment operations into a single operational environment to leverage the flexibility, control, and unique advantages offered by various cloud services.

The report indicates that 43% of these organizations prefer hybrid infrastructure that combines both public and private cloud platforms. Meanwhile, 35% are adopting a multi-cloud strategy, reflecting a preference for leveraging the strengths of different cloud service providers to meet various use cases. Only 22% rely on a single cloud provider.

These findings indicate that organizations are increasingly recognizing the benefits of adopting a hybrid or multi-cloud approach to achieve their strategic goals and enhance customer experiences. These global trends align with the Saudi government's focus on supporting the adoption of cloud computing technologies and diversifying cloud service providers, which contributes to the digital transformation across all sectors in the Kingdom.

Security and Compliance Remain Top Concerns

Security and compliance issues are the primary barriers to faster adoption of multi-cloud strategies, cited by 59% of respondents in the report. Technical challenges follow closely, with 52% highlighting that cloud adoption isn't always straightforward, requiring specific skills and technologies to manage complex cloud environments, potentially hindering organizations lacking these resources to embrace the cloud.

Additionally, 49% of participants recognize that resource limitations, including a lack of staff expertise and budget constraints, pose significant hurdles to the success of cloud initiatives. This underscores the importance of adequate investment in human and financial resources to develop the necessary skills and manage cloud environments effectively.

These challenges also highlight the critical need for robust cloud security solutions that can address the evolving threat landscape and regulatory requirements in Saudi Arabia.

Cybersecurity Talent Shortage Hinders Cloud Adoption

The report found that 93% of organizations are concerned about the industry-wide shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals, which directly affects their security posture and strategic cloud initiatives.

The widening gap between the growing demand for skilled cybersecurity talent and the limited workforce is intensifying security vulnerabilities in an increasingly complex cyber landscape. Fortinet underscores that Saudi organizations should adopt a multifaceted strategy to address this challenge. This involves strengthening partnerships with academic institutions to attract fresh talent, investing in training programs to cultivate internal expertise, and adapting to the evolving demands of cloud security.

Unified Cloud Security Platforms Offer a Solution

A vast majority (95%) of respondents advocate for a single, integrated cloud security platform to streamline security management, mitigate the talent gap, and enhance security through consistent policy enforcement and visibility across cloud environments.

With a unified platform, organizations can reduce the operational burden of navigating multiple security interfaces, enhance their overall security posture, and provide effective protection against automated and sophisticated attacks. This approach aligns with Saudi Arabia's focus on leveraging advanced technologies, including unified cloud security solutions, to strengthen cybersecurity and drive digital transformation across all its sectors.

"As Saudi Arabia steadily progresses toward digital transformation and increasingly relies on cloud computing solutions to achieve the goals of Vision 2030, the importance of securing these cloud environments is becoming even more apparent, and is now a top priority for organizations in the region," said Sami AlShwairakh, Senior Director for KSA at Fortinet.

"The 2024 Cloud Security Report underscores the challenges and best practices that Saudi businesses must address to ensure the security and compliance of their cloud-based operations. By providing unified visibility, consistent policy enforcement, and advanced security automation across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, Fortinet helps Saudi enterprises overcome the complexities of cloud adoption and focus on driving innovation and growth," he added.

About Fortinet

Fortinet is a driving force in the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. Our mission is to secure people, devices, and data everywhere, and today, we deliver cybersecurity everywhere you need it with the largest integrated portfolio of over 50 enterprise-grade products. Well over half a million customers trust Fortinet's solutions, which are among the most deployed, most patented, and most validated in the industry. The Fortinet Training Institute, one of the largest and broadest training programs in the industry, is dedicated to making cybersecurity training and new career opportunities available to everyone. FortiGuard Labs, Fortinet’s elite threat intelligence and research organization, develops and utilizes leading-edge machine learning and AI technologies to provide customers with timely and consistently top-rated protection and actionable threat intelligence. Learn more at https://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet Blog, and FortiGuard Labs.

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