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The Shared Responsibility Model is a crucial concept to grasp when working with cloud services, including Microsoft Azure. It delineates the division of responsibility between the cloud service provider (CSP) and the customer, ensuring that both parties have a clear understanding of their roles in managing and securing applications, data, and infrastructure.
In the traditional on-premises IT environment, the organization is responsible for managing the entire technology stack, from the physical hardware to the application layer. However, as businesses transition to cloud services, the responsibilities shift, with the CSP taking on more of the operational burden.
The level of responsibility varies depending on the type of service being used: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), or Software as a Service (SaaS). In each case, the responsibilities are shared differently.
Example: Azure Virtual Machines
In an IaaS model, the provider is responsible for the physical infrastructure, and the customer handles the virtualized components, including the OS and applications.
Example: Azure App Service
In PaaS, the provider manages the underlying infrastructure and middleware, allowing the customer to focus on deploying and managing the applications and data.
Example: Microsoft 365
With SaaS, the provider takes care of almost everything, including the application itself, while the customer manages data, user access, and end-point devices.
Every type of service model requires the customer to maintain responsibility for protecting their data. This means that irrespective of the service:
The provider ensures the security of the infrastructure but protecting data within the infrastructure is a shared duty.
While cloud providers often have many certifications and comply with various standards, it is the customer’s responsibility to ensure their particular use of the cloud services meets regulatory requirements.
For disaster recovery and business continuity:
In conclusion, understanding the shared responsibility model is vital for AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam candidates. It helps potential Azure customers grasp which aspects of the cloud service they need to manage, thus ensuring security, compliance, and optimal operation in the cloud environment. It is essential to remember that the customer is always responsible for their data and identities, irrespective of the service model chosen.
In the shared responsibility model, Microsoft is responsible for the infrastructure’s security, while customers are responsible for securing the workloads they run inside the virtual machines.
Answer: C
Responsibilities are shared between Microsoft and the customer, with the division of responsibility depending on whether the service is IaaS, PaaS, or SaaS.
In PaaS, Microsoft manages the operating system and physical infrastructure, while the customer is responsible for the applications and data they deploy.
Answer: B
The customer is responsible for keeping the operating system up to date with patches and security updates in IaaS scenarios.
While Microsoft provides the identity and directory infrastructure, the customer is responsible for managing their users and access permissions.
Answer: A, E
In a SaaS offering, customers are usually responsible for managing their data and access from their endpoints, while Microsoft would handle everything else.
Physical security of Azure datacenters is Microsoft’s responsibility. Customers do not have to manage this aspect.
Answer: B
While Microsoft is responsible for the platform, customers are responsible for securing their applications running on that platform.
Microsoft ensures the cloud infrastructure is compliant with various standards, but the customer must ensure their workloads and configurations are compliant as well.
Answer: B
While Microsoft provides the infrastructure, the customer is responsible for managing and configuring network controls such as firewall settings.
Microsoft is responsible for the physical hardware, network, and datacenters in Azure services.
Answer: B, C, D
In an IaaS model, customers are responsible for the operating system, data, and applications they run on virtual machines. Physical servers and runtime are managed by the cloud service provider, which in this case is Microsoft Azure.
The shared responsibility model in cloud computing is a framework for understanding the division of security responsibilities between a cloud service provider (CSP) and a customer.
The CSP is responsible for the security of the cloud infrastructure, such as physical security, network security, and host security.
The customer is responsible for securing the applications, data, and access to the cloud services.
The shared responsibility model is important for cloud security because it enables both the CSP and the customer to work together to ensure the security and compliance of cloud-based applications and data.
The CSP provides physical security measures for the data center, network security measures, and host security measures.
Best practices for securing applications and data in the cloud include using strong access controls, implementing encryption, and regularly updating software and security policies.
Customers can ensure that their cloud resources are secure and compliant by carefully evaluating their security responsibilities, working closely with their CSP, and implementing best practices for cloud security.
Data security is the responsibility of the customer, while application security is the joint responsibility of the CSP and the customer.
The shared responsibility model applies to compliance requirements by defining the areas of responsibility for security and compliance, enabling both the CSP and the customer to work together to meet industry standards.
Benefits of using the shared responsibility model for cloud security include increased transparency and accountability, improved collaboration between the CSP and the customer, and better protection for cloud-based applications and data.
The Zero Trust security model is an approach to security that assumes that all users and devices are untrusted, and requires authentication and authorization for every access request.
Multi-factor authentication is a security process that requires users to provide more than one form of authentication, such as a password and a biometric factor, to access a system or application.
The principle of least privilege is a security principle that requires users to have only the minimum access necessary to perform their job functions.
Vulnerability scanning is the process of identifying vulnerabilities in a system or application, while penetration testing involves attempting to exploit those vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access.
Security awareness training for employees is important for preventing security breaches caused by human error, such as phishing attacks or social engineering tactics.
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