IBM, AWS Team for Hybrid Cloud Security

December 16, 2020

IBM Security started new technology initiatives leveraging Amazon Web Services (AWS), designed to help clients simplify and extend their security visibility across AWS and hybrid cloud environments. The projects include integrations with AWS security services, quick start deployment for key IBM Security technologies, as well as expert consulting and managed security services support.

As businesses move further into hybrid cloud operations, security teams may struggle to protect increasingly diverse and complex IT environments. Security system complexity is also a challenge and was identified as the top factor increasing data breach costs amongst surveyed organizations in the 2020 Cost of a Data Breach Report from IBM and Ponemon Institute. As a result, companies are seeking solutions to streamline and modernize their security operations for the hybrid cloud era, which may be achieved through integrated offerings and collaboration between security leaders and cloud service providers.

"IBM Security is focused on an open approach, allowing for deeper connections and visibility across the broader security, cloud and IT ecosystem," said Aarti Borkar, Vice President, IBM Security. "Working with cloud providers like AWS is a critical part of this equation, helping provide a more seamless client experience in order to reduce security complexity for customers as they move further into the cloud."

Through a unique combination of security technology and services that embrace AWS services, IBM Security can work to help clients securely migrate to AWS and modernize workloads as part of their broader hybrid cloud strategy.

Extend visibility and insights into the most critical issues across AWS environments. IBM Security QRadar (Security Information and Event Management solution) is now available as a paid listing on the AWS Marketplace, allowing customers to easily deploy advanced security analytics within their environments. IBM Security is an AWS Technology Partner and QRadar delivers integrations across a broad set of AWS security services - including the recently announced AWS Network Firewall service, AWS CloudTrail, AWS Security Hub and Amazon GuardDuty among others.

Simplify and accelerate threat investigation across AWS workloads. IBM has published a Quick Start guide to help clients simplify and automate deployment of IBM's flagship open security platform, IBM Cloud Pak for Security, across AWS environments. Cloud Pak for Security runs on Red Hat OpenShift containerized software and includes pre-built connectors for AWS, allowing security teams to search for threats across AWS and other environments from a single, unified security platform without migrating data.

Reduce complexity and manage overall security posture via IBM Security Services. IBM Security Services is recognized as an AWS Premier Consulting Partner that has achieved the AWS Security Competency designation, demonstrating consulting and managed security services (MSS) technical proficiency and evidence of customer success across a broad set of AWS security services offerings. IBM Security Services includes support for a number of AWS native security services including AWS Network Firewall, AWS CloudTrail, Amazon Inspector, Amazon Detective and Amazon GuardDuty.