IBM’s Cloud Security and Compliance Center expands, bolstering data protection and regulatory adherence.

IBM has launched the expansion of its Cloud Security and Compliance Center, a suite of advanced cloud security and compliance solutions aimed at helping enterprises mitigate risk and safeguard data across their hybrid, multicloud environments and workloads. With the increasing need for businesses to address evolving threats and comply with global regulations, this solution suite provides support for resiliency, performance, security, and compliance while minimizing operational costs.

Rohit Badlaney, General Manager of IBM Cloud Product and Industry Platform, emphasized IBM’s commitment to working with clients in highly regulated industries, such as financial services, to drive innovation while protecting sensitive data. The expansion of the IBM Cloud Security and Compliance Center showcases the company’s dedication to industry-specific capabilities that address real-world business challenges. For instance, clients can leverage the IBM Cloud Framework for Financial Services to navigate the ever-changing landscape of cloud risk regulations.

According to research conducted by IBM, over 77% of global business leaders have adopted a hybrid cloud approach. However, more than half of respondents still express concerns about security and find compliance in the cloud difficult to maintain. To help clients overcome these challenges, the next iteration of the IBM Cloud Security and Compliance Center aims to provide a central dashboard for continuous monitoring and management of security and compliance across hybrid and public cloud environments, not limited to IBM Cloud alone.

The newly introduced IBM Cloud Security and Compliance Center Data Security Broker, developed in collaboration with Baffle, Inc., expands the capabilities of the solution suite beyond compliance posture management and workload protection to include application-level security. This addresses the need for holistic protection in organizations that manage sensitive data, particularly those in highly regulated industries like financial services.

Frank Dickson, VP of Security & Trust at IDC, emphasized the importance of centrally automated and managed technologies that can implement security and compliance capabilities at scale as more enterprises adopt a hybrid, multicloud approach. The IBM Security and Compliance Center meets this need for holistic protection, regardless of the application in which data resides.

The IBM Cloud Security and Compliance Center Data Security Broker introduces a transparent layer of data encryption using format preserving encryption and anonymization technology. This protects sensitive data used in business applications and AI workloads, providing enterprises with confidence as they migrate their valuable data to the cloud and share it across the analytics pipeline.

In addition to the Data Security Broker, the expanded IBM Cloud Security and Compliance Center suite will offer enhanced cloud security posture management, workload protection, and infrastructure entitlement management to safeguard hybrid, multicloud environments and workloads. The suite prioritizes vulnerability management, enabling quick identification and remediation of critical vulnerabilities. It also includes container threat detection, powered by open-source Falco, which utilizes advanced machine learning and behavioral analysis to identify and block threats in near real-time.

Intelligent automation technology with deployable architectures is another highlight of the suite, potentially accelerating secure cloud adoption without requiring extensive compliance knowledge from developers or complex post-deployment detection and mitigation.

The suite also provides visibility into third- and fourth-party risk posture through integrations with risk management solutions. This level of visibility enables organizations to assess their own risk as well as threats within their supply chain, addressing critical security and compliance requirements.

Furthermore, IBM plans to expand compliance capabilities in Q4 2023 by automating the implementation and management of compliance controls and centralizing data collection to help clients meet new regulatory standards.

The expansion of the IBM Cloud Security and Compliance Center aligns with IBM’s mission to protect workloads in hybrid, multicloud environments and safeguard sensitive data. The suite is now generally available and includes additional partner integrations.

Background Information

---

About IBM: IBM, or International Business Machines Corporation, is a globally American multinational technology company with a storied history dating back to its founding in 1911. Over the decades, IBM has consistently been at the forefront of innovation in the field of information technology. The company is known for its pioneering work in computer hardware, software, and services, with breakthroughs like the IBM System/360 and the invention of the relational database.

---

About IDC: IDC, or International Data Corporation, is a global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. Established in 1964, IDC offers valuable insights into industry trends, market forecasts, and technology adoption through its research and analysis. Their expertise aids businesses, governments, and IT professionals in making informed decisions and strategies.