Hitachi Vantara, the modern infrastructure, data management and digital solutions subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd. (TSE: 6501), today expanded the Hitachi Application Reliability Centers (HARC) portfolio of consulting and managed services with new Cloud Security Services. A crucial component of the HARC portfolio, this new set of application security services offer improved DevSecOps for customers navigating the cloud by strengthening data protection and securing global cloud application workloads across any platform or cloud environment including AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, to securely and reliably optimize costs and enhance performance.

As more companies rush to the cloud, many are scrambling to manage the growing operational complexities of their hybrid and multicloud environments, as well as the resulting expanded attack surfaces. The widening cloud and cybersecurity skills gaps only compounds the problem, leaving data, digital infrastructure, and applications increasingly vulnerable. In fact, recent research shows that cloud-based data were impacted in 39% of successful ransomware attacks during the past year.[1]

HARC Cloud Security Services reduce complexity by giving IT leaders multilevel security to protect data across five different critical layers of business: cloud, cluster, container, customer data and code. Data-centric security and continuous compliance provides a high level of protection for achieving end-to-end security – regardless of platform, quantity of data, or size of application.

“The growth in the adoption of multi-cloud solutions has increased the need for efficient convergence and integration of cloud services, data security, and infrastructure networking across IT ecosystems. Thus, the industry is witnessing growing implementation of the integrated approach where security and networking applications are no longer composed of discrete devices,” according to a recent report from Grand View Research2. The report continues, “concerns and challenges associated with cloud migration include hardships in regulatory compliance, loss of control over IT services, insider threats or compromised accounts, and business disruption, among others. Nevertheless, adopting the latest and innovative risk mitigation and data encryption solutions in line with the continued advances in risk mitigation and encryption technologies can potentially help in annulling all these concerns gradually over the forecast period.”

HARC Cloud Security Services draw on industry best practices, including the concept of the zero-trust architecture and automation, to help increase visibility, mitigate threats, and enforce compliance. The new application security services also can be customized to ensure the appropriate controls are embedded in all aspects of a customer’s cloud operations. Such integration reflects Hitachi Vantara’s core belief in “design for security.”

“Many organizations approach modernization in a siloed way, but as more data is spread across multiple environments, a failure to securely link processes across environments presents real risks,” said Premkumar Balasubramanian, Senior Vice President and CTO, Digital Solutions at Hitachi Vantara. “Hitachi Vantara’s strategy centers around a data-driven approach which looks at infrastructure, applications, and data together to create a single, unified view. With the addition of Cloud Security Services as part of the HARC portfolio, we’re adding the tools, processes, and approach our customers need with a zero-trust architecture and automation to protect cloud-based data and applications in today’s fast-moving and increasingly complex business environment."

HARC is a key pillar of how Hitachi Vantara helps business modernize their digital core, which means taking a holistic approach and modernizing infrastructure, applications, and data together to leverage hybrid, distributed cloud environments and build a personalized cloud strategy. Geographically dispersed physical and virtual centers of excellence, HARC features a portfolio of managed services designed to optimize cloud workloads for reliability, security, and cost. Incorporating a Site Reliability Engineering (SRE)-focused strategy with application modernization and automation services, each site brings together best-in-class frameworks, design patterns, automated tools, and people to deliver SRE as-a-service and 24/7/365 cloud management.