Ashish Rajan (Kaizenteq): Data Sovereignty Will Define the Future of Cloud Security and Compliance

Summary

• Identity management as foundational
  Identity and access management (IAM) must be centralized across all cloud providers. Ashish stresses that both human and non-human (automated) identities must be understood and managed to maintain security in cloud environments.

• Misconfigurations as persistent threats
  Misconfigured resources—such as exposed S3 buckets or open APIs—are still among the top causes of breaches. Guardrails, auto-remediation, and baseline security policies must be implemented from the start of cloud adoption.

• Data security in the age of AI
  With the rise of AI projects, data protection is more critical than ever. Organizations must classify data, define encryption standards, and manage data flow between services and cloud environments—especially for multilingual and non-English-sensitive data.

• Reframing security for cloud-native environments
  Traditional on-premises security policies cannot simply be copied into the cloud. Security teams should leverage cloud-native features and adopt policies tailored to cloud dynamics for agility and resilience.

• Incident response as a neglected pillar
  Cloud security strategies often omit the response phase. Ashish calls for a shift toward resilience, encouraging security teams to plan for incidents and implement effective detection, logging, and triage procedures tailored to cloud environments.

• The evolving role of CSPM tools
  Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) tools are maturing into platforms that attempt to unify visibility across identity, vulnerability, and compliance domains. However, organizations must avoid tool overload and instead select tools that align with their specific maturity level and context.

• Data sovereignty as a strategic factor
  Ashish explores how data sovereignty concerns—especially in regions like the Netherlands—limit the range of usable cloud services. Organizations must assess the sensitivity of their data, regional cloud infrastructure availability, and potential trade-offs in using local vs. global providers.

• Guiding cloud adoption through education and community
  Learning resources like the Cloud Security Podcast, bootcamps, and community events (e.g., Forward CloudSec) are essential for upskilling. Ashish promotes immersive learning through hands-on practice, starting with free-tier cloud accounts and progressing toward real-world challenges.