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# Why Diverse Cloud Environments Require Flexible Security

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By [Elad Koren](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/author/elad-koren/?ts=markdown "Posts by Elad Koren")  
Jul 03, 2025  
4 minutes  
[Cloud Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/cloud-security/?ts=markdown)  
[Product Features](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/security-operations/category/product-features/?ts=markdown)  
[Products and Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/products-and-services/?ts=markdown)  
[Cortex Cloud](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/tag/cortex-cloud/?ts=markdown)  
[multicloud](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/tag/multicloud/?ts=markdown)  
A cloud-agnostic security approach decouples security from the underlying cloud infrastructure, ensuring that security policies and capabilities are universally applicable.

Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud and more... organizations rely on these cloud service providers (CSPs) for flexibility and agility in the digital age. There's a very high chance that your organization leverages multiple CSPs in order to avoid vendor lock-in, ensure geographic coverage, and help meet compliance standards. A 2025 Flexera report found that [86%](https://info.flexera.com/CM-REPORT-State-of-the-Cloud)of enterprises are running a multicloud strategy, with 70% of the respondents opting for a hybrid approach. Previous findings found that [82%](https://www.strata.io/resources/whitepapers/state-of-multi-cloud-identity-2022/) of larger enterprises employ three or more clouds.

As multicloud environments become standard in enterprise IT, businesses face a key security question: Can they rely on one CSP to secure all their cloud environments? While most security experts recommend against this, many organizations may eventually have no choice. This is because CSPs are strengthening their security capabilities by acquiring vendors that previously offered neutral cloud solutions.

## **Conflicting Interests**

At the heart of this issue lies a fundamental conflict of interest. Cloud service providers are in the business of selling cloud services, and their acquisitions of security companies are inherently designed to enhance their own cloud offerings. While acquired security products may initially retain their multicloud compatibility, in the long term, they have little incentive to continue supporting other cloud platforms. The primary focus of these products will inevitably shift to favor the host CSP's ecosystem, often at the cost of cross-cloud compatibility.

Even with the best of intentions, there's an inherent conflict of interest. As security products become more tightly integrated into a CSP's platform, they increasingly prioritize the needs of that platform, sidelining cross-cloud capabilities. This shift can hinder innovation, as security products within larger, CSP-owned organizations may find their resources constrained or misaligned with the core needs of enterprise security teams.

## **Cloud-Agnostic Security Benefits**

The solution to this challenge is simple yet profound: a cloud-agnostic security approach. For enterprises managing a multicloud infrastructure, security tools that are designed to work seamlessly across multiple CSP environments are critical. Cloud-agnostic solutions are not beholden to the interests of any single CSP, and they ensure that security priorities remain in line with those of the organization, rather than the vendor.

A cloud-agnostic security approach decouples security from the underlying cloud infrastructure. This ensures that security policies and capabilities are universally applicable, whether your organization operates in AWS, Azure, GCP or a combination of all. By using a unified security solution that integrates seamlessly across clouds, organizations can reduce complexity, streamline compliance efforts, and minimize gaps in threat detection and mitigation.

In a multicloud world, a common threat model enables security teams to protect their infrastructure consistently across different environments. This unified approach is essential for reducing the risk of blind spots in security posture and provides the agility needed to adapt quickly to evolving threats.

## **Staying Neutral**

As competition among cloud providers intensifies and digital transformation accelerates, security must remain anchored to the priorities of the organization --- not those of any individual cloud vendor. While CSPs continue to expand their offerings, often through acquisitions of formerly neutral security companies, their long-term incentives will naturally align with deepening adoption of their own platforms. This makes it increasingly difficult for enterprises to rely on CSP-owned solutions to meet the needs of complex, distributed environments.

A cloud-agnostic approach helps organizations maintain strategic alignment across all environments. It ensures that visibility, threat detection and policy enforcement remain consistent and independent of the underlying infrastructure choices. This neutrality isn't just about supporting multiple clouds --- it's about enabling flexibility, avoiding lock-in and ensuring that security posture is shaped by business needs rather than platform constraints.

Cortex^®^ Cloud was built with these principles in mind. It delivers unified security across diverse cloud environments, providing consistent visibility, automated protection and intelligent prioritization --- all without being tethered to a single provider. For security leaders navigating a rapidly evolving cloud landscape, this approach offers the clarity and resilience needed to protect their organizations effectively, both today and into the future.

Step into the future of real-time, multicloud security and [learn more about Cortex Cloud](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2025/02/announcing-innovations-cortex-cloud/).

*This blog was originally published on [CIO.com](https://www.cio.com/article/3972460/why-diverse-cloud-environments-require-flexible-security.html).*

*** ** * ** ***

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[#### A New Era of Protection --- Multicloud Security](https://www2.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2025/01/multicloud-security/)

### [Announcement](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/cloud-security/category/announcement/?ts=markdown), [Cloud Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/cloud-security/?ts=markdown), [Cloud Security Platform](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/cloud-security/category/cloud-security-platform/?ts=markdown), [CNAPP](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/cloud-security/category/cnapp/?ts=markdown)

[#### Closing the Gap Between Cloud Visibility and Network Security](https://www2.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/cloud-security/cloud-visibility-network-security-context-exposure-management/)

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