Cloud security standards are necessary for small and mid-market-level companies to secure sensitive data, ensure regulatory compliance, and improve operational efficiency. The presence of cloud security standards helps businesses protect their data from cyber threats and maintain privacy. These standards are no longer a “nice-to-have” but a requirement. For example, PCI DSS compliance is required for those businesses dealing with payment card information to protect cardholder data in cloud environments.
These standards define key security practices like encryption, access control, and secure data storage, ensuring companies mitigate risks such as data breaches or unauthorized access.
Virtual Private Network (VPN) solutions are fundamental in improving the security of the cloud through the encryption of data in transit, securing remote access, and assuring granular access control. By integrating these security measures, the company protects its assets while improving operational efficiency by reducing downtime and possible security incidents. But, a VPN is only one piece of the greater puzzle when it comes to cloud security standards in 2025.
Some of the most critical cloud security standards include ISO 27001, GDPR, and NIST. These standards are fundamentally important in framing cloud environment protection and assurance of regulatory compliance for SMBs.
Let’s take a look at what each of these standards entails.
Of course, these are not the only cloud security frameworks — there are others we will dive into later on. However, based on these standards, an SMB can achieve a strong security posture, reduce legal and operational risk, and operate securely across multiple regions of regulation. Now, let’s dive a little deeper into each of these standards.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has developed several standards specifically addressing cloud security concerns. ISO/IEC 27001 serves as a foundational framework for information security management systems, applicable to cloud environments.
Building upon this, ISO/IEC 27017 provides guidelines tailored for cloud service providers and users, offering additional controls and guidance to enhance cloud security. This standard addresses critical aspects such as responsibility allocation between providers and customers, asset management, and virtual environment protection.
Another relevant standard is ISO/IEC 27018, which focuses on safeguarding personally identifiable information (PII) in public cloud environments. Combined, the ISO standards on cloud computing bring a holistic approach toward security for organizations to implement stringent controls to achieve compliance and develop confidence among stakeholders in this rapidly cloud-dependent business world.
Every time you make a purchase online or in a store with your credit card, you’re seeing the benefits of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). The PCI DSS ensures the safe, secure transfer of credit card data. The cybersecurity standards apply to technical and operational system components included in or connected to cardholder data. For example, PCI DSS requires strict network security, that card information is never stored or saved in an insecure way, and that all employees have a unique access ID.
Compliance in this standard is vital for small businesses that handle credit card transactions in cloud environments. It applies to organizations of all sizes, with most small businesses falling into the Level 4 category, processing fewer than 20,000 transactions annually.
With increased cloud adoption, PCI DSS has relaxed some stringent guidelines to meet the peculiar challenges of cloud security, allowing customized implementation of controls fitted to specific cloud infrastructures. This flexibility enables small businesses to tailor their security measures to suit various cloud deployment models, including public, private, and hybrid environments.
By adhering to PCI DSS requirements in the cloud, small businesses can protect cardholder data, maintain customer trust, and avoid potential financial penalties and reputational damage associated with non-compliance.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework from the US Department of Commerce is a valuable resource for small businesses seeking to enhance their cloud security, manage cybersecurity risks, and meet industry standards for compliance.
NIST provides a variety of security recommendations and best practices. By aligning your cybersecurity practices with this framework and leveraging strong cloud platforms such as AWS and Google Cloud, your business can proactively address cyber threats, safeguard critical assets, and thrive in the digital era.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a U.S. federal law establishing security and privacy standards for protecting patients' electronic health information (ePHI), as well as their protected health information (PHI). This law establishes that patient data may not be shared with anyone without the patient’s consent, including through digital and cloud platforms.
Adherence to all these laws is vital for healthcare organizations to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of PHI and ePHI, both on-premises and in the cloud. It is enforced through risk assessments, security controls, and privacy controls with compliance validation.
As mentioned earlier, GDPR is a stringent legal requirement for data protection and privacy and must be carefully implemented in cloud environments where citizens of the EU may share their data. Even if you operate in another country, for example, in the US, if you have customers or even marketing contacts in your database, you must comply with GDPR requirements.
In the context of GDPR, cloud security requires an organization to ensure robust data encryption, implement stringent access controls, and maintain transparency in data processing activities.
Federal Information Security Modernization Act, popularly called FISMA, is a law in the U.S. targeted at federal agencies to establish information security programs. It has a risk-based approach to protecting data, which involves establishing minimum security baselines to be followed by the agency.
FISMA looks at protecting federal data and information systems through five critical components: security categorization, risk assessment, security controls, continuous monitoring, and compliance validation.
The Cloud Security Alliance Security Trust Assurance and Risk (CSA STAR) certification is a third-party independent assessment of the security of a cloud service provider (CSP) that has undergone a rigorous evaluation of its security controls and practices to ensure that data stored and processed in the cloud remains secure.
FedRAMP is essential to cloud security frameworks. This primarily refers to cloud service providers that want to do business with the U.S. government. It normalizes how non-government entities implement security controls, making them consistent with the standards that the government would require for assessment, authorization, and monitoring in the cloud.
SOC 2® is a cybersecurity compliance framework with the primary purpose of ensuring that third-party service providers store and process client data in a secure manner over an extended period of time.
SOC 2 is considered the gold standard for cloud security standards, and can take up to a year to complete. This certification looks at several disciplines, including security compliance, internal processes, and organizational compliance awareness in SaaS companies.
VPNs play a significant role in the realization of compliance with cloud security standards by creating secure, encrypted strategies and connections between users and cloud resources. VPNs improve data privacy and integrity by making a secure tunnel for data transmission, mitigating interception and unauthorized access risks.
When integrated with existing security frameworks, VPNs ensure an in-depth solid defense combined with other security measures such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and access controls. In other words, a VPN is just one critical layer that increases the general security posture of an organization by addressing its vulnerabilities in data transmission and remote access scenarios.
In the context of SOC 2 compliance, VPNs support several key trust service criteria, particularly in security and confidentiality. With VPN solutions, cloud service providers can make a strong case for ensuring customer data protection — a key factor in SOC 2 compliance. VPNs help an organization meet specific SOC 2 requirements related to network security, encryption, and access control, thus furthering its capability to maintain a secure cloud environment and gain customers' confidence.
VPN integration is highly instrumental in the cloud environment for regulatory requirements and maintenance of privacy standards. By creating encrypted tunnels for data transmission, VPNs ensure that sensitive information remains protected from unauthorized access and interception, aligning with regulations like GDPR and HIPAA.
This encryption is critical for any organization dealing with financial or healthcare information since it aids in meeting strict security compliances like SOX and PCI DSS. VPNs also allow for secure remote access, enabling employees to connect with cloud resources from any location without compromising security. This is a key capability for maintaining compliance in the modern remote and mobile workforce.
Additionally, VPNs support data privacy by masking IP addresses and routing traffic through specific countries, aiding compliance with international data transfer regulations. The logging and reporting features of some VPN solutions provide valuable audit trails, further supporting compliance efforts. Organizations can ensure secure and compliant operations by implementing VPN-based remote access solutions, protecting sensitive data while enabling flexible work arrangements.
Using VPNs for cloud security offers several advantages, such as protection against cyber threats and data encryption. VPNs provide a safe, encrypted tunnel in which internet traffic travels, preventing unauthorized access to sensitive information and reducing the risks from hackers, especially when accessing cloud-based resources.
VPNs provide secure remote access to employees, who can connect to the organizational network from anywhere while maintaining data confidentiality and integrity. This is especially critical for hybrid workplaces where employees work from multiple locations.
The encryption strategies implemented by VPNs, including AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), ensure that all data transmitted between the user and the cloud remains protected against interception or eavesdropping. It provides users with security by encrypting the entire communication channel and secure ways to access cloud applications, sensitive transactions, and ways of preventing data breaches.
VPNs can also be a key part of the security strategy in enabling safe access to SaaS applications and building encrypted, private connections between users and the cloud environment. For hybrid workplaces where employees work from office locations and remote settings, VPN solutions can be tailored to assure secure and efficient access by applying granular access controls and adaptive authentication mechanisms.
Role-based access policies and granting access only to authorized users for specific SaaS applications help VPNs protect sensitive data. Second, device identity verification and enforcement, or DIVE, is crucial in a secure cloud environment. DIVE limits access to resources to only authorized devices, which Admins can differentiate by manually adding their UUID and locking the device profile with the digital certificate tied to the device's identity. This helps to prevent access with an alternative— potentially vulnerable — device, despite having a valid connection profile.
By integrating these verification methods with the VPN solution, organizations can reduce the likelihood of unauthorized access and data breaches. Employees can securely access critical SaaS applications without compromising overall network security.
CloudConnexa, powered by OpenVPN, can enhance security for small businesses with a private cloud and core tunneling technology that completely isolates sensitive company resources from the open Internet. Because CloudConnexa is a cloud-delivered service that’s managed by OpenVPN rather than appliance-based, it is easy to deploy, administer, and use.
Our solutions give you the confidence to work from anywhere on any device with a secure network configuration. CloudConnexa maintains cloud security compliance to enable streamlined and secured remote and resource access so that organizations can continue working safely and without disruption. From hybrid to fluid work models, CloudConnexa continues to innovate and enhance its offerings for today’s modern and mobile workforce.
Key cloud security standards include ISO 27001, NIST SP 800-53, PCI DSS, and GDPR, which provide data protection, risk management, and compliance frameworks.
Cloud security standards establish guidelines that help organizations implement effective security measures, ensuring data confidentiality, integrity, and availability in cloud environments.
Cloud security standards are specific guidelines for compliance, while frameworks provide a broader structure for implementing security practices and controls across an organization.
Organizations can assess compliance by conducting regular audits, utilizing self-assessment tools, and aligning their practices with established standards and frameworks.
Ready to take your business to the next level with OpenVPN? Request a demo today.