Building zero-trust security models in cloud environments: best practices for enterprises

Cloud computing adoption in enterprises has left no one in doubt about its possibilities in terms of efficiency in enterprise transactions and operations. Still, it has escalated tough security issues, some of which are insider threats and misconfigurations. These risks need to be fully addressed in the traditional perimeter-based security models, which require the zero-trust security model. This paper aims to identify zero trust in cloud security systems and operational security mechanisms adopted as excellent practices, including efficient IAM, monitoring utilizing SIEM tools, and using IaC tools for a cloud platform. Through case studies and examples, the research discusses how zero-trust addresses risks in multi-cloud and hybrid systems. The conclusions may be useful for enterprises eager to improve security, implement the zero-trust model, and counteract the challenges in the cloud services domains.