Accenture moved 95% of its applications to the cloud over six years by prioritizing security from the start. It redefined its security model and rules to align with cloud capabilities and adopted a zero trust approach. This involved sharing security responsibilities with cloud vendors, using cloud-based security solutions, continuously adapting to maintain compliance, and making identity the basis for access and trust. Accenture's holistic cloud security strategy provides effective security policies across its multi-cloud infrastructure.

1. STORIES
The benefits of a security-
first approach to cloud
Make
cloud
secure by
design

2. Copyright © 2022 Accenture. All rights reserved
Secure
by design
Call for change
As we have seen in the last 18 months, cloud
opens the door to organizational agility on an
unprecedented scale. But security is essential to take
advantage of cloud’s potential. Accenture, with our
size, scale and complexity, has experienced first-
hand the power of cloud security.
Six years ago, Accenture initiated the move into the
cloud. While our recent research has identified that
security and compliance risk is seen as one of top
two pain points of cloud adoption, we were clear
from the outset that cloud security would be a critical
component to supporting our business needs.
Moving from on-premise infrastructure where we had
complete control, to collaborating in the cloud with
vendors and needing to rely on their technology and
environment was a big shift. Infrastructure and new
service capabilities in the cloud are different; we couldn’t
simply replicate what we had on-premise directly into the
cloud.
We needed to reimagine the approach to
implementing our security model to harness
the capabilities of cloud native solutions. We
evolved core security guiding principles to meet
the requirements of operating in the cloud. We
redefined our security rules to flex around the
updated cloud-based infrastructure. Today, when we
look at our security approach we think beyond just
infrastructure to an application, data and code level
as well.
From the initial migration, we are now running 95%
of our applications in the cloud. Our strategy was to
be secure from the start, reframing our security in
terms of cloud capabilities, which has helped us to
see how our cloud solutions can support every
element of security needed within the business.

3. Copyright © 2022 Accenture. All rights reserved
Principles
in practice
When tech meets human ingenuity
Copyright © 2022 Accenture. All rights reserved
Early on in our cloud continuum journey, we
recognized the need to evolve our security
practices to accommodate our core security
values for the cloud. We wanted to be powered by
code, securing our application and infrastructure
code from the start. We infused analytics that
were behavior-driven, using automated artificial
intelligence (AI) behavioral analytics to identify
anomalies faster and with more accuracy when
working across our cloud platforms. It was
important to us to be cloud agnostic, fit for a
multi-cloud environment, so that the security
framework and principles apply to any cloud
vendor with auditability.
What’s more we embedded robust defense,
relying on multiple layers of security at varying
depths: cloud, network, access, data and
endpoints. We centered our strategy on a zero
trust approach, protecting every aspect of the
cloud security journey by treating everything as
untrusted. With the focus on zero trust, we
followed an identity-centric approach, basing all
access on identity where every request is
explicitly verified.

4. Copyright © 2022 Accenture. All rights reserved
Cloud security is not
a one-size-fits-all; it’s
multi-faceted. By taking
a comprehensive
view across access,
applications, services
and data we’ve created
a truly holistic cloud
security approach.
PENELOPE PRETT
Chief Information Officer, Accenture
When tech meets human ingenuity
Five core functions contributed to a successful cloud security journey:
We shared responsibilities. As we increased our
software as-a-service (SaaS) and platform as-a-
service (PaaS) consumption in the cloud, we
focused on and trusted in a shared responsibility
model with our cloud vendors. Our partnerships with
Microsoft, Amazon and Google cloud services took
advantage of their experience in the market, their
wide security certifications, and the fact that they
value security as much as we do.
We sought out cloud-based solutions. Cloud
providers are investing heavily in their innovation
offerings and security. By using cloud native and
cloud-based policies, controls, processes and
technologies we were able to tap into an inherent
agility and scale when it came to supporting our
own cloud security.
We enabled compliance. Partnering with our
providers, our cloud security strategy anchors to
industry-recognized standards and continuously
adapts to enterprise business needs. We adhere to
industry defined policies, using alerts, following the
zero trust principle and managing security through
code to maintain compliance.
We increased visibility. We took a multi-layered
approach, enhancing security through cloud vendors’
technology and advanced threat detection solutions.
We gained visibility not only for our own actionable
management, but also external auditability.
We baked in trust. We believe identity is the new
firewall. Our identity-centric approach means we have
adopted a zero trust strategy in which we embed
proper and continuous identity validation. Trust is now
fundamentally going to be driven by identity and role.

5. Copyright © 2022 Accenture. All rights reserved
Evolving
holistic security
A valuable difference
We have taken a comprehensive view across the
various components of operating in the cloud to
create a truly holistic cloud security strategy. As
we implement this transformational approach to
security across a multi-cloud infrastructure, we
can continue to enforce highly effective security
policies, resources and services.
Here are some of our lessons learned around effective
cloud security:
• Design in terms of the cloud: A cloud continuum
journey requires a very different operating model to
any on-premise solution. Reimagine your security
principles, to unlock the power of security in the cloud
and transform your business.
• Make the cultural shift: Bridge the cultural gap to cloud
native services from the top down. Education and
training can help to change mindsets so that people
understand the benefits of cloud and why your
security posture is important.
• Promote partnership: It’s important to build trusted
relationships with your providers and to look at the
ownership of security as shared. Also, keep in mind
that the investments in security made by the major
cloud providers are far in excess of what’s feasible for
most IT organizations—offering an advantage to those
who collaborate more effectively.
Going forward, to secure and manage access controls
across a multi-cloud environment, we have our sights
set on cross-platform alignment so that all identities align
across all platforms and vendors. Using data as the
key driver, our cloud security will continue to be
comprehensive as our cloud capabilities grow
across platforms.
And we want to discover new solutions and augment our
security with AI for threat detection and machine learning
to remediate our code to prevent potential vulnerabilities.
This combined with our Prevent, Protect, Detect,
and Recover strategy can strengthen our zero
trust imperative.
There's some exciting
things on the horizon. As
our AI and machine
learning capabilities
grow, we’ll be able to
detect anomalies in
behavior and make rapid
decisions to act on
security threats in the
cloud. Having a more
highly automated
response is a powerful
proposition and could
reinvent cloud security
as we know it.
DON GALZARANO
Managing Director—Global IT,
Enterprise Technology, Intelligent
Cloud & Networks, Accenture

6. Copyright © 2022 Accenture. All rights reserved
Copyright © 2022 Accenture.
All rights reserved.
Accenture and its logo
are trademarks of Accenture.
About Accenture
Accenture is a global professional services company with leading
capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched
experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries,
we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and
Operations services — all powered by the world’s largest network of
Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our
699,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human
ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We
embrace the power of change to create value and shared success
for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities.
Visit us at www.accenture.com.
Contact
Merim Becirovic
Managing Director
Global IT
Enterprise Technology
Don Galzarano
Managing Director
Global IT
Enterprise Technology, Intelligent
Cloud & Networks
/merim-becirovic
/don-galzarano