What is the Shared Responsibility Model?

As businesses across all sectors migrate to the cloud for greater flexibility and cost-efficiency, a critical question arises…

Who is actually responsible for securing cloud environments?

It’s a common misconception that cloud providers manage all aspects of security. While providers such as Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud secure the foundational infrastructure, including physical data centres, networking, and virtualisation layers. The responsibility for securing everything you deploy in the cloud lies with your organisation. This includes your data, applications, identity management, and compliance with relevant regulations.

Understanding the Shared Responsibility Model for Data in Cloud Environments

This shared responsibility model is not just a technical detail, it’s a business imperative. Failure to understand where your responsibilities begin and end can expose your organisation to significant risks.

Regardless of your sector, whether finance, healthcare, education, retail, or manufacturing, the consequences of mismanaging cloud security responsibilities are serious. Beyond operational disruption, breaches can lead to regulatory fines, loss of customer trust, and lasting reputational damage.

While the cloud provider safeguards the infrastructure, your organisation must ensure that data is properly classified, encrypted, and backed up. You also need to manage identity and access controls effectively, apply security patches, configure firewalls, and maintain compliance with standards such as GDPR, Cyber Essentials, or ISO 27001.

Research from Gartner warned that through 2025, 99% of cloud security failures will be due to customer error often because organisations assume the provider covers more than they actually do. This misunderstanding can be especially dangerous in highly regulated sectors where compliance demands are stringent.

At Central Technology, we help senior IT and security leaders bridge this gap. By clarifying your responsibilities, implementing best practices, securing cloud configurations, and continuously monitoring your environment, we ensure your cloud adoption is both secure and compliant. We also provide tailored guidance to help you navigate sector-specific regulatory frameworks.

If you’re unsure about where your responsibilities lie or how to manage them effectively, Central Technology’s Cloud experts are here to help.