Built-in security
Security on the IBM Cloud Platform starts at the foundation. IBM Cloud secures the platform itself through multiple layers of protection—spanning physical data centers, hardware, networking, and runtime environments. This defense-in-depth approach ensures the platform is resilient, secure by default, and continuously monitored.
You automatically inherit this strong security baseline when you deploy workloads on IBM Cloud. Native platform services are designed with security and compliance built in, enabling organizations to protect applications, data, and workloads from day one. With integrated preventive and detective controls, your teams can reduce complexity, accelerate deployments, and maintain consistent security across cloud and hybrid environments.
The IBM Cloud Security Platform provides a secure, compliant foundation for hybrid and AI workloads. Native services and customer workloads are protected with built-in controls that safeguard data, privacy, and operations, helping organizations confidently run sensitive and AI-driven applications across cloud and on-prem environments.
Key capabilities include:
- Consistent security controls across cloud and on-prem environments
- Built-in protections for data-intensive and AI workloads
- Compliance with industry and regional regulations
You are empowered to take control of your organization’s security and compliance posture, enabling you to confidently manage applications and resources.
- Foundational Security
- Network Security
- Identity and Access Management
- Workload Protection and App Security
- Data Security and Privacy
- Logging and Monitoring
IBM Cloud Security Platform promotes a lifecycle-based security model that is proactive, detective, and responsive—enabling enterprises to embed security early, enforce policies automatically, and adapt as workloads evolve.
Security is treated as a continuous cycle consisting of three interconnected phases:
- Assess – Evaluate security needs and identify gaps based on enterprise policies and compliance objectives.
- Implement – Apply preventive controls and secure-by-default configurations to reduce manual effort and ensure consistency.
- Detect and Respond – Continuously monitor, detect anomalies, and respond to risks, maintaining compliance and resilience.
IBM Cloud platform’s proactive, preventive approach offers a unique advantage—enabling your organization to secure hybrid cloud workloads with confidence, consistency, and scale.
- Centralized Pervasive Security
All security controls are available in all geo locations, pre-integrate with the key workloads and their components. - Intelligent Security Automation with AI
Pre-integrated tools streamline security onboarding through automation, secure-by-default setups, and AI based security on-boarding or management. - Comprehensive Integrated Security
Provides a broad set of pre-integrated and consolidated leading edge security capabilities, either native or through the IBM Cloud Security ecosystem.
Security domains
- Foundational Security
- Network Security
- IAM
- Workload Protection
- Data Security & Privacy
- Logging & Monitoring
Foundational Security
Building secure systems starts with strong foundational controls—identity, access, data protection, and configuration hygiene. The IBM Security Platform delivers cloud-native capabilities that enforce least privilege, protect sensitive data, and support compliance across cloud and hybrid environments.
- Security and Compliance Center Workload Protection (CNAPP): Provides unified visibility across cloud and hybrid environments by continuously assessing security posture, identifying risks, and enforcing best-practice configurations across infrastructure and workloads.
- Key Protect (Key Management Service – BYOK & KYOK): Provides centralized encryption key management to help secure sensitive data, enforce compliance, and maintain full cryptographic control across cloud and hybrid environments.
- Secrets Manager (powered by HashiCorp Vault): An enterprise-grade secrets management service that centralizes secure storage and automated rotation of credentials and API keys, minimizing risk from hard- coded secrets across applications and environments.
- Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM): Centralized identity governance with policy-based, least-privilege access.
Network Security
Securing digital infrastructure requires strong network controls to prevent unauthorized access, data exposure, and cyber threats. The IBM Cloud Security Platform delivers cloud-native network security that helps organizations reduce attack surfaces, block malicious traffic, and maintain consistent protection across cloud and on-prem environments.
- Virtual Private Cloud (VPC): Isolated networks for secure segmentation and connectivity.
- Security Groups & Network Access Control Lists: Workload-level traffic controls to allow only authorized communication.
- Cloud Internet Services: Managed ingress controls to protect internet-facing resources with DDoS mitigation, Web Applicarion Firewall (WAF), rate-limiting and advanced Bot defense.
- Firewalls: Centralized policy-based traffic inspection to prevent unauthorized access.
- Virtual Private Endpoints: Private access to platform services without public exposure.
- Context Base Restrictions (CBR): Context-aware access based on identity, location, and device posture.
Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Managing access is critical to cloud security. IBM Cloud IAM solutions deliver centralized governance, strong authentication, and fine grained controls to reduce risk, enforce least privilege, and support compliance.
- Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM): IBM Cloud’s unified IAM solution provides centralized management of enterprise identities and access across IBM Cloud services and SaaS offerings, ensuring consistent policies and compliance with regulatory requirements.
- Context Based Restrictions (CBR): Add an extra layer of security by enforcing access based on context—such as network location, endpoint type, or MFA level. Context Based Restrictions (CBR) work with IAM policies to prevent unauthorized access even if credentials are compromised, supporting scenarios like IP allowlisting, geo-fencing, and regulatory compliance.
- App ID (Application and API Authentication): Easily add authentication to web/mobile apps, APIs, and AI-powered agents—without managing identity infrastructure—while delivering geo‑availability and built‑in compliance support, and advanced features like multifactor authentication and single sign-on.
Workload Protection and Application Security
Protecting workloads requires continuous risk management across development and runtime environments. The IBM Cloud Security Platform delivers integrated protection, vulnerability visibility, and DevSecOps-aligned controls to help organizations build, deploy, and operate secure applications at scale.
- Security and Compliance Center Workload Protection (CNAPP): Continuously assesses workload security across build and runtime by identifying vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and threats across cloud and hybrid environments.
- Continuous Delivery: Security integrated into CI/CD pipelines for
automated policy enforcement and secure deployments.
Data Security and Privacy
Protect sensitive data throughout its lifecycle—at rest, in transit, and in use. The IBM Cloud Security Platform provides encryption, customer-controlled key management, and advanced privacy controls to help organizations meet data sovereignty requirements and maintain trust across cloud and hybrid environments.
- Key Protect (Key Management Service - BYOK & KYOK): Customer-controlled encryption keys secured by Hardware Security Modules, for full data and cryptographic ownership.
- Unified Key Orchestrator (Multi-Cloud Key Orchestration): Centralized key management across multiple clouds.
- Confidential Computing Virtualization: Protects data in use through isolated workloads and encrypted memory.
- Quantum-Safe Cryptography: Future-proof cryptography to guard against quantum threats.
- Secrets Manager: A HashiCorp Vault–based service for securely storing, controlling access to, and rotating application secrets and credentials.
Logging and Monitoring
Real-time monitoring is essential for detecting anomalies, investigating incidents, and maintaining compliance. IBM Cloud’s observability and monitoring tools provide deep visibility into cloud and hybrid operations, enabling teams to continuously strengthen security and respond proactively to emerging threats.
- Activity Tracker: Monitors and tracks activities and events across your cloud account.
- Cloud Logs: Centralized log collection and analysis to improve visibility, security, and operational insights across your cloud environment.
- Cloud Monitoring: Monitors the health and performance of your apps and services with real-time metrics and alerts.
- IBM Cloud Flow Logs for VPC: Enables the collection, storage, and presentation of information about the Internet Protocol (IP) traffic going to and from network interfaces within your Virtual Private Cloud (VPC).
- Security and Compliance Center Workload Protection (CNAPP): Continuously assesses workload security across build and runtime by identifying vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and threats across cloud and hybrid environments.
- Z Security and Compliance Center: Automates the collection, validation, and reporting of compliance data for IBM Z and LinuxONE systems.
For government & regulated industries, IBM supports FedRAMP, GDPR and industry-specific standards with confidential computing, data residency controls and sovereign cloud capabilities.
In the realm of financial services security, IBM helps financial institutions secure digital banking platforms, prevent fraud, and comply with regulations like PCI DSS and FFIEC.
Within the field of healthcare security, IBM equips healthcare organizations with tools to protect electronic health records (EHRs), manage identities and ensure privacy across cloud environments.
Resources
Cloud security protects businesses from internal and external threats as they adopt cloud-based tools and services in their digital transformation.
Learn how to reduce the risks and expenses of data breaches.
Whitepaper on IBM Cloud support for customers and partners for the EU Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA).
Learn how to securely develop, deploy, and manage your regulated, mission-critical enterprise workloads in the cloud.
Partner ecosystem
IBM Cloud partners are carefully evaluated through the Partner Plus program, ensuring they bring verified technical expertise, industry certifications, and a strong record of delivering secure, scalable cloud solutions. You can trust that these partners meet IBM’s highest standards for innovation and compliance.
