Alibaba Cloud (also known as AliCloud or Aliyun) offers a comprehensive suite of security products designed to protect cloud infrastructure, applications, and data. As one of the world’s leading cloud providers, Alibaba Cloud has invested heavily in security technologies to meet the needs of enterprises operating in China and globally.

Core Security Services

1. Web Application Firewall (WAF)

Alibaba Cloud WAF protects web applications from common attacks like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and DDoS attacks. It provides:

• Real-time protection against OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities
• Custom rule configuration
• Bot management and mitigation
• SSL/TLS certificate management

2. Anti-DDoS Pro

This service provides enterprise-grade DDoS protection with:

• Multi-layer protection (network, transport, application layers)
• Automatic traffic scrubbing
• Real-time attack monitoring and reporting
• Global cleaning centers with massive bandwidth capacity

3. Security Center

A unified security management platform that offers:

• Vulnerability assessment and management
• Threat detection and response
• Compliance checking
• Security posture management

4. Cloud Firewall

A next-generation firewall service featuring:

• Stateful inspection capabilities
• Application-level control
• Intrusion prevention system (IPS)
• Centralized policy management

Data Security Products

5. Data Encryption Service

Provides comprehensive data encryption solutions:

• Key Management Service (KMS) for encryption key management
• Hardware Security Modules (HSM) for secure key storage
• Transparent data encryption for databases

6. Database Security

• Database audit for compliance and monitoring
• SQL injection detection and prevention
• Sensitive data discovery and classification

Identity and Access Management

7. Resource Access Management (RAM)

Alibaba Cloud’s IAM solution offers:

• Fine-grained access control policies
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
• Role-based access control (RBAC)
• Temporary security credentials

8. Single Sign-On (SSO)

Enterprise identity federation supporting:

• SAML 2.0 integration
• Directory services synchronization
• Multi-tenant access management

Compliance and Governance

9. Security Compliance

Alibaba Cloud maintains numerous certifications including:

• ISO 27001, 27017, 27018
• SOC 1, SOC 2, SOC 3
• PCI DSS Level 1
• GDPR compliance

10. Configuration Audit

Automated compliance checking for:

• Security best practices
• Regulatory requirements
• Custom compliance frameworks

Advanced Threat Protection

11. Threat Detection Service

Uses machine learning and behavioral analysis to detect:

• Advanced persistent threats (APTs)
• Malware and ransomware
• Anomalous user behavior
• Data exfiltration attempts

12. Container Security

Specialized protection for containerized environments:

• Image scanning and vulnerability assessment
• Runtime protection for containers
• Network security policies
• Compliance scanning for Kubernetes

Best Practices for Alibaba Cloud Security

1. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication for all privileged accounts
2. Use RAM policies to follow the principle of least privilege
3. Regularly audit security configurations using Security Center
4. Implement WAF and Anti-DDoS for all public-facing applications
5. Encrypt sensitive data at rest and in transit
6. Enable logging and monitoring for all critical services
7. Regularly update and patch all cloud resources

Conclusion

Alibaba Cloud’s security portfolio provides comprehensive protection for cloud workloads, meeting the needs of enterprises operating in regulated industries and sensitive environments. The platform’s security services are continuously evolving to address emerging threats and compliance requirements.

For organizations considering Alibaba Cloud, it’s essential to develop a comprehensive security strategy that leverages these built-in security services while implementing additional organizational controls and processes.

Original article: Alibaba Cloud Security Documentation.