Is Cloud Security a shared responsibility or does the provider handle most of it?

All answers to this question.

This is a critical point: the provider is responsible for the security of the cloud, but you are responsible for security in the cloud. This means Google handles the physical security of the data centers and the underlying hardware, but you are responsible for how you configure your virtual machines, who has access to your data (IAM), and whether your data is encrypted. If you leave an S3 bucket or a Cloud Storage bucket public, that’s on you, not the provider. You must still implement firewalls (VPC rules) and manage your own application-level security to prevent breaches.

   Answered 2025-09-22 by Helen Adams

Does the level of my responsibility change if I move from IaaS to a more managed service like a serverless function or a managed database?

   Answered 2025-10-05 by Brian Scott

• Yes, Brian, it does. In a managed service like Cloud SQL or Lambda, the provider takes over more of the "stack," like OS patching and database updates. However, you are always responsible for your data, your code, and your identity and access management. The higher up the service chain you go, the less "plumbing" you secure, but you never give up responsibility for the data itself.

     Commented 2025-10-12 by George Baker

Think of it like renting an apartment. The landlord secures the building and the front door (the cloud), but you are responsible for locking your own unit (your data).

   Answered 2025-10-20 by Mary Nelson

• That is the best analogy I have heard for the Shared Responsibility Model, Mary. It makes it very clear for stakeholders who aren't technical but need to understand the risks.

     Commented 2025-10-25 by Kevin Wright