Cloud security encompasses a comprehensive set of practices, tools, and services designed to protect data, applications, and infrastructure deployed in AWS and Azure environments. Understanding that security in the cloud operates under a shared responsibility model—where cloud providers secure the infrastructure while customers secure their data and applications—is fundamental to building a robust defense. Both AWS and Azure provide extensive native security services spanning identity management, encryption, network controls, threat detection, and compliance frameworks. The most critical insight: cloud security is not a one-time configuration but a continuous process of monitoring, detection, remediation, and policy enforcement that must evolve with emerging threats and workload changes.