Today, enterprises need a robust digital infrastructure for everything from customer engagement to operational continuity, and multi-cloud technology has become a fundamental enabler of enterprise success. However, with these increased complexities, organisations face increasing challenges in managing security risks, maintaining operational uptime, and above all, to maximise value from their cloud investments.
Emerging technologies and innovative approaches are reshaping the way enterprises navigate these challenges, and at the same time service level agreements (SLAs) too are evolving to align with these developments.
Transparency and clear communication between providers and customers are key to achieving faster, stronger security outcomes. With careful planning and a proactive mindset, IT and security leaders can bridge the gaps in their SLAs, mitigate security vulnerabilities, and scale their cloud strategies to achieve sustainable growth.
For cloud services, security is a shared responsibility: the provider ensures the integrity of the infrastructure, and businesses must protect their own applications, endpoints, and data. SLAs are intended to provide clarity on availability and performance, while outlining accountability between cloud providers and their customers. As businesses use more providers to boost agility and reduce dependency, managing SLAs grows more complex. Variations in contractual terms, misalignment with regulatory requirements, and inconsistent reporting structures can leave organisations exposed to unnecessary cyber and operational risks.
Addressing these challenges starts with centralised governance. Bringing IT, security, procurement, and legal teams together to evaluate and negotiate SLAs ensures that they are aligned with an organisation’s risk appetite and regulatory obligations.
Additionally, regularly mapping SLA terms against evolving compliance requirements and threat landscapes helps highlight where additional clauses, such as improved breach reporting timelines or clearer security obligations, are needed. Combining this with a resilient cloud strategy that addresses concerns like disaster recovery and load balancing can ensure that even if one provider falls short, the impact on business operations is minimised.
As enterprises expand their cloud capacity, this inevitably widens the attack surface. Traditional SLAs tend to focus on infrastructure uptime but often fail to address advanced cyber threats. IT leaders must take ownership of this gap by integrating AI-driven threat detection and end-to-end encryption into their cloud ecosystems.
AI-powered analytics, for example, can proactively identify anomalies in real time, flagging suspicious activity and helping teams respond to potential breaches before they escalate. Similarly, implementing end-to-end encryption and identity access management (IAM) ensures that sensitive data remains secure, even in the face of evolving threats. By investing in these measures, enterprises can close the security gaps left by standard SLAs, moving from a reactive to a proactive security posture.
It’s also important for SLAs to be flexible enough to meet the demands of highly regulated sectors, such as finance, where compliance requirements are particularly stringent. For example, aligning an SLA with the General Data Protection Regulation’s (GDPR) requirement for a breach notification within 72 hours not only ensures compliance, but also helps businesses avoid potential penalties while strengthening customer trust. As cyber regulations become more stringent worldwide, aligning security practices with global standards like GDPR is no longer optional, but essential for maintaining a competitive advantage.
The same principle applies to operational resilience. Service disruptions caused by weak SLAs are not just an IT inconvenience; they can have financial and reputational consequences. This is why uptime strategies must be shaped by both regulatory obligations and business priorities. In industries such like healthcare, that might translate into higher uptime guarantees and enhanced security controls, with customised SLAs designed to meet sector-specific needs. Further adopting a shared responsibility model, where providers ensure infrastructure resilience and enterprises focus on optimising application performance, reduces risk and speeds recovery when challenges arise.
Cloud technology’s promise lies in its ability to deliver agility, scalability, and cost efficiency. But these benefits are only realised when innovation is paired with disciplined governance. Whether adopting cloud architectures, containerised workloads, or serverless models, operational expertise and oversight are essential to prevent new vulnerabilities.
Cloud transformation is both a challenge and an opportunity for IT security leaders. SLAs set important expectations, and as tech innovation accelerates, they are continually evolving to address risks and business needs. By centralising governance, strengthening security beyond contractual terms, and adopting resilient, regulation-aligned cloud strategies, organisations can turn SLA gaps, security risks, and operational complexities into levers for improvement. Practical, risk-informed steps like these build trust and resilience, enabling enterprises to unlock the full potential of their cloud investments and achieve sustainable success in an increasingly digital world.
Vaibhav Dutta is vice president and global head of cyber security products and services at Tata Communications.
