As more organisations move their systems to the cloud, they often face a common challenge, which is—how to stay secure without spending too much. Cloud security and cost control are both important, but they are usually treated as separate goals. Some even see them as being at odds with one another. However, this does not have to be the case, as advocated by a seasoned cloud architect, Shailaja Beeram, who has been proving that strong security and smart budgeting can go hand-in-hand.
Through a mix of careful planning, automation, and collaboration, she has shown how to make cloud systems safer while also cutting unnecessary costs. Sharing her insight, she stated, “Security and cost are often perceived as opposing forces—security being a necessary expense, and cost being something to reduce. But in reality, smart security is good cost optimization.”
Beeram shared, how at her organization, she played a central role in bringing the security and financial teams together. By helping both sides understand each other’s needs, she built a shared approach to cloud governance. Instead of choosing between safety and savings, the teams worked together to find solutions that supported both. One key step was building security into the system from the start—what’s known as “security by design.” This meant adding automatic security checks to development pipelines, so problems were caught early. It reduced manual work, sped up audits, and led to more secure cloud deployments overall.
The professional shared how this approach led to some notable results. Discussing the same, she added, “On Cloud Cost-Security Optimization, we initiated a cross-functional project across business units, which reduced annual cloud spend by 28% while maintaining strict compliance with SOC 2 standards.” In another case, her team improved security in test environments and reduced resource waste in half. They did this by setting limits and rules for how cloud resources could be used, especially in Kubernetes clusters.
But some roadblocks were faced along the way. “There was a challenge of misalignment between security and cost teams,” stated Beeram. “Security teams prioritized maximum protection, while cost teams pushed for minimal spend leading to conflicting decisions and delays.” To fix this, the architect helped create clear rules that balanced risk and cost, making it easier to move forward without constant back-and-forth. Another issue was poor visibility. Some systems had insecure setups that weren’t being used but were still driving up cloud bills—things like open ports or unused IP addresses. To tackle this, she wrote scripts to automatically find and fix these problems, saving money and reducing risks at the same time.
Additionally, she introduced a new way to manage policies through code. This helped ensure every team followed the same rules for security and cost. In just two months, all of the organization’s cloud accounts were in full compliance, with automatic tools in place to fix any mistakes. To put together, this work didn’t just improve security and saved money—it changed how the company thinks about cloud strategy. By adding real-time monitoring and smarter forecasting tools, teams could see how their choices affected both security and cost. This helped them make better decisions and avoid expensive surprises.
Looking further, she agrees with other industry experts that there will be more overlap between financial and security operations. Teams are starting to share dashboards and take joint responsibility for balancing risk and cost. As cloud usage increases, companies need to balance strong security with cost control. Building security into the process early, using tools like Azure Policy and Terraform Sentinel, is becoming a common practice. Teams focused on finance and security are now working together to make better, more cost-effective decisions. With AI helping spot issues and suggest fixes in real time, the shift is moving from reacting to problems to preventing them—making cloud operations safer and more efficient without slowing things down.
Drawing from the above experience, it can be learnt that one does not have to choose between safety and savings. With the right planning, tools, and teamwork, it is possible to build cloud systems which are both secure and cost-effective. For companies trying to grow in the cloud without overspending, this balanced approach could make all the difference.
About the Professional
Shailaja Beeram is a highly skilled Senior Cloud Architect with expertise in cloud frameworks, FinOps, and cost optimization. She holds a post-graduate certification in cloud technologies and DevOps from Caltech University and a master's degree in Finance and Business Administration. Her technical skills span major cloud platforms, including Azure, AWS, and GCP, as well as containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform).
Throughout her career, Beeram has designed secure, cost-effective cloud architectures for large-scale projects and has a track record of automating processes to improve efficiency. At Edenred, she designed scalable cloud infrastructure and developed FinOps dashboards that helped reduce cloud costs by 24%. She also played a key role in modernizing legacy applications for clients like Save A Lot Retail Chain. Her work at various organizations, including Edenred, SHIRO Technologies, and Deloitte, shows her commitment to innovation and continuous improvement in the field.
