Networking & Security Service Comparison

A comprehensive comparison of networking and security services across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform with equivalent service mappings.

Core Networking Services

Virtual Private Networks

AWS

  • Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)
    Isolated cloud environment with complete networking control

Azure

  • Virtual Network (VNet)
    Private network in Azure with advanced security features

Google Cloud

  • Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)
    Global resource allowing subnets across multiple regions
Subnets & Network Segmentation

AWS

  • Subnets
    Public and private subnets within VPC
  • Network ACLs
    Subnet-level firewall rules

Azure

  • Subnets
    Network segmentation within Virtual Networks
  • Network Security Groups (NSG)
    Subnet and NIC-level security rules

Google Cloud

  • Subnets
    Regional subnets within global VPC
  • Firewall Rules
    VPC-level firewall with tag-based targeting
Network Interfaces & IP Management

AWS

  • Elastic Network Interface (ENI)
    Virtual network interface for EC2 instances
  • Elastic IP (EIP)
    Static public IPv4 addresses

Azure

  • Network Interface Card (NIC)
    Virtual network interface for VMs
  • Public IP Address
    Static and dynamic public IP addresses

Google Cloud

  • Network Interfaces
    Virtual network interfaces for VM instances
  • Static External IP
    Reserved external IP addresses

Connectivity Services

Dedicated Network Connections

AWS

  • Direct Connect
    Dedicated network connection from on-premises to AWS
  • Direct Connect Gateway
    Connect to multiple VPCs across regions via Direct Connect
  • Site-to-Site VPN
    IPsec VPN connection between on-premises and AWS

Azure

  • ExpressRoute
    Private connection to Azure via connectivity provider
  • ExpressRoute Global Reach
    Connect on-premises networks through Azure backbone
  • Site-to-Site VPN
    IPsec VPN between on-premises and Azure

Google Cloud

  • Dedicated Interconnect
    Direct physical connection to Google Cloud
  • Partner Interconnect
    Connect via supported service provider
  • Cloud VPN
    IPsec VPN tunnel to Google Cloud VPC
Hybrid & Remote Access

AWS

  • Client VPN
    Managed client-based VPN service
  • AWS PrivateLink
    Private connectivity to AWS services and VPC endpoints
  • VPC Endpoints
    Private access to AWS services without internet gateway

Azure

  • Point-to-Site VPN
    Individual client connections to Azure VNet
  • Private Link
    Private access to Azure services over Azure backbone
  • Private Endpoints
    Private IP addresses for Azure services in VNet

Google Cloud

  • Cloud VPN (Client)
    Client-to-site VPN for remote access
  • Private Service Connect
    Private connectivity to Google services and third-party services
  • Private Google Access
    Access Google services from instances without external IPs
Network Peering

AWS

  • VPC Peering
    Direct network connection between VPCs

Azure

  • VNet Peering
    Connect virtual networks seamlessly

Google Cloud

  • VPC Peering
    Private connectivity between VPC networks
Transit & Hub Services

AWS

  • Transit Gateway
    Central hub for connecting VPCs, on-premises, and remote networks
  • Transit Gateway Network Manager
    Global network monitoring and management
  • Cloud WAN
    Managed wide area network for global connectivity

Azure

  • Virtual Hub
    Central connectivity point in Virtual WAN
  • Virtual WAN
    Global transit network for optimized branch connectivity
  • Route Server
    Managed BGP route server for network virtual appliances

Google Cloud

  • Network Connectivity Center
    Central hub for enterprise connectivity and hybrid networks
  • Router Appliance
    Third-party network virtual appliance integration
  • Cross-project Networking
    Shared VPC for multi-project deployments

Load Balancing Services

Application Load Balancing

AWS

  • Application Load Balancer (ALB)
    Layer 7 load balancing with advanced routing and SSL termination
  • Network Load Balancer (NLB)
    Ultra-high performance Layer 4 load balancing
  • Classic Load Balancer
    Legacy load balancer for EC2-Classic instances

Azure

  • Application Gateway
    Layer 7 load balancer with WAF, SSL termination, and URL routing
  • Load Balancer
    Layer 4 load balancing for high availability and performance
  • Azure Load Balancer (Basic)
    Basic Layer 4 load balancing for small workloads

Google Cloud

  • Global HTTP(S) Load Balancer
    Global Layer 7 load balancing with SSL termination
  • Regional Network Load Balancer
    Regional Layer 4 load balancing
  • Global Network Load Balancer
    Global Layer 4 load balancing with anycast IPs
Specialized Load Balancing

AWS

  • Gateway Load Balancer (GWLB)
    Deploy and scale third-party network virtual appliances (firewalls, IDS/IPS)
  • Global Accelerator
    Global traffic management with health-based routing and DDoS protection
  • Elastic Load Balancing (ELB)
    Umbrella service for all AWS load balancer types

Azure

  • Azure Firewall Manager
    Central management for network security policies and third-party appliances
  • Traffic Manager
    DNS-based global load balancing and traffic routing
  • Cross-region Load Balancer
    Global load balancing across Azure regions

Google Cloud

  • Cloud Load Balancing (Specialized)
    Integration with network virtual appliances and security services
  • Global External Load Balancer
    Anycast IP for global traffic distribution with Cloud CDN integration
  • Traffic Director
    Service mesh traffic management for microservices
Internal Load Balancing

AWS

  • Internal Load Balancer
    Private load balancing within VPC
  • Gateway Load Balancer
    Deploy and scale third-party network appliances

Azure

  • Internal Load Balancer
    Private load balancing within VNet
  • Azure Firewall Manager
    Central network security policy management

Google Cloud

  • Internal Load Balancer
    Private load balancing within VPC
  • Private Service Connect Load Balancer
    Load balancing for private services

DNS Services

DNS Management

AWS

  • Route 53
    Highly available DNS with health checks and traffic policies
  • Route 53 Resolver
    Hybrid DNS resolution for VPC and on-premises

Azure

  • Azure DNS
    Reliable DNS hosting with Azure integration
  • Private DNS
    Private DNS zones for internal name resolution

Google Cloud

  • Cloud DNS
    Scalable, reliable managed DNS service
  • Private DNS
    Private zones for internal name resolution

Content Delivery Network

Content Delivery & Edge Services

AWS

  • CloudFront
    Global CDN with 400+ edge locations and Lambda@Edge
  • CloudFront Functions
    Lightweight functions for edge processing
  • AWS Global Accelerator
    Network layer acceleration using AWS global network

Azure

  • Azure CDN
    Global CDN with multiple provider options (Microsoft, Verizon, Akamai)
  • Azure Front Door
    Global entry point with CDN, WAF, and load balancing
  • Azure Front Door Premium
    Enhanced security with managed rule sets and private link

Google Cloud

  • Cloud CDN
    Global CDN using Google's edge network with cache invalidation
  • Media CDN
    Specialized CDN for large file and media delivery
  • Cloud Endpoints
    API management and distribution with edge caching

Security & Identity Management

Identity & Access Management

AWS

  • Identity and Access Management (IAM)
    Fine-grained access control for AWS resources
  • IAM Identity Center (SSO)
    Centralized access management for multiple AWS accounts
  • Cognito
    User identity and authentication for applications

Azure

  • Azure Active Directory (Entra ID)
    Cloud-based identity and access management
  • Azure AD B2C
    Customer identity and access management
  • Azure AD B2B
    Secure partner and guest access

Google Cloud

  • Identity and Access Management (IAM)
    Fine-grained access control with hierarchical policies
  • Cloud Identity
    Identity as a Service for users and devices
  • Firebase Auth
    Authentication for mobile and web applications
Multi-Factor Authentication

AWS

  • IAM MFA
    Virtual and hardware MFA devices
  • Cognito MFA
    SMS and software token MFA for applications

Azure

  • Azure Multi-Factor Authentication
    Cloud-based MFA with multiple verification methods
  • Conditional Access
    Risk-based access control policies

Google Cloud

  • 2-Step Verification
    Multiple second-factor authentication options
  • Context-Aware Access
    Zero-trust access control based on context

Network Security

Web Application Firewalls

AWS

  • AWS WAF
    Web application firewall for CloudFront, ALB, and API Gateway
  • AWS Shield
    DDoS protection (Standard and Advanced)

Azure

  • Web Application Firewall
    WAF protection for Application Gateway and Front Door
  • DDoS Protection
    Basic and Standard DDoS protection

Google Cloud

  • Cloud Armor
    DDoS protection and WAF for global load balancers
  • reCAPTCHA Enterprise
    Advanced bot and abuse protection
Network Firewalls

AWS

  • AWS Network Firewall
    Managed network firewall for VPC protection
  • Security Groups
    Instance-level firewall with stateful rules

Azure

  • Azure Firewall
    Managed cloud-based network security service
  • Network Security Groups
    Network traffic filtering at subnet and NIC level

Google Cloud

  • Cloud Next Generation Firewall
    Advanced threat protection and inspection
  • VPC Firewall Rules
    Stateful firewall rules for VPC networks
Zero Trust & Network Access

AWS

  • AWS Verified Access
    Zero-trust network access without VPN
  • Client VPN
    Managed client-based VPN service

Azure

  • Azure AD Application Proxy
    Secure remote access to on-premises applications
  • Point-to-Site VPN
    Individual client connections to Azure

Google Cloud

  • Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP)
    Zero-trust access to applications and VMs
  • Cloud VPN
    Client-based VPN for secure access

Encryption & Secrets Management

Key Management

AWS

  • Key Management Service (KMS)
    Managed encryption key creation and control
  • CloudHSM
    Hardware security module for key storage

Azure

  • Key Vault
    Secure key, secret, and certificate management
  • Dedicated HSM
    Single-tenant hardware security module

Google Cloud

  • Key Management Service
    Cryptographic key management for cloud services
  • Cloud HSM
    FIPS 140-2 Level 3 hardware security module
Secrets Management

AWS

  • Secrets Manager
    Centralized secrets storage with rotation
  • Systems Manager Parameter Store
    Secure storage for configuration data and secrets

Azure

  • Key Vault Secrets
    Secure storage and management of secrets
  • App Configuration
    Centralized configuration management with Key Vault integration

Google Cloud

  • Secret Manager
    Secure storage and management of sensitive data
  • Configuration Management
    Runtime configuration with Secret Manager integration
Certificate Management

AWS

  • Certificate Manager (ACM)
    SSL/TLS certificate provisioning and management
  • Private Certificate Authority
    Managed private certificate authority

Azure

  • Key Vault Certificates
    SSL/TLS certificate management and auto-renewal
  • App Service Certificates
    SSL certificates for App Service applications

Google Cloud

  • Certificate Manager
    SSL certificate provisioning and management
  • Certificate Authority Service
    Managed private certificate authority

Compliance & Governance

Policy & Compliance

AWS

  • Organizations
    Centrally manage multiple AWS accounts
  • Control Tower
    Set up and govern secure, multi-account environment
  • Config
    Configuration compliance monitoring

Azure

  • Azure Policy
    Enforce organizational standards and compliance
  • Management Groups
    Hierarchical organization of subscriptions
  • Blueprints
    Repeatable set of governance tools and resources

Google Cloud

  • Organization Policy
    Centralized constraints on cloud resources
  • Resource Manager
    Hierarchically organize and manage resources
  • Security Command Center
    Security and risk management platform
Data Protection & Privacy

AWS

  • Macie
    Data security and privacy using machine learning
  • GuardDuty
    Threat detection using machine learning

Azure

  • Purview
    Data governance and protection across hybrid environments
  • Information Protection
    Classify, label, and protect sensitive data

Google Cloud

  • Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
    Discover, classify, and protect sensitive data
  • Sensitive Data Protection
    Automated data discovery and classification

Security Monitoring & Logging

Security Information & Event Management

AWS

  • Security Hub
    Central security findings management
  • CloudTrail
    API call logging and governance
  • Detective
    Security investigation with behavior analysis

Azure

  • Microsoft Sentinel
    Cloud-native SIEM and SOAR solution
  • Activity Log
    Subscription-level events logging
  • Microsoft Defender for Cloud
    Unified security management and threat protection

Google Cloud

  • Chronicle SIEM
    Cloud-native security analytics platform
  • Cloud Audit Logs
    Administrative activity and data access logs
  • Security Command Center
    Centralized security and risk management
Vulnerability & Threat Management

AWS

  • Inspector
    Automated security assessments for applications
  • Trusted Advisor
    Security recommendations and best practices

Azure

  • Defender for Containers
    Container security and vulnerability assessment
  • Security Center Recommendations
    Security posture management and recommendations

Google Cloud

  • Container Analysis
    Vulnerability scanning for container images
  • Security Health Analytics
    Built-in security insights and recommendations

Resource Sharing & Cross-Account Access

Cross-Account Resource Sharing

AWS

  • Resource Access Manager (RAM)
    Share AWS resources across accounts and organizations
  • Cross-Account IAM Roles
    Delegate access across AWS accounts

Azure

  • Azure Lighthouse
    Cross-tenant management and delegation
  • Azure RBAC
    Role-based access control across subscriptions

Google Cloud

  • Shared VPC
    Share VPC networks across projects
  • Cross-Project IAM
    Grant access across Google Cloud projects
Service-to-Service Communication

AWS

  • VPC Endpoints
    Private connectivity to AWS services
  • AWS PrivateLink
    Private connectivity between VPCs and services

Azure

  • Private Endpoints
    Private access to Azure platform services
  • Service Endpoints
    Direct connectivity to Azure services from VNet

Google Cloud

  • Private Service Connect
    Private connectivity to Google services and third-party services
  • Private Google Access
    Access Google services from private instances