In theory, cloud computing and cybersecurity may seem diametrically opposed. On one hand, the cloud requires an organisation to store data offsite or trust a third party to manage their data and IT processes; while on the other, cybersecurity calls on businesses to keep their data close and protect it at all costs.
One would imagine that these two concepts are clashing. However, the fact of the matter is, it’s the opposite. Over the years, as more and more organisations shift their data and environments to the cloud, we have witnessed these two practices develop a symbiotic link.Â
A recent study by analyst firm International Data Corporation (IDC) highlighted that worldwide spending on cloud services will surpass $1 trillion in 2024. This growth is further fueled by organisations adopting remote and hybrid working environments in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever, businesses are embracing the cloud for the advantages it brings such as flexibility, scalability, cost-efficiency and more.
However, the cloud explosion has also provided threat actors with greater opportunities and tools to conduct attacks. According to the Netskope Cloud and Threat report, cybercriminals have begun using cloud apps to host their phishing lures, making the attacks look more convincing which enables them to bypass traditional phishing detection software. In fact, cloud app credentials remain a top target (36%) for phishing campaigns in 2020. This trend demonstrates why security is a vital necessity in the cloud era.Â
At the same time, the evolution of cloud technologies has allowed cybersecurity to be more pervasive. A recent cloud security report revealed that 66% of organisations believe that traditional security solutions either do not work or have limited functionality in the cloud. This shows that to be prepared for tomorrow’s attack vectors, enterprises today need to leverage cloud-native security solutions to build a robust cyber defence.
WATCH:Â Netskope on how enterprises can navigate security in the cloud era
As cloud continues to take the business world by storm, we have outlined the five most prevalent security threats that organisations face when leveraging cloud solutions. However, it is important to keep in mind that these cloud security threats are always evolving and everyone should invest in future-proofing their cyber strategies and defences:
- Data breach/loss
Cloud solutions enable businesses to be more agile, allowing them to seamlessly collaborate with internal stakeholders or external partners. However, sometimes cloud environments make it too easy for organisations to share data, which presents significant risks for data loss.
Data is regarded as the ‘new oil’ and the bad guys are well-aware of its value and are constantly on the lookout for cloud solutions with leaky buckets. If valuable information falls in the wrong hands, it can have a devastating impact on the organisation. It can cause not only huge financial losses but also significant damage to a company’s reputation.
One of the best ways to mitigate this threat is by deploying data loss prevention (DLP) tools. Such solutions provide ample visibility over the data usage across the organisation. Business and IT leaders should also implement robust backup and incident response plans. In addition, they can also leverage solutions that enable SSL/TLS inspection to ensure data and threat protection when accessing cloud services, websites, and private apps from anywhere, on any device.
- Misconfigurations
During the past year, many organisations were pushed to shift their environments to the cloud in a haste. The pandemic-driven rush meant that IT and security teams didn’t get a chance to perform a threat analysis or properly configure their cloud applications.
Misconfiguration occurs when computing assets are set up incorrectly, which expose organisations to risky and expensive security threats. A recent industry report revealed that in the last two years, security breaches due to cloud misconfigurations cost companies worldwide an estimated $5 trillion.
In order to address this issue, organisations need to conduct regular and comprehensive audits of cloud applications, remediating any misconfigurations while applying the right security patches. It is also ideal to invest in network monitoring tools capable of scanning the network to prevent cloud misconfigurations from happening.
- Insider threats
Every so often, trusted insiders pose the biggest threat to a company’s cloud infrastructure. Insider threats are typically individuals with legitimate access to an organisation’s cloud environment and do not necessarily need to have a malicious intent to damage IT systems or put data at risk. Sometimes, it’s simply either a careless or a clueless employee.
Insider threats can be mitigated by investing in solutions focused on user analytics and on gaining visibility into behavioural anomalies across the network. Organisations can also consider adopting a Zero Trust approach to cloud security. Zero Trust inherently assumes that all users are untrustworthy and requires strict identity verification for every user and device when attempting to access resources.
Additionally, IT and business leaders should also hold training sessions to increase cyber awareness within the organisation, ensuring that employees don’t fall victim to phishing and other social engineering attacks.
- DDoS attacks and other system vulnerabilities
Cloud undeniably plays a significant role in enabling organisations to effectively and efficiently do business. Companies today leverage cloud to store and manage business-critical data and to run vital customer-facing applications. This means that system vulnerabilities such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks against cloud environments can have a devastating impact on any business.
There are a number of steps that IT and security leaders can take to address system vulnerabilities, including implementing data encryption and deploying comprehensive intrusion detection systems that work on cloud, on-premise and hybrid environments.
- Insufficient cloud security architecture and strategies
With the increased adoption of cloud across industries, one of the biggest challenges many enterprises face is the lack of a proper security architecture that can withstand cyber-attacks. Oftentimes, in the rush to move to cloud, organisations tend to leverage a security infrastructure that is not aligned with their environment.
To mitigate the risks brought by this challenge, organisations must first make sure that their cloud and security strategies are in tune with their business goals. They also need to conduct their due diligence and ensure that their security framework is compatible with their cloud deployments.
Furthermore, organisations can also consider implementing a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) architecture. SASE leverages cloud-native security functions such as secure web gateways, cloud access security brokers, firewalls and zero-trust network access, which help protect organisations as environments increasingly become perimeterless.
Protecting your cloud systems
The proliferation of cloud has transformed the way both businesses and hackers work. Now more than ever, it is crucial for organisations to broaden their understanding of the most significant cloud security threats and how they can best defend themselves against potential attacks. However, it is also important to note that these threats are constantly evolving and that when it comes to security there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’. Therefore, enterprises need to continuously evolve and improve their cloud security strategies to fully harness the power of cloud.
Watch ITP.net’s interview with Netskope’s senior director for Middle East, Arie de Groot to find out more about cloud security
