More accessibility, more scalability, less maintanence: The benefits of trading in your legacy systems for cloud computing solutions are undeniable. However, more than 90% of organizations are moderately or extremely concerned about security in the cloud.
We break down some of the top reasons businesses are worried, and how you start experiencing the value of the cloud without the pitfalls.
Top Cloud Security Threats & Concerns
Misconfiguration
Cloud misconfiguration is one of the leading causes of cloud computing security breaches. Cloud customers not only need to configure their own cloud deployments, but they also have to rely on the security controls provided by the cloud provider—all of which can lead to security gaps and oversights.
Lack of Visibility
Cloud-based resources are located in the cloud provider’s infrastructure, not your business’s. This means it can be hard to apply traditional security tools to your cloud environment, limiting your ability to get a comprehensive view of your cloud resources.
Malicious Insiders
Malicious insiders are a serious security issue, and they’re particularly hard to detect when they’re working in the cloud. This is due to a number of factors, such as the fact that companies don’t have control over the cloud’s underlying infrastructure, cloud infrastructure can be accessed from public internet, and cloud solutions often suffer from misconfigurations.
Unsecured Access Points
Because cloud-based resources are outside of your organization’s network and accessible via public internet, employees and customers can conveniently access your resources. However, this also makes it easier for bad actors to gain unathorized access to your business’s data and applications.
What Can You Do? Start Shoring Up Your Security With These Tips
Use real-time monitoring solutions
Real-time cloud monitoring of user activity is key to spotting irregular activity and stopping bad actors before they can cause widespread damage. Many businesses choose to invest in Security Operations Center as a Service (SOCaaS) for network monitoring and other advanced security tools, such as vulnerability scanning and endpoint detection and response.
Employ multi-factor authentication
One of the easiest, and most effective, ways to ensure only authorized users gain access to your cloud resources is to employ multi-factor authentication (MFA). By requiring an additional “factor,” in addition to a password, MFA makes it significantly more difficult for bad actors to steal login credentials.
Check your cloud provider’s security measures and SLAs
Before signing any agreements with a cloud service provider, check their security offerings and service level agreements. How will they ensure bad actors don’t penetrate your cloud environment? How will the provider restore normal service after a security breach? How long will it take?
Set proper authorization levels
For maximum security, consider operating under a least privileged access model. This prevents employess from gaining access to data they don’t need, and it limits a bad actor’s ability to gain your most sensitive information. To define, manage, and monitor access permissions, you may choose to implement an Identity and Access Management solution, which gives you a centralized view of who has access to your cloud resources (and which resources they have access to).
Prioritize ongoing training
Cloud infrastructure is accessible via public internet, which can be disastrous if login credentials get into the wrong hands. One of the best ways to stop a disaster before it starts is by implementing ongoing employee training. With the right security knowledge, your workforce can mitigate the increasing number of cyber threats impacting businesses today.
Cloud Defense That Fits Your Business
With AccountabilIT, there’s no need to worry about the state of your cloud security. As a cybersecurity leader and pioneer in cloud transformation and cloud managed services, we’re here to bring you right-sized solutions that fit your needs while providing the highest levels of security. Connect with us today to learn more.
