Cloud computing has changed the way businesses operate. Companies can store enormous amounts of data, run applications, collaborate with employees and scale their IT infrastructure without the expense of a server room and other on-premise equipment.
But there’s a catch: Moving to the cloud doesn’t make security problems go away; in some cases, it creates new ones. To ensure security, you must properly configure the cloud environment. The problem is that attackers can exploit misconfigurations and vulnerabilities to compromise systems and gain access to business data.
Below, we examine the biggest cloud security threats businesses should know about — and what they can do to reduce the risks.
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Misconfigured cloud services
Misconfiguration is one of the most common cloud security problems and one of the easiest to overlook. Cloud platforms offer thousands of settings governing who can access data, which applications can communicate with one another and what users are allowed to do. If administrators don’t configure those settings correctly, unauthorized users can access sensitive information.
For example, your administrator might configure a storage bucket containing sensitive customer data to be publicly accessible. As a result, the database might become exposed to the internet when only internal users should be able to access it.
Response:
- Set up secure configuration standards and regularly audit your cloud environment.
- Use automated cloud security tools to identify overly permissive access settings, exposed resources and other configuration problems before attackers find them.
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Stolen or compromised credentials
Attackers don’t always need to exploit a vulnerability to get access to computer systems and sensitive data. Sometimes they just need someone’s account name and password. A compromised credential can provide them with access to email, applications, databases, files and other sensitive resources. Phishing attacks, password reuse, credential stuffing and malware can all result in stolen credentials.
Response:
- Require multifactor authentication for cloud accounts.
- Enforce strong passwords and deploy centralized identity and access management.
- Train employees to spot phishing attacks and other credential-stealing attacks.
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Excessive user permissions
Here’s a simple rule that can prevent a lot of trouble: Employees should have access to what they need — and nothing more.
Unfortunately, businesses often grant users excessive privileges because it’s easier than determining what access they require. An employee who needed access to one application may eventually get permissions to databases, cloud storage, administrative systems and other resources. If attackers compromise that account, they inherit those privileges.
Response:
- Leverage the principle of least privilege by granting users only the absolute minimum permissions they need to do their jobs.
- Regularly review user permissions and remove access that employees no longer need.
- Use role-based access controls that assign permissions based on someone’s job responsibilities.
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Insecure APIs
Applications and services use application programming interfaces, or APIs, to communicate with one another. Modern cloud computing depends on APIs, but they can also create security risks.
Attackers can exploit improperly secured APIs to access sensitive data, bypass authentication or take control of applications. Because APIs often connect directly to backend systems, vulnerabilities can have serious consequences.
Response:
- Require strong authentication and authorization for APIs.
- Encrypt sensitive data.
- Monitor API activity and regularly test for vulnerabilities.
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Data breaches and data loss
Cloud providers invest heavily to protect their infrastructure, but it’s up to businesses to secure their sensitive data and other assets.
A successful attack, accidental deletion, software failure or compromised account could result in data loss or breach. The consequences can be especially serious if customer or financial data is involved.
Response:
- Encrypt sensitive data both when you store it and when you transmit it.
- Maintain reliable backups and test the recovery process regularly.
- Classify data to determine which information requires the strongest protection.
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Insider threats
Not every security incident comes from outside the organization. Employees, contractors and other insiders may intentionally steal information or accidentally expose it. They might download sensitive files to an unsecured computer, send confidential information to the wrong recipient or fall for a phishing attack.
Response:
- Combine access controls with monitoring.
- Conduct regular logging audits and behavioral monitoring to identify unusual activity, such as an employee suddenly downloading thousands of files.
- Provide employees with security awareness to reduce accidental breaches.
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Shadow IT
Employees love technology that makes their jobs easier, and sometimes they use cloud applications without telling IT.
That’s known as shadow IT, and it can create significant security problems. An employee might upload company documents to an unapproved file-sharing service or use an unsanctioned AI application to analyze confidential information, without IT knowing the data is there.
Response:
- Provide your employees with secure IT alternatives and simplify the approval process for new applications.
- Use cloud discovery and monitoring tools to find applications that your employees are using without authorization.
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Vulnerable or outdated software
Attackers routinely search for known vulnerabilities that organizations haven’t patched.
Cloud applications don’t automatically eliminate those vulnerabilities. You have to patch operating systems, applications, containers, virtual machines and other components of your cloud environment.
Response:
- Establish a vulnerability management program that includes regular scanning, risk-based patching and continuous monitoring.
- Prioritize critical vulnerabilities, especially when they’re actively being exploited.
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Poor cloud visibility
Organizations can have applications and data spread across multiple cloud providers, accounts, regions and environments. Developers may also create temporary resources that remain active long after they’re needed.
This complexity makes it difficult to understand exactly what an organization has — and where its most sensitive data is located.
Response:
- Maintain an accurate inventory of cloud assets and continuously monitor them.
- Ensure security teams have visibility into users, applications, data, workloads, configurations and networks across your cloud environment.
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Supply chain attacks
Your organization may have excellent security practices and still be exposed through a third party. Cloud applications frequently depend on software libraries, contractors, managed service providers, SaaS applications and other vendors. If one of those providers is compromised, attackers may exploit that relationship to reach their customers.
Response:
- Evaluate the security practices of your vendors before providing them access to sensitive systems or data.
- Limit access for third-party vendors, monitor their accounts and review supply chain risks regularly.
Building a stronger cloud security strategy
The good news is that businesses don’t have to eliminate all risks to make their cloud environments safer. What they need are layers of protection.
Start with the basics: enable multifactor authentication, enforce least privilege, encrypt sensitive data, patch vulnerabilities, maintain tested backups, monitor cloud environments and regularly review configurations.
Just as important, make security everyone’s responsibility. IT and security teams can’t protect a cloud environment if employees don’t understand the risks from weak passwords, phishing, file sharing and shadow IT.
Cloud security isn’t a one-time project. As businesses add applications, employees, data and cloud services, their attack surface changes.
The key is to know what you have, know who can access it, monitor what’s happening and be ready to take action when something goes wrong.
That’s ultimately what good cloud security is about — not making the cloud risk-free, but making it much harder for an attacker to turn one mistake into a major business problem.
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