As your business operations evolve, cloud computing has grown to be an integral part of your business – offering improved productivity, remote work flexibility, and cost savings. But with over 48% of U.S. businesses now storing their sensitive data in the cloud, there has been an increase in the number of security threats in cloud computing.
In this blog post, we will discuss the biggest cloud security threats, including a lack of visibility, insufficient identity and access controls, lack of data encryption, lack of a cloud security strategy, and lack of employee training.
And more importantly, how a managed service provider (MSP) can help you mitigate all of these cloud security challenges.
Image Credit: Business Insights
Understanding the Landscape of Cloud Security Threats
Although cloud environments still serve as the more reliable alternative over traditional data centers, recent studies show that an alarming 80% of companies have experienced at least one cloud security incident in the last year.
With increasing frequency, cloud computing security threats take on a variety of forms. These include:
- Denial of service (DDos) attacks
- Phishing scams
- Unauthorized access
- Cloud misconfiguration
- Data breaches
- And more
The question then is: What vulnerabilities in your cloud security allow these attacks to occur and how can you stay safe from them?
What Makes Cloud Security Threats Successful? And How to Mitigate Them
Now that we’ve identified some of the common cloud security threats, let’s take a look at how you can mitigate the risks by ensuring you’ve covered all of these top cloud security protocols.
1. Lack of Visibility
One of the biggest challenges in mitigating cloud security threats is the lack of visibility that most businesses have over their cloud infrastructure.
In a traditional IT environment, you have complete control over your infrastructure, but in the cloud, you rely on the cloud service provider to manage it for you. This lack of visibility can make it difficult to identify and respond to security threats.
As a result, it is important to implement a shared responsibility model for your cloud environments between you and your MSP so that you always have a clear understanding of your cloud technologies.
This includes:
- Knowing what data and applications are stored in the cloud
- Who has access to them
- How they are protected
More importantly, it is crucial that you choose the right managed service provider (MSP) who is prepared to safeguard your cloud technology without you having to place too much worry on it yourself.
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2. Insufficient Identity and Access Controls
Another reason why security breaches happen in the cloud is a lack of sufficient identity and access controls.
In the cloud, multiple users can access the same data and applications, making it challenging to control who has access to what. If access controls are not properly configured, unauthorized users can gain access to sensitive data, leading to a security breach.
To ensure cloud security, it is important to implement strong access management controls. This includes using multi-factor authentication, restricting access to sensitive data, and monitoring user activity.
You should also implement policies that ensure that access is granted only to those who need it and that access is revoked when it is no longer required.
3. Lack of Data Encryption
Data encryption is an essential component of cloud security, as it ensures that data is protected even if it is accessed by unauthorized users. However, many businesses do not implement adequate encryption measures, making them vulnerable to attack and data loss.
Considering that over over 45% of U.S. businesses have experienced at least one instance of data breach, in some cases being so severe that it causes them to go out of business entirely – this isn’t a risk you should be willing to take.
To ensure protection over cloud security threats, it is important to encrypt all data that is stored in the cloud. This includes data in transit as well as data at rest. You should also ensure that your encryption keys are stored securely and that access to them is restricted to authorized users.
4. Lack of Internal Cyber Awareness Training
Many businesses rely on their cloud service providers to ensure their security over cloud computing security threats, without giving much thought to their own internal training or security protocols.
Even though it’s safe to rely on your MSPs, it’s also a good idea to provide your team with cyber awareness training and security protocols.
In a cloud environment, it is particularly important to train employees on how to securely access and manage cloud resources, including how to create and manage strong passwords, how to identify and respond to suspicious activity, and how to handle sensitive data securely.
This can help prevent unauthorized access, data breaches, and other security incidents that could potentially compromise your entire cloud environment.
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How XL.net Can Help You Mitigate Cloud Security Threats
Security threats in cloud computing are a real and ever-present danger in today’s digital landscape.
XL.net is committed to providing comprehensive cloud security solutions that safeguard your business from these threats.
With our expert team and 70+ technology certifications, we can help you identify and address vulnerabilities in your cloud environment, prevent data breaches, and protect your valuable assets.
We answer 99.3% of your calls 24/7/365 so you always have access to the support you need to stay productive and protected.
With XL.net as your cloud security partner, you can have peace of mind knowing that your business and data are safe. Contact us today to get started on your journey to protection!