Pointers at Glance
- Though cloud computing has emerged as the most prominent trend, moving to the cloud without considering security leads to cloud security threats.
- The top 5 cloud security threats for strengthening the security architecture are mentioned in this article.
Post the pandemic, cloud computing has emerged as one of the largest trends. Many enterprises have moved the workload to the cloud to ensure business continuity. But, moving to the cloud without considering security seems to raise the possibility of threats.
As per the Security Magazine, Around 63% of the IT professionals surveyed identified cyber threats designed to target cloud services which top the obstacle to their cloud strategy.
Enterprises planning to move to the cloud must understand vulnerabilities and design an appropriate cloud security strategy. The top 5 cloud security threats that need to be considered for strengthening the security architecture are Data Breaches, API Vulnerabilities, Cloud Malware, Lack of Identity & Access Management Solutions, and Cloud Misconfigurations. Each of them is explained below.
Data Breaches
The primary benefit of the cloud is the accessibility to data at all times, facilitating instant sharing and enhancing collaboration. However, this also becomes a drawback as the cloud makes it easy for users to share data with team members or third parties. These factors lead to data breaches and loss or leakage of the company’s confidential information.
API Vulnerabilities
Cloud software interacts with each other via Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and becomes an essential part of the environment. But, enterprises fail to secure their APIs. APIs will soon become the most targeted cyber attack, as per Gartner.
Cloud Malware
Cloud malware is a cyber attack on a cloud-based system with a malicious code or service. Malware will have various attacks like DoS, hyperjacking, and hypervisor infections. Security teams frequently assume that Malware isn’t an issue in the cloud. But, Malware is the real threat in the cloud, and there are multiple layers of security to detect it.
Lack of Identity & Access Management Solutions
Easy accessibility of data is one of the major benefits of the cloud. But, this also turns into a drawback. When data is easily accessible, it raises multiple access management crises. Hence, it is suggested to implement advanced identity and access management solutions to ensure employees have access to the specific data that is critical for their functions.
Cloud Misconfigurations
Cloud Misconfigurations are one of the significant threats businesses face while functioning in a cloud-based environment. Misconfiguration occurs when a company does not configure its cloud-based system correctly, leaving it unsafe to hackers.
Understanding the most significant threats surrounding a cloud-based environment is essential to preventing them. Businesses can develop the proper defense and strategies to avoid cyber-attacks to reap the benefits of operating in a safe and seamless cloud environment.
