Cloud computing is an evolving technology available as Software as a Service (SaaS). The platform offers several benefits to businesses, which include reduced maintenance and updated costs as the service providers manage it all for you.
Potential cloud computing threats arising from the Internet such as increased exposure to security risks can be tackled through the adoption of direct cloud connectivity. Through a private, secure Layer 2 Ethernet connection, companies can easily interconnect to cloud services and applications, bypassing the unpredictability and vulnerabilities of the public Internet. This ensures that mission-critical data and applications remain highly secure for a robust experience.
Like any other IT infrastructure, your cloud system also faces several security threats from insiders and outsiders. Here, we have discussed top threats it faces and how a cloud security platform tackles them.
The cloud environment offers secured storage for organization data. The security of this platform dramatically depends on the way you use and deploy it. Many companies do not understand the importance of access policies when moving to the cloud.
The access management threat can be mitigated by implementing strict access policies. You may use a set of identity verification and authentication resources including identity access management to ensure access to the systems and data for authorized users only. For example, suppose a file is not needed by a specific employee for his daily work. In that case, the employee should not have access to that specific file.
The security team should also perform regular audits to remove any unwanted access privileges by using the privileged access management. You can implement the least rights access model that only gives access privileges needed to perform their tasks.
The data in the cloud generally flows between the systems and employees. There is always a possibility of hackers intercepting and exploiting weak data links.
One of the best ways to protect your data is to encrypt the data with end to end encryption. Cloud security platform-tools should define what normal access behaviour is. It is also necessary to determine what devices and users can access the data resource.
Data is the new oil of the modern business world, and most businesses generate vast amounts of data daily. There is a possibility the data stores can grow to an uncontrollable size. It can increase backup costs and make the process complicated.
According to leading research, 84% of businesses that have migrated to the cloud mention traditional security solutions don’t function efficiently in the cloud environment.
To mitigate this threat, you need a cloud security solution that can analyze each data set and identify the information it holds. Not every data generated is confidential. The cloud security system would categorize data and lock down sensitive information. It would keep the data storage/backup costs in control while preventing data loss.
API stands for Application Programming Interface. The cloud environment uses APIs to process and exchange data. Often, insecure APIs are a significant risk to cloud security. Suppose the API with security vulnerability has excessive access to data. In that case, it can lead to data leaks or data breaches.
Cloud misconfiguration can put the cloud environment at risk. Some companies continue with the default security settings that put their cloud account at risk. The data is often stored in confusing file structures that do not have optimal protection. The security risks increase because a large number of systems are connected to the cloud.
You can use 3rd party tools to manage your cloud environment’s configuration that will mitigate these risks.
Container refers to the packaging of software and all its dependencies in one place. It allows the application to execute the code faster and increases reliability. System administrators often overlook the configuration of containers. The threat rises when the application is accessible to anyone.
Organizations need to focus on using the right access and identity management policies to reduce the risks. They can use a 3rd party cloud security application to control access to application instances. It would be best if you focused on making applications security-friendly and not user-friendly.
These are some of the potential cloud security threats and the right ways to tackle them.
