Since the advent of cloud computing, a persistent question remains: How do cloud service providers secure businesses with cloud-based infrastructure? The reality is that inadequate security can spell disaster, potentially costing a business a fortune or even leading to its closure.
WHAT IS CLOUD SECURITY?
Cloud security encompasses the procedures and technologies designed to mitigate external and internal threats to businesses with cloud-based infrastructure. As enterprises embrace digital transformation, cloud migration, and computing models such as IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, they face various challenges related to the dynamic nature of infrastructure management, particularly in scaling applications and services.
Despite cloud service providers taking active steps to protect their integrity by following industry best practices, organizations must also take bold steps to ensure the security of their cloud assets, especially when using public cloud services. Such actions can save organizations from governance and compliance risks when managing client information.
MAJOR CLOUD SECURITY RISKS
Human Error: Gartner predicts that a large percentage of cloud security failures will result from human error, primarily by customers. This rise in errors is often due to the use of unsecured resources, such as APIs, without the enterprise’s knowledge. This highlights the need for robust controls and adequate process security.
Data Breach: Data breaches are among the most common cloud security risks. They occur when attackers successfully access sensitive information such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Personal Health Information (PHI), violating the principle of “Confidentiality” in the CIA TRIAD. Data breaches often result from improper configuration and inadequate runtime protection.
Unmanaged Attack Surface: The attack surface refers to the various points where an unauthorized user can attempt to enter or extract data from the environment. In cloud environments, the attack surface can be vast and complex, making it difficult to manage. Unmanaged attack surfaces can lead to vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit. This risk increases with subscription to third-party services, causing potential leakage of vital information that aids threat actors.
Misconfiguration: Misconfiguration of cloud settings remains one of the most pressing issues in cloud security. Many breaches in the cloud space are attributed to misconfigured assets, which provide threat actors with opportunities to penetrate an organization’s security walls. Leaving storage buckets open to the public, not enabling encryption, and using default security settings are examples of common misconfigurations
CLOUD SECURITY DIFFICULTIES
Invisibility: Due to the level of access to cloud services originating through third parties and from outside corporate networks, keeping track of data access (who, when, and how) can prove difficult.
Compliance: Adhering to regulations and standards such as HIPAA is crucial for increasing security posture and preventing breaches that could expose sensitive data like PII and PHI. Regular auditing helps ensure compliance.
Access Management: Managing and restricting access points in on-premises systems is often straightforward for enterprises. However, applying the same level of control in cloud environments can be challenging, especially for organizations lacking bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies.
Cloud Security Threats
Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs): These threats involve an insider’s ability to remain undetected within an enterprise network for an extended period, allowing threat actors to exfiltrate sensitive data over time.
Zero-days: Zero-day exploits take advantage of unpatched vulnerabilities in software and operating systems, posing a significant risk even with top-notch cloud configurations.
Insider Threats: These threats originate from within the organization, often from disgruntled employees or former employees familiar with the network or security architecture.
Countering Cloud Security Risks
To mitigate these risks, organizations should prioritize and implement the following steps:
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Risk acceptance must involve proper documentation and evaluation.
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Implementing and updating security controls as often as possible is not optional.
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Detection is vital in cybersecurity. It emphasizes the importance of risk assessments in an organization. Ensure to carry them out as often as possible.
Best Practices for Cloud Security
To further mitigate these risks, organizations should adopt the following best practices for cloud security:
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Implement strong access controls.
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Regularly update and patch systems.
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Encrypt sensitive data.
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Conduct regular security audits.
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Educate employees about security risks and best practices.
