Cloud solutions offer a variety of new opportunities to organisations in nearly every field, but they also introduce some unique security risks that should be taken seriously by all stakeholders. Misconfigurations cost trillions of dollars every year, and even smaller data breaches can be incredibly damaging. In this article, we’ll cover three of the most important threats to cloud security systems. While it’s impossible to totally eliminate security risks, improving your practices can dramatically reduce the chances of a successful breach. Keep in mind that infrastructure as code will continue to play a crucial role in cloud security in 2021 and beyond.
Access permissions
A cloud solution is only as secure as its weakest link, and employee accounts are a particularly easy target for attackers. Hackers can get into your system through an employee account and potentially expose sensitive information depending on the employee’s permissions.
With that in mind, any approach to cloud security should start with clearly defined access permissions and policies. Two-factor authentication is a vital security measure that makes it that much harder for bad actors to gain control of accounts. Make sure to limit access to information as much as possible—employees should only be able to see the information they need to do their jobs.
Data loss
Data theft is a serious issue for any organisation, but you also need to be aware of the possibility of data loss. Fortunately, there are a few simple ways to keep your information more secure and avoid losing valuable files or documents.
Unsurprisingly, the most straightforward way to preserve data is to make regular backups, including backups for outdated versions of your files. Keeping that information at data centres in a variety of locations will also reduce the risk of physical damage.
Compromised APIs
Application user interfaces, or APIs, are a fundamental element in many contemporary workflows. These systems facilitate interactions between applications and often involve the transfer of relevant data to third parties.
Unfortunately, many APIs have glaring security vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers. In the Cambridge Analytica scandal, for example, Facebook gave a third party access to sensitive customer information without sufficient monitoring or accountability. Along with two-factor authentication and other basic measures, organizations should also disable anonymous access, create strict permissions, and set up reliable activity monitoring.
It’s impossible to compete in the modern economy without leveraging the power of cloud solutions, but jumping into those without sufficient preparation can be incredibly costly. These are just a few of the most salient risks that stakeholders and cybersecurity professionals need to respond to proactively in 2021.
This has been a guest post.
