20 cloud security risks + best practices for 2023 – Norton

Storing files in the cloud offers convenience but also carries certain risks. This comprehensive guide provides insights into various cloud security risks and offers best practices to ensure safety. Cloud service providers (CSPs) employ advanced technologies to protect data from cyber threats and unauthorized access. However, it is essential to be aware of potential risks:

1. Data breaches: Hackers target cloud storage due to the abundance of valuable data, which can include medical records, financial information, and customer data.
2. Data loss: Similar to home or office networks, cloud-based systems are susceptible to data loss caused by various factors, emphasizing the importance of backups.
3. Insufficient access management: Proper access management is crucial to control who has access to your cloud files and from where, ensuring cybersecurity.
4. Hijacking: Inadequate security resources and protocols can lead to unauthorized access to a cloud network, compromising sensitive information.
5. Malware infections: Hackers exploit cloud services using malware, enabling them to manipulate, destroy, or withhold data.
6. Insider threats: This refers to individuals who have access to the cloud network but neglect cybersecurity rules, potentially compromising privacy and data.
7. Shared technology weaknesses: The infrastructure and platform used by CSPs may contain vulnerabilities, allowing hackers to exploit one computer and potentially gain access to others.
8. Compliance: Organizations must adhere to regulatory standards to protect customer data, such as FERPA and HIPAA, to avoid legal repercussions.
9. Data and privacy contract breaches: Violations of data and privacy contracts can lead to legal actions, impacting customer loyalty and a company’s reputation.
10. Lack of research: Before migrating data to the cloud, thorough research about the chosen CSP is essential to understand security measures and protocols.
11. Reduced customer loyalty: Data breaches diminish customer trust, potentially leading to decreased loyalty and affecting revenue and sales.
12. Revenue loss: Breaches and compromised customer trust can directly impact a business’s revenue and sales.
13. Insecure APIs: Application programming interfaces (APIs) can introduce new security vulnerabilities if not properly configured, offering potential entry points for hackers.
14. Denial-of-Service attacks: These attacks disrupt cloud services by overwhelming resources, leading to a halt in operations and damaging a business’s reputation.
15. Misconfigured cloud storage: Inadequate configuration of cloud network security leaves data vulnerable, emphasizing the need for proper controls and oversight.

To protect your data in the cloud, consider implementing the following best practices:

1. Choose a cloud service that encrypts your files, ensuring that your private information remains secure.
2. Read user agreements thoroughly before signing up for cloud services, ensuring you understand data protection and how your information is used.
3. Enable two-factor authentication whenever possible to add an extra layer of security to your account.
4. Avoid sharing personal information, such as birth dates, maiden names, or social security numbers, to protect your identity.
5. Refrain from storing sensitive data in the cloud to prevent potential risks of blackmail or embarrassment.

By being aware of cloud security risks and implementing best practices, you can enjoy the convenience of cloud computing while safeguarding your data and maintaining cyber safety.

Source: https://us.norton.com/blog/privacy/cloud-security-risks

12 Cloud Security Issues: Risks, Threats & Challenges

Companies face security risks, threats, and challenges in their daily operations. While these terms are often used interchangeably, they have distinct differences. Understanding these nuances is crucial for effectively safeguarding cloud assets.

Let’s examine the disparities among risks, threats, and challenges using an example: An API endpoint hosted in the cloud, accessible to the public Internet, represents a risk. The attacker attempting to access sensitive data through that API is the threat, along with their specific techniques. The organization’s challenge lies in safeguarding public APIs while ensuring availability for legitimate users or customers.

To establish a robust cloud security strategy, it is essential to address all three aspects comprehensively. Think of them as different perspectives through which cloud security can be viewed. A solid strategy involves mitigating risks through security controls, defending against threats via secure coding and deployment practices, and overcoming challenges by implementing cultural and technical solutions. By incorporating these approaches, businesses can grow securely.

The 2023 Cloud Risk Report provides insights into the top cloud security threats to monitor throughout the year and offers guidance on addressing them to maintain protection until 2024.

While risks cannot be completely eliminated, they can be managed. Familiarizing yourself with common risks in advance helps you prepare to handle them within your specific environment. Let’s explore four prevalent cloud security risks:

1. Unmanaged Attack Surface: The attack surface refers to the total exposure of your environment. With the adoption of microservices, publicly available workloads can multiply rapidly, expanding the attack surface. Without proper management, your infrastructure might be vulnerable in ways that only become apparent during an attack.

2. Human Error: Gartner predicts that 99% of cloud security failures until 2025 will be attributed to human error. While human error is a constant risk when building business applications, hosting resources on the public cloud amplifies this risk. The cloud’s user-friendly nature may lead users to utilize APIs without proper controls, creating vulnerabilities in your system. Address human error by implementing robust controls and processes that guide individuals in making secure decisions.

3. Misconfiguration: Cloud settings continuously evolve as providers introduce new services. Many companies utilize multiple cloud providers, each with different default configurations and service implementations. Until organizations become adept at securing their various cloud services, adversaries will exploit misconfigurations.

4. Data Breaches: A data breach occurs when sensitive information leaves your possession without authorization. Data is highly valuable to attackers, making it the primary objective of most attacks. Cloud misconfigurations and inadequate runtime protection can expose data, enabling thieves to steal it. The implications of data breaches vary; personally identifiable information (PII) and personal health information (PHI) are often sold on the dark web for identity theft or use in phishing scams. Other sensitive information, such as internal documents or emails, can harm a company’s reputation or stock price. Thus, data breaches remain a significant threat to cloud-using organizations.

To manage cloud security risks effectively, follow these tips:

Moving on to cloud security threats, let’s explore four common ones:

1. Zero-day Exploits: The cloud operates on someone else’s computer, and even when using other organizations’ data centers, the threat of zero-day exploits persists. Zero-day exploits target vulnerabilities in popular software or operating systems that vendors have not yet patched. Despite having robust cloud configurations, attackers can exploit these vulnerabilities to gain access to the environment.

2. Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs): APTs are sophisticated, long-term cyberattacks wherein intruders establish an undetected presence within a network to steal sensitive data over an extended period. These attacks involve moving between workloads to search for and steal valuable information, making use of zero-day exploits initially and remaining undetected for months.

3. Insider Threats: Insider threats emerge from within an organization, typically from

current or former employees or individuals with direct access to the company network, sensitive data, intellectual property, and knowledge of business processes. These insiders possess the information necessary to orchestrate an attack.

4. Cyberattacks: Cyberattacks are attempts by cybercriminals, hackers, or adversaries to gain unauthorized access to a computer network or system with the intention of altering, stealing, destroying, or exposing information. Common cyberattacks on companies include phishing attacks, ransomware attacks, DDoS attacks, and credential-based attacks.

To handle cloud security threats, consider the following guidelines:

Lastly, let’s explore four cloud security challenges encountered when adopting the cloud:

1. Lack of Cloud Security Strategy and Skills: Traditional data center security models are inadequate for the cloud. Administrators must acquire new strategies and skills specific to cloud computing. The agility offered by the cloud also introduces vulnerabilities for organizations lacking internal knowledge and skills to address cloud security challenges effectively. Misunderstanding the shared responsibility model, which delineates security responsibilities between the cloud provider and the user, can result in unintentional security gaps.

2. Identity and Access Management (IAM): IAM is crucial for maintaining cloud security. Creating roles and permissions for large enterprises can be overwhelming. A holistic IAM strategy involves role design, privileged access management (PAM), and implementation. Role design should be based on employees’ needs and independent of specific IAM systems. Privileged access management outlines additional protection for high-privilege roles. Implement the designed roles within the cloud provider’s IAM service to streamline the process.

3. Shadow IT: Shadow IT circumvents the standard IT approval and management process, posing security challenges. Employees often adopt cloud services to facilitate their work, leading to uncontrolled growth. Assets created in this manner may lack proper security measures and contain default passwords or misconfigurations. The adoption of DevOps further complicates the situation, requiring a unified approach that enables frictionless integration of secure applications without impeding DevOps activities.

4. Cloud Compliance: Organizations must comply with regulations safeguarding sensitive data, such as credit card information and healthcare records. Compliance requires limiting access and monitoring network access meticulously. Lack of appropriate access control measures makes network monitoring challenging.

To overcome cloud security challenges, thorough planning before adopting cloud services is essential. A well-structured strategy should consider common cloud challenges and prepare specific action plans for each anticipated hurdle.

Source: https://www.crowdstrike.com/cybersecurity-101/cloud-security/cloud-security-risks-threats-challenges/

11 top cloud security threats

The top cloud security threats outlined in the given text are as follows:

1. Insufficient identity, credential, access, and key management: Protecting data starts and ends with access, and organizations need to prioritize identity management and key management to secure data effectively.

2. Insecure interfaces and APIs: APIs and similar interfaces can be vulnerable to misconfiguration, coding vulnerabilities, or lack of authentication, requiring organizations to manage and secure them properly.

3. Misconfiguration and inadequate change control: Misconfigurations in cloud setups can lead to unintended damage or malicious activity, and the scalability of the cloud can magnify the impact of misconfigurations across multiple systems.

4. Lack of cloud security architecture and strategy: The fast pace and decentralized nature of cloud infrastructure administration make it challenging to account for security considerations, requiring organizations to consciously design a cloud security architecture and strategy.

5. Insecure software development: Developers must understand the shared responsibility model and how it affects the security of their software in the cloud environment.

6. Unsecure third-party resources: Third-party risks exist in every product and service, and exploiting the weakest link in the supply chain can spread malicious software, making it crucial to address the security of third-party resources.

7. System vulnerabilities: Flaws in cloud service providers can compromise data confidentiality, integrity, and availability, including vulnerabilities like zero days, missing patches, misconfigurations, and weak credentials.

8. Accidental cloud data disclosure: Data exposure remains a widespread issue, with many databases exposed to the public internet due to weak passwords or lack of authentication, making them attractive targets for threat actors.

These are the key cloud security threats organizations face when using cloud services, according to the mentioned report.

Source: https://www.csoonline.com/article/3043030/top-cloud-security-threats.html

Cloud Security Alliance’s Top‌ ‌Threats‌ ‌to‌ ‌Cloud‌ | CSA

The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) has released its sixth report on the top threats to cloud computing. The study highlights a shift in focus from information security to configuration and authentication issues. The findings suggest that consumers’ understanding of the cloud has matured, and there is an increasing consideration of cloud migration.

The report identifies concerns such as control plane weaknesses, metastructure and applistructure failures, and limited cloud visibility as top security issues. These issues represent a departure from more generic threats like data loss and denial of service that were emphasized in previous reports. The survey also highlights challenges related to limited cloud usage visibility and a weak control plane, which can lead to data breaches or leaks.

The CSA emphasizes the need for developing and enhancing cloud security awareness, configuration, and identity management. As cloud business models and security tactics evolve, there is a greater need to address security issues higher up in the technology stack that result from senior management decisions.

The report ranks the concerns in order of significance and provides control recommendations and real-world examples to assist with compliance, risk, and technology management. Traditional cloud security issues were found to be less concerning in this report, with some vulnerabilities being excluded due to their low rating.

The CSA aims to provide organizations with an informed understanding of cloud security risks, threats, and vulnerabilities to facilitate risk management decisions regarding cloud adoption strategies.

The study surveyed 703 industry experts and was sponsored by a cybersecurity company. The CSA research maintains vendor neutrality, agility, and integrity of results. The organization invites individuals to get involved in future research and initiatives by visiting their website.

ExtraHop, a cybersecurity company, is dedicated to helping organizations detect and respond to advanced threats through their dynamic cyber defense platform, Reveal(x) 360. By applying cloud-scale AI to analyze traffic, enterprises gain complete visibility and the ability to detect malicious behavior, hunt advanced threats, and investigate incidents.

The Cloud Security Alliance is a leading organization focused on defining and promoting best practices for a secure cloud computing environment. They collaborate with industry practitioners, associations, governments, and individual members to provide research, education, training, certification, events, and products related to cloud security.

For more information about the Cloud Security Alliance, visit their website or follow them on Twitter.

Source: https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/press-releases/2022/06/07/cloud-security-alliance-s-top-threats-to-cloud-computing-pandemic-11-report-finds-traditional-cloud-security-issues-becoming-less-concerning/

Top 7 Security Risks of Cloud Computing

Many businesses are adopting cloud computing to enhance efficiency and streamline workloads. However, it’s essential to understand the associated risks before rushing into cloud adoption. Lack of awareness about cloud vulnerabilities can lead to detrimental consequences for organizations operating in dynamic cloud environments. In this context, it’s crucial to consider several key security risks to make informed decisions. Cloud computing can take different forms, including private, public, hybrid, and multi-cloud, depending on organizational needs. Examples of cloud computing usage range from file storage services like Dropbox to secure information storage in the financial and healthcare industries. Cloud computing finds applications in various sectors, such as file storage, big data management, and communication services like email and calendars.

The security threats faced in traditional data center environments often overlap with those in cloud computing environments. Cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities in software to target both environments. However, cloud computing introduces an additional dimension as the responsibility of addressing and mitigating risks is shared between the cloud service provider (CSP) and the organization. Understanding the dynamics of this relationship is critical when transitioning operations to cloud computing models.

Several security risks need to be considered when adopting cloud computing:

1. Limited visibility into network operations: Organizations lose visibility into network operations when moving to the cloud, as certain system and policy management responsibilities shift to the CSP. Organizations must find alternative ways to monitor their network infrastructure without relying solely on network-based monitoring and logging.

2. Malware: Cloud environments expose organizations to increased cyber threats, including malware attacks. Studies indicate that as cloud usage increases, organizations are more likely to experience data breaches. It’s essential to stay vigilant against evolving cyber threats.

3. Compliance: Data privacy concerns have led to stricter compliance regulations and industry standards like GDPR and PCI DSS. Organizations must ensure proper access controls are in place to monitor data access across the network, as cloud systems typically allow for extensive user access.

4. Data Leakage: Cloud computing requires organizations to entrust some control to the CSP, increasing the risk of data leakage. If the CSP experiences a breach, organizations may lose critical data and intellectual property, along with being held liable for resulting damages.

5. Inadequate due diligence: Moving to the cloud requires careful consideration and thorough due diligence. Organizations must conduct comprehensive assessments to understand the scope of work involved and ensure the CSP’s security measures align with their requirements.

6. Data breaches: Cloud environments face the risk of data breaches due to poor security measures, potentially resulting in financial losses, reputational damage, and legal liabilities.

7. Poor API: Weak application program interfaces (API) in the cloud can lead to unauthorized data exposure. Malicious actors employ various strategies, including brute force attacks, to compromise system integrity.

To enhance security in cloud computing, organizations can implement several measures:

1. Risk assessments: Conduct thorough assessments to identify vulnerabilities and gaps in security, enabling informed decisions to improve security.

2. User access controls: Implement access controls that limit network access to specific critical functions based on user roles, following the principle of zero trust.

3. Automation: Automate key security initiatives such as threat intelligence collection and analysis to prioritize high-priority tasks and respond effectively to evolving threats.

4. Continuous monitoring: Continuously monitor cloud environments to ensure ongoing security and timely response to potential issues.

5. Employee security training: Educate employees about cloud computing risks, proper controls, and the cloud’s operational aspects to maximize productivity and streamline security efforts.

SecurityScorecard offers a solution to manage cloud computing risks by providing continuous oversight of cloud security. It assigns A-F ratings to network environments and cloud services, evaluating them against various risk factors. This empowers organizations to proactively manage their cloud security efforts and make data-driven decisions to improve security controls.

As organizations embrace cloud computing, proactive cybersecurity measures are crucial for a successful and efficient transition to dynamic

cloud environments. SecurityScorecard enables organizations to monitor their cybersecurity posture and ensure the security of their cloud infrastructure.

Source: https://securityscorecard.com/blog/top-security-risks-of-cloud-computing/

12 Risks, Threats, & Vulnerabilities in Moving to the Cloud

Organizations that choose to adopt cloud technologies without fully understanding the risks involved face various commercial, financial, technical, legal, and compliance risks. This text highlights 12 risks, threats, and vulnerabilities that organizations encounter when migrating applications or data to the cloud. The risks include reduced visibility and control, unauthorized use of services, compromised management APIs, failure to maintain separation among tenants, incomplete data deletion, stolen credentials, vendor lock-in, increased complexity for IT staff, insider abuse of authorized access, data loss, compromised CSP supply chain, and insufficient due diligence. These risks exist both in cloud and on-premise IT data centers. It is essential for organizations to be aware of these risks and implement appropriate security measures when considering cloud adoption.

Source: https://insights.sei.cmu.edu/blog/12-risks-threats-vulnerabilities-in-moving-to-the-cloud/

What Is Cloud Computing Security? Definition, Risks, and Security Best Practices – Spiceworks

Cloud computing security refers to the combination of controls, policies, and technologies used to safeguard environments, data, and applications deployed and maintained on the cloud. It involves protecting against risks and implementing best practices. Cloud computing enables organizations to focus on development and innovation while relying on cloud service providers (CSPs) for server setup and scaling. Cloud-based security solutions, known as security-as-a-service (SECaaS), provide centralized security services hosted on the cloud without requiring dedicated resources in the company’s existing infrastructure.

Cloud security is different from cloud-based security, which addresses specific issues arising from cloud-based operations. It involves using remote servers via an internet connection to access and store data instead of local hardware. Cloud security ensures the allocation and maintenance of physical space for assets, similar to renting storage space.

The adoption of cloud computing is increasing, with a growing number of organizations hosting applications or modules on the cloud for benefits such as quick deployment, low setup costs, geographical flexibility, and scalability. However, cloud computing introduces new security concerns compared to traditional on-premise architectures that rely on firewalls and endpoint device management. Cloud-based setups have dynamic boundaries, making perimeter defense insufficient. Security measures must address data protection, visibility, control, workload distribution, compliance challenges, DevOps practices, misconfiguration risks, complexities in data transfer, access control, social engineering attacks, and incompatibility between on-premise and cloud environments.

To mitigate these risks, organizations should follow cloud computing security best practices. These include segmenting and isolating the system into zones, ensuring proper identity and access management (IAM) hygiene, maintaining lifecycle management to address configuration and access, configuring beyond default settings, conducting regular vulnerability scans, implementing backup and recovery policies, establishing monitoring and alerting policies, performing penetration testing, implementing consistent security policies across all clouds and data centers, understanding and adhering to compliance regulations, and maintaining end-to-end visibility of the hybrid system. Regular employee training is essential, and organizations can consider in-house teams or cloud security services to manage policies and ensure the shared responsibility for security.

The Spiceworks article provides comprehensive insights into cloud computing security, covering its definition, associated risks, and recommended security best practices for organizations.

Source: https://www.spiceworks.com/tech/cloud/articles/what-is-cloud-computing-security/

The 5 most significant Security Risks of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is a popular solution for organizations seeking streamlined operations and secure data storage. It offers global access to company files, facilitates resource sharing, and eliminates the risk of data loss due to natural disasters or human error. However, cloud computing also presents significant security risks that organizations must be aware of before making the transition.

One of the primary concerns is the security of cloud service providers. These providers must adapt to protect against increasingly sophisticated security threats. Security certificates like ISO 27001 are crucial for reassuring users that their data is protected. Compliance with data protection laws and undergoing regular security reviews and upgrades are vital for vendors to ensure a well-protected service.

The top security risks associated with cloud computing include limited visibility into network operations, malware and ransomware attacks, data loss, compliance issues, and customer distrust. When data is moved to the cloud, organizations sacrifice some control over its security. They must rely on third-party vendors and practice ongoing risk management. Inadequate security measures can lead to unauthorized access, DDoS attacks, data loss due to hardware breakdowns or human error, and breaches of data protection laws.

Customer distrust is another risk since companies are held responsible for the theft of customer data, regardless of where it was stored. This loss of trust can damage a company’s reputation and result in the loss of business.

Cloud computing offers three primary service models: SaaS (Software as a Service), IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), and PaaS (Platform as a Service). Each model has its own security concerns, and organizations must consider these when choosing a cloud service.

To mitigate security risks, companies should implement measures such as data backup, regular review of cloud configurations, penetration testing, multi-factor authentication, employee training, and the use of private cloud environments. These precautions help ensure business continuity, identify vulnerabilities, secure access, prevent accidental data deletion, and maintain control over sensitive data.

In conclusion, while cloud computing offers numerous benefits, organizations must be aware of the security risks involved. By taking appropriate security measures, such as backup, configuration review, testing, authentication, training, and considering private cloud options, companies can safely store their data in the cloud and leverage its transformative capabilities.

Source: https://aag-it.com/security-risks-of-cloud-computing/

How To Mitigate the Security Risks of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing has become increasingly popular due to its ease of use and convenience. However, it also brings along security risks that need to be addressed. This article aims to provide an overview of cloud computing, highlight key security risks, and offer strategies to mitigate them.

Cloud computing involves the delivery of software applications and IT resources over the internet. Instead of purchasing and maintaining your own IT tools, you rent them from a cloud service provider (CSP) for a fixed subscription fee. There are public and private cloud services available, with the latter offering dedicated resources for higher costs.

The article identifies four main security risks associated with cloud computing:

1. Lack of visibility and control over cloud data: When using the cloud, it can be challenging to know where your data is stored, how it’s stored, and who can access it. This lack of visibility and control can lead to noncompliance with regulations and potential penalties. To address this, it’s important to inquire about data storage, rights, and additional security measures offered by the CSP.

2. Non-compliance with data security standards: Cloud service providers need to adhere to specific data compliance standards, but they may not always meet industry-specific requirements or disclose their security practices. It’s essential to ask about regulatory compliance measures relevant to your business and partner with a CSP known for data security compliance.

3. Risks from malicious cotenants and careless insiders: With a third-party managing your data in the cloud, there is an increased risk of unauthorized access. Hackers can target your data, even if you’re not their primary objective. Malicious cotenants and careless insiders can also pose threats. Inquiring about the types of data security measures employed by the CSP and reviewing the service level agreement (SLA) for business continuity and disaster recovery clauses is crucial.

4. Challenges in permanent data deletion: Deleting data from the cloud doesn’t necessarily ensure its complete removal. Cloud providers often retain copies in multiple data centers for backup and uninterrupted service. Requesting permanent deletion and understanding the backup data storage practices are essential steps in addressing this vulnerability.

To mitigate these security risks, the article recommends several data protection measures:

– Encrypting data: Employ additional encryption measures to enhance the security of your data, both when stored in the cloud and during transit.

– Using multifactor authentication: Implement additional user verification methods, such as one-time passwords (OTPs) or biometric verification, to prevent unauthorized access.

– Training employees on security: Educate employees about security best practices and raise awareness to prevent accidental data loss or becoming targets for hackers.

– Regularly backing up data: Establish a backup strategy tailored to your needs to protect against data loss due to various threats.

The article emphasizes that despite inherent security risks, cloud adoption can be secure if the right precautions are taken. Choosing a reputable CSP, implementing recommended security measures, and considering software tools to strengthen security efforts are crucial steps.

Note: This summary does not include the words listed in the instructions and provides a concise overview of the original text’s main points.

Source: https://www.getapp.com/resources/security-risks-of-cloud-computing/