6 Significant Cloud Security Threats to Watch Out for in 2022
As businesses, we have to keep upgrading ourselves to meet the growing challenges in the global order.
Since COVID-19 showed all of us how fragile traditional working systems are, moving towards cloud-based technology seems inevitable. End-user public cloud services are expected to be $362.3 billion in 2022.
But like every system, cloud-based systems have their own set of challenges. With the cloud gaining importance in today’s world, cloud security threats are also being discussed.
Common Cloud Security Threats
what are the cloud security threats that current cloud computing systems face? Well, let us take a look:
1. Misconfiguration
The first threat to our cloud-based system stems from our negligence. Cloud technology is not secured by default.
You must apply security protocols like two-factor authentication. A 2FA allows you to restrict unprivileged users from accessing your company’s cloud accounts. Every time you log in, 2FA asks you to enter a 4–6-digit code sent to you on your mobile number/email address.
You can also restrict users by limiting login page access. Do not share your credentials with unwanted people, and applications. 2FA protocols block a user’s IP address if they enter the wrong username and password multiple times.
If misconfiguration of cloud services is not restricted, hackers can try to compromise you through brute-force attacks.
2. Absence of data encryption
When a website communicates with a user, the data gets passed over to various computers. When your users share sensitive details like credit/debit, bank details, and addresses, hackers can easily see the information passed as plain text.
To stop hackers from spying and intercepting the information, we use SSL or Secure Socket Layer certificate.
An SSL certificate is a security protocol that protects data transfer by passing it over a secure network so that hackers cannot see it.
If your cloud-service provider does not have SSL encryption, you risk your business by working with them. Hackers can steal your data and use it against you. They can impersonate one of your employees and log in to your cloud account.
Search engines like Google have already stated that the SSL-encryption is mandatory if you want to rank your website at the top of SERP.
Also, according to the PCI/DSS Payment Card Industry/Data Security Standard guidelines, the integration of SSL is mandatory to accept payments online.
So, check whether your service provider has an SSL installed on their website or not.
3. Data management and shareability
Though flexibility in data sharing is considered a big plus in today’s world, too much shareability means less control over data management. As a website owner, you can’t track where your sensitive company data is circulated.
Moreover, if a hacker gets their hands on company details, they can disrupt the workflow. Therefore, robust solutions are needed to modify shareability and data management so that owners can keep an account of how much data is being shared, where it is shared, and with whom it is shared.
4. API threats
API or Application Programming Interfaces are responsible for the smooth connection and interaction of various cloud-based applications.
But, trusting an API to keep everything integrated is not wise. Cloud technologies in the past have failed to protect their APIs. When the authentication process is lousy, it allows even unprivileged applications or users to work in sync with each other. Those bad actors can exploit the vulnerabilities because there is no centralized cloud monitoring system to govern the actions.
5. Malware issues
The cloud space is volatile. It keeps experiencing new changes with incoming and outgoing data. But this poses a huge malware threat as everything is made accessible to users.
A user knowingly may end up accessing a malware-infected file or uploading one. Therefore, the malware threat is quite prominent.
Some are hypervisor infections, hyperjacking, and Distributed-Denial of Service attacks (DDoS).
So, how do you protect your application against such attacks? An easy way to do that is by following a no-trust policy. As an owner, you must not trust anyone and grant unnecessary privileges.
If you think you are already breached, it would be best to segment your networks. Do not allow cloud hopping where a privileged user can easily hop from one application to another infecting all of them.
6. Lack of control
Often new startups and businesses want to start venturing online in a technologically sound way. They fall for cloud services and often move their entire business infrastructure into their hands.
They fail to realize that without studying a platform’s policies, it is not wise to trust them with your data.
Without platform understanding, businesses often do not immediately apply security protocols like multi-factor authentication and firewalls. As a result, hackers easily breach their passwords through brute-force attacks and DDoS attacks.
Final Thoughts
Cloud services are slowly taking over traditional operational systems. But before moving your entire business across to their space, you must thoroughly study their safety commitment and approach.
It is best to talk to a few users who have already been using the platform so that they can give you a real-time analysis.
Trusting a platform to take care of your data can be risky. Even after moving your business to the cloud, you must keep a proper backup of your entire business infrastructure.
So, keep these six tips in mind while considering cloud services.
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