Most businesses are moving to cloud to cut costs, facilitate business expansion, and benefit from better business continuity and disaster recovery. However, along with the benefits, this has also given rise to several cybersecurity threats and risks.
Misconfiguration of cloud resources can give rise to security loopholes that may allow attackers to steal sensitive information. Insecure interfaces and APIs may allow attackers to gain access to cloud accounts and steal sensitive data, like passwords, financial information etc. Lack of proper access controls in cloud can allow unauthorized access to cloud-based resources. Account hijacking is another serious security concern. Attackers can use password crackers to hijack user accounts and perform unauthorized activities. Data loss or data leakage is one of the major issues in cloud. If the security of the cloud is breached, attackers may steal sensitive data of user organizations. As cloud-based services are heavily dependent on uninterrupted internet connectivity, they can be susceptible to Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, rendering them inaccessible to users. Another area of concern is the use of shared infrastructure in cloud. If one customer’s data or applications are compromised, it may potentially affect other customers who share the same resources.
It has been recently reported by Edge Delta that 45% of security breaches are cloud-based, and 69% of organizations admitted to experiencing data breaches or exposures due to multi-cloud security configurations. A survey by Netgain Technologies showed that 80% of companies have experienced cloud security incidents in 2023, with 27% of organizations experiencing public cloud security incidents, as compared to 10% during 2022.
Impact
DDoS attacks on cloud can result in unavailability of critical services and/or data, leading to downtime and loss of productivity.
Attacks can cause data breaches and theft of intellectual property (loss of confidentiality). These can result in significant financial losses for the affected organization.
Data may be tampered, leading to loss of integrity.
Cloud-based attacks may damage an organization’s brand image, leading to loss of customer base.
Breach of sensitive data may cause organizations to face litigations.
Controls
Organizations should implement a comprehensive cloud security policy.
Organizations should choose a reliable cloud service provider with proven security track record.
Latest security patches and updates should be installed in all system and application software.
Anti-malware should be installed and updated at regular intervals.
Proper identity and access management must be implemented. Organizations should enforce multifactor authentication.
There should be strong end-to-end encryption on all network traffic and resources.
Critical data and resources should be securely backed-up at regular intervals.
Periodic security assessments and audits should be conducted to detect and remove vulnerabilities from devices and systems.
Users should be provided with continuous training on security best practices and potential threats.
How Sujosu Can Help
Sujosu Technology can help you identify areas of concern and assess your application and infrastructure security risk. Our consultants can suggest appropriate countermeasures and provide awareness / training to prevent, detect, identify, and recover from security attacks. Engage with us and remain cyber-secure.
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