Top Cloud Security Threats and Ways To Mitigate Them…

Top Cloud Security Threats and Ways To Mitigate Them…

Cloud Technologies have transformed the way organizations work. Companies no longer need to spend huge of resources on creating and maintaining servers. Along with all the benefits of transformation to the cloud, there are some risks involved with using the cloud. Here are some of the commonly known security threats:

1. Data Breach

A data breach happens when the data is lost from the servers and lands in hands of people with malicious intent and can potentially cause reputational and financial damage to the organization whose data is lost. Imagine a financial institution losing its customer’s sensitive data. Financial institutions losing customer data is such a huge credibility concern apart from having significant legal liabilities.

Mitigation Ways:

• Ensuring that the data stored on the cloud is encrypted and End to end Encryption of data in transit.
• Making sure that there are robust testing standards followed by cloud service providers.

 

2. Account Hijacking

Keeping an easy-to-guess password is one of the grave mistakes anyone can make, especially when they need to remember a lot of them. This issue becomes real trouble when attackers use this mistake to their advantage. They can get hold of the cloud service control panel and mess around with the settings, delete data, etc. When on the cloud the companies do not have much visibility of cloud infrastructure so they cannot respond to these threats effectively.

Mitigations Ways:

• Using a password manager to manage all the passwords so that you only need to remember one strong password and use it as a gateway to use your cloud instance.
• Keeping a strong password for your cloud instance and regularly changing the password to avoid it reaching the hands of people who should not have access to it in any way.

 

3. Misconfiguration

When choosing a cloud service provider. One should be aware that the configuration settings of their cloud service instance so that is easily managed and is done keeping security in mind. But at the same time, the services hosted on the cloud should be easily accessible by intended users. If the configuration of cloud service is not done properly then there are high chances of compromising cloud security. Also, when using Cloud services, we are dependent on security mechanisms employed by the service provider, so it is necessary to make wise decisions that are also valuable for money.

Mitigation Ways:

• Choosing the right partner to help you guide through the process of choosing a cloud service provider is the first step and JNR Management provides consultation at the best prices to make a better and informed decision about your cloud needs and ensure security.
• Proper management of configuration settings, keeping in account the load balancing and other technical aspects in check.

 

4. Unauthorized Access

Since the data on the cloud lies on public servers. Companies have very limited visibility on the architecture used by cloud service providers. It also makes it easier for attackers to attack and gain unauthorized access to your service’s account.

Mitigation Ways:

• Keeping auditing always set on and checking it regularly for any unusual sign-in information from outside the network.
• Checking the security settings of your cloud instances and make sure they are always updated.

 

5. Insecure interfaces and APIs

API stands for Application Programming Interface. If an application uses some 3rd party API that takes data from cloud services and if those APIs are not properly configured and managed it can lead to overexposure of data which poses a threat to data stored on the cloud.

Mitigation Ways:

• Monitoring the health of cloud instances and APIs that consume data from it.
• Sharing only encrypted data via API and using a highly secured Public Key Encryption mechanism. (Add encryption link here)

 

Conclusion:

A shift to a cloud environment provides the companies scalability and flexibility in their business processes. At the same time, a cloud environment makes your business more secure and protected against cyberattacks. Be aware of these malware practices and don’t let this happen to you, your business, and your users/customers. Be proactive to stay safe from them and prevent them in the first attempt.

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