The innovation in today’s technology is undeniable, as numerous industries have improved and elevated their processes. However, these new things also pose a threat to security.
Cloud computing and cloud-based storage may allow you to access information and data wherever you are and whenever you want it, but the downside of it is its vulnerability to security concerns.
Whether you’re an IT professional or a decision-maker in your business, you should be aware of the different threats that might happen to your cloud computing system. Below are the most potent cloud security risks you should prepare for:
What you'll find in this article
- 1 1. Breaching data
- 2 2. Exploiting credentials and system authentication
- 3 3. Hacking interfaces and APIs
- 4 4. Exposing system vulnerabilities
- 5 5. Hijacking accounts
- 6 6. Using malicious insiders
- 7 7. Getting the APT parasite
- 8 8. Permanently losing data
- 9 9. Ignoring adequate diligence
- 10 10. Abusing the cloud services
- 11 11. Experiencing DoS attacks
1. Breaching data
Probably the most common threat in this list, data breaches are about private information being leaked to the public. An external entity accesses the data from the servers and exploits it for a particular purpose.
Your business may face lawsuit charges from your customers and other people who have stored information on your servers if this happens. In the long run, cloud security threats of this measure will have a negative effect on your business’s brand and image.
2. Exploiting credentials and system authentication
Since employees come and go, managing their access to your cloud computing system is crucial. Sometimes, employees who leave can still get information from the servers even if they’re already working for another company. This brings the portal to your system very open to a lot of people.
To avoid this attack, you need to do rotations of access to your employees. This will keep the hackers guessing in which entry point they could use. Moreover, never make the credentials and authentication point to a single person, as this puts your system at a high risk of being hacked.
3. Hacking interfaces and APIs
API, which stands for Application Program Interface, is the face of your cloud computing system. Even if the hacker might find a hard time penetrating your system, they can alter and compromise your API which would still affect your business activities and processes.
Work with your IT team to strengthen this first level of your system. You can do multiple code testing and penetration tests to see if your API can withstand such attacks.
4. Exposing system vulnerabilities
Bugs and errors in your system are healthy. However, this might be a sign of bigger problems and might be the cause of your system getting hacked.
As prevention is better than cure, you should address these system vulnerabilities right away. You’ll thank yourself for spending some budget in these little system bugs than waiting for the big one to affect you.
5. Hijacking accounts
Another way for hackers to get into your system is by observing a certain account’s activities. While they won’t completely take over, they would manipulate some elements of the cloud computing system or disturb business transactions.
Hackers will act like one of your own under the account that was hijacked. To defend your system, don’t share account credentials between users and setup a multi-level authentication system.
6. Using malicious insiders
Attacks coming from the inside are the most dangerous. Not only do they know how everything works inside, but they have also embedded in the cloud computing system. They can do massive damages such as deleting data or wrecking the system altogether.
You can prevent this from happening by giving a particular scope of access to a person. Don’t give an all-in-one access to an employee. See to it that you divide your system such that it detects if a person tries to access a portal beyond than what they should be using.
7. Getting the APT parasite
Advanced Persistent Threats (APT) are called parasites because they start small and you wouldn’t know that you’re already infected. This is usually undetected because they come in the most unassuming forms.
Portals that you thought won’t harm your system such as USBs and spear phishing are now dangerous due to the advanced techniques of these hackers.
8. Permanently losing data
The key solution to this cloud security threat is never to put all your data in one system. You can distribute it in multiple zones so that your system won’t completely crash down in times of an attack.
Always do backups as well. Although the cloud is already there to serve all your needs, you should find a way to have physical backups so that you can perform system restores, if ever you need one.
9. Ignoring adequate diligence
Just in case this is the first time that you’ll be uploading your business to a cloud computing system, you should know and understand its functions.
Since it’ll hold your business’ life, you should understand the environment and risks that you’re putting your business into. This would help you assess your next steps when a data loss or breach happens.
10. Abusing the cloud services
Cloud computing brought a lot of benefits to businesses. On the other hand, its services can also be used for bad purposes.
The cloud is a rich space of data, and a hacker only needs to send a phishing email or generate malicious content to abuse the cloud’s services. If you see any malicious activities in the cloud, then you should report it immediately.
11. Experiencing DoS attacks
DoS or denial-of-service is a threat to cloud security because it inhibits your business’ functions and performance.
Aside from costing you money, you’ll have a hard time bringing your business back, as well as your system being at an efficient pace once again.
These cloud security issues have solutions. All you need to do is be fully equipped with the right skills & tools you can use to protect your system from such threats, and take our cloud security training.
Also, check out these 5 important trends in cloud computing that you should be prepared for.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected].
