Today, industries of all types and sizes use the cloud for various services. You can use it for data analytics, software development, data backups, or as a virtual desk.

However, there is always a risk of security associated with such convenience. How do we ensure that data entered into the cloud is secure enough? Who has access to it, and how protected is it? Organisations should always be aware of the best practices for cloud security.

This article will explore the highly-ranked cloud security risks in 2023 and how to tackle them.

1. Misconfigured cloud services

Cloud security threats are entirely preventable if they are caused due to human negligence. A cloud misconfiguration can occur when a user or admin fails to set up a security setting for the cloud, which unintentionally allows unrestricted outbound access, causing unauthorised applications and servers to communicate with each other.

Although this security threat could be easily prevented, misconfigured cloud services are still a significant problem. According to research, the number of records exposed by cloud misconfigurations increased by 80% from 2018 to 2019.

What you should do:

• Enable multi-factor authentication

Multi-factor authentication can reduce the risk of unauthorised access due to credential compromise. Your organisation’s security risks could increase if you don’t enable multi-factor authentication, making it accessible to cloud security threats like stolen passwords and phishing.

2. Data loss

Losing data is one of the biggest risks that come with cloud services. Users can easily share data in cloud environments, either internally or externally. Additionally, when companies transfer their data to cloud storage, they might find it challenging to perform regular backups, as backing up such a large amount of data can be difficult and even costly.

Not performing regular backups could lead to a major loss of data. Recovering data requires a lot of time, money, and energy – which doesn’t necessarily lead to a guaranteed recovery. Companies often have to recreate the lost data, which disrupts the organisation’s workflow.

What you should do:

• Perform regular backups

Performing regular data backups is the best way to prevent significant data loss. It would be best if you had a schedule for backing up the data to define what will and won’t be backed up. Cloud backups such as Corbonite, Backblaze and Acronis are some secure software options that can help with data loss prevention.

3. Insecure APIs

Cloud applications usually interact with each other through application programming interfaces (APIs) which enable authentication, access, and encryption. In addition to improving user experiences, APIs also pose a more significant threat to the security of data stores.

Your organisation’s data and systems are more likely to be compromised if you rely on cloud services with unsecured APIs. When APIs are not secured appropriately, it may lead to major critical issues. Hackers usually employ one of three methods: denial of service, brute force, or man in the middle to break into an API. The cloud security solutions you choose must be capable of addressing these three methods.

What you should do:

• Implement centralised cloud monitoring

Many cloud storage providers use unique APIs under the hood, making it difficult for even sophisticated security teams to comprehend those threats – let alone continuously monitor them. Reliable cloud monitoring solutions will provide notifications and recommendations on dealing with the highest-priority threats.

Conclusion

Cloud security should not be taken lightly by organisations of any industry. Thankfully, there are many ways to mitigate any cloud security risks your organisation might face. Remembering and implementing the best practices for managing any vulnerabilities in the cloud is essential.

At BridgingMinds, we provide various cybersecurity training courses that equip you with all you need to know about cloud technologies and security. We also offer DevOps training in Singapore to provide you with the knowledge to facilitate an organisation’s delivery of software efficiently. We also provide PMP training for aspiring project managers. Contact us today for more information!