The cloud has become an essential part of business operations, as it offers a number of advantages, such as scalability, flexibility, accessibility, and cost savings. However, the benefit of making data accessible wherever an authorized user is connected to the internet also comes with the risk of being breached by intruders.

Just recently, the sensitive health and medical information of over four million Americans was exposed when hackers targeted the cloud-based file transfers IBM was making on behalf of the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF). The data exposed in the breach included patients’ full names, Medicaid and Medicare ID numbers, Social Security numbers, and health insurance information, among others.

Did you know?

Cloud data breaches are becoming increasingly common. In the 2023 Cloud Security Study by Thales, 39% of respondents claimed that they suffered a data breach in their cloud environments.

Ensuring the security of a business's cloud environment can be challenging due to the following reasons:
●      Misconfigurations – One of the biggest security challenges in the cloud, misconfigurations refer to errors in the way that cloud resources are set up. Misconfigurations can leave cloud environments vulnerable to attack.
●      Lack of cybersecurity awareness – There are employees across all rungs of the corporate ladder who may be completely unfamiliar with cloud security best practices, such as using unique passwords for each one of their online accounts. The lack of cybersecurity awareness may result in a breach or other cybersecurity incident.
●      Insider threats – These refer to malicious activity by employees, contractors, or partners who have access to cloud resources.
●      Cloud sprawl – Cloud sprawl is the uncontrolled growth of cloud resources that a business uses. This can make it difficult to manage and secure cloud environments.
●      Compliance challenges – Cloud computing can make it difficult to comply with regulations, such as those governing data privacy and security.

Read also: Cloud misconfiguration dangers and how to protect your data

Fortunately, cloud users are not powerless in the face of data insecurity. Here are some of the things that organizations can do to overcome these challenges:
●      Implement strong identity and access management (IAM) controls. IAM controls are essential for managing who has access to cloud resources. Organizations should implement strong IAM controls, such as multifactor authentication (MFA), to prevent unauthorized access.
●      Adopt a zero trust security model. This model assumes that no one is trusted by default, and that all access to cloud resources must be authenticated and authorized.
●      Use encryption to protect sensitive data. This includes data in transit and at rest.
●      Educate employees. Employees are often the weakest link in the security chain. Organizations should educate employees about cloud security best practices, such as how to create strong passwords and how to identify phishing emails.
●      Scan for vulnerabilities. Cloud environments are constantly changing, so it is important to regularly scan systems for vulnerabilities. This will help to identify and fix security weaknesses before attackers exploit them.
●      Use cloud-native security tools. There are a number of cloud security tools available that are designed specifically to protect cloud environments. These tools can help to detect and prevent security threats before they get out of hand.
●      Monitor cloud environment for suspicious activity. This will help detect and respond to threats quickly.
●      Keep cloud security software up to date. This ensures that the business has the latest protection against new threats.

By taking these steps, organizations can protect their cloud environments from attack and keep their data secure. But if your company is like most small- and medium-sized businesses, you probably lack the resources to do all of this and need the help of a top-notch managed IT services provider like SimplyClouds. Talk to us — we want to hear about your cloud security needs.