Cloud Computing Threats and their Preventive Measures

By Cloud Computing Outlook | Thursday, September 03, 2020

The responsibility to secure cloud platforms is now not just limited to the IT teams, but has become the CEO level issue for businesses

Fremont, CA: Cloud computing is one such disruptive technology that is changing the way small and medium businesses (SMBs) operate. While there are uncountable benefits that cloud provides to companies over the on-premise software, it also exposes the companies to a whole new range of security threats. Regardless of the location and possession of the cloud infrastructure, both public and private cloud spaces are increasingly under security risks and cyberattacks. The responsibility to secure the cloud platforms is now not just limited to the IT teams, but has become the CEO level issue for businesses.

Here in this article, we discuss a few of the biggest cloud security issues and the best practices to handle them, but first, let us know what cloud computing security threat actually means.

Any instances where customers or organizations face unexpected loss in terms of data breaches, data loss, hijacked accounts, system vulnerability, or denial of services, are known as cloud computing threats. No business ever wants to go through this catastrophic situation. Hence, making adequate security plans are the best preventive action against such risks.

Some common cloud security threats and their preventions are:-

Weak Access - Weak credentials are easily vulnerable to attacks. Hackers can easily crack those credentials and snoop on data in transit. Lack of scalable login solution, weak passwords usage, lack of multi-factor authentication features are some of the reasons for such attacks.

Having a two or multi-factor authentication secures the data. Apart from that, monitoring user's actions and behavior continuously lets IT teams know of any unscrupulous activity before it becomes havoc.

Data Breaches - The amount of information and data stored in the cloud is increasing with every single day. Hackers are always on the lookout for loopholes. Once hacked, data breaches can destroy a company's reputation, besides the loss of money and intellectual properties.

Organizations need to cultivate the best data security practices, procedures, and processes. It is always advisable to use unpredictable, hard to crack passwords and change them more often.

Malicious Insiders - Any former or current employee who has access to the cloud network can become a malicious insider. They can have easy access to the sensitive data of the organizations. Threats from a malicious insider can cause loss of repute and intellectual property.

Businesses must keep all the identifying and financial data in an encrypted form and only those people must have access to the cloud who deals with them on a daily basis. A team should also monitor and keep the log who access the cloud and from where.