Cloud services are becoming more and more popular as people move away from the traditional way of storing data on local machines. By 2025, about 85% of enterprises will have moved their business to the cloud.
While this shift offers a number of advantages, it also poses a number of security challenges that must be considered before making the switch. Here is what you need to know about cloud security risks and ways to mitigate those risks.
Cloud Adoption: Why Should Your Business Adopt to the Cloud
When done correctly, moving to the cloud can provide a number of tangible benefits for businesses of all sizes.
Cost Savings
By eliminating the need to purchase, maintain and upgrade hardware and software, businesses can significantly reduce their IT costs. Additionally, many cloud providers offer monthly subscription pricing models that are often more affordable than traditional licensing models.
Increased Flexibility and Scalability
Cloud services can be scaled up or down quickly and easily in response to changing business needs, without requiring any infrastructure changes on-premises. This elasticity makes the cloud ideal for businesses with unpredictable or rapidly growing demands, such as e-commerce stores or startups.
Enhanced Reliability and Uptime
Because your data and applications are hosted in multiple data centers, they are less likely to experience an outage than if they were hosted in a single location. This helps alleviate cloud security risks by making it easier to restore data in the event of a data breach.
Improve Innovation and Agility
Cloud adoption can also improve innovation and agility within businesses by enabling employees to work remotely at any time. With so many different cloud services available, businesses can mix and match the services that best meet their needs.
5 Security Challenges When Adopting Cloud Services
As with any technology, there are some security challenges that businesses need to be aware of when adopting cloud services. Here are five of the most common security issues in cloud computing:
1. Lack of Visibility and Control
Because businesses do not have direct access to the physical servers that store their data, they may not know where their data is located or who has access to it. This can make it difficult to comply with data privacy regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
2. Shared Responsibility Model
Under this model, the provider is responsible for securing the infrastructure that houses the data and applications, but the customer is responsible for securing their data and applications. This can be a challenge for businesses that are not used to managing their own security, as they may not have the staff or expertise to do so.
3. Accidental Exposure of Credentials
Accidental exposure of credentials (i.e., passwords and access keys) is one of the most common cloud security risks. This can happen if these credentials are stored in plain text on a server or if they are sent via email or other unsecured methods. If these credentials are compromised, attackers could gain access to the data and applications stored in the cloud.
4. Data Breaches
Data breaches are a serious concern for any business, but they can be even more damaging for businesses that rely on the cloud. If your data is breached, it could be leaked to the public or used to attack other businesses.
5. Legal and Regulatory Compliance
A major security issue in cloud computing that businesses face when adopting cloud services is ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. In the U.S., businesses need to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and more.
How to Avoid Those Security Challenges
Despite the challenges, there are many ways to make sure your cloud services are secure. Here is how to prevent cloud attacks:
Understand the Security Features of Your Chosen Provider
Businesses need to carefully research the security measures of their chosen cloud service provider. It is important to make sure that they are comfortable with the level of visibility and control they will have over their data to avoid security issues in cloud computing. They should also consider implementing a data governance strategy that includes both on-premises and cloud-based data.
Ensure Provider Meets Legal and Regulatory Obligations
To avoid any legal compliance issues, cloud service providers should offer the security features businesses need to comply with relevant regulations. Businesses should also have a clear understanding of the cloud service provider’s legal and regulatory obligations and make sure that they have policies and procedures in place to meet them.
Implement Strong Security Controls
Businesses need to invest in robust security measures, such as firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, data loss prevention tools, and an incident response plan in place in case of a breach. To prevent cloud security risks, businesses should implement two-factor authentication. Businesses should also consider using a password manager to generate and store strong passwords.
Educate Employees about the Risks of Using Cloud Services
Many employees are unaware of the potential cloud security risks associated with using cloud services, such as data breaches and malware attacks. As a result, they may be more likely to use these services without taking proper security precautions. For example, they may not know how to properly protect their login credentials or may accidentally click on a phishing email.
To help educate employees about the risks of using cloud services, businesses should consider providing training on how to use these services safely. And they should also make sure that employees are aware of the company’s security policies and procedures.
Get Secure Cloud Services with Adrytech
Adrytech offers a wide range of secure cloud services that can help businesses overcome the challenges of cloud security risks. For more information about our secure cloud services, contact us today!
