What Are The Security Risks of Cloud Computing?

One major benefit of cloud computing is that it’s easier to handle threats and security risks that might potentially harm your data and enterprise. That’s why it’s such a sweet deal for companies.That being said, while cloud computing is as safe as it comes, it is still not bulletproof. And this is why companies cite security as a main concern.

So, let’s talk a bit about cloud computing security risks and get into the major issues.

Cyberattacks

Arguably the most troublesome issue, and the one that requires the most testing to protect against. Cloud environments are a prime target, which is why enterprises are hesitating with the switch.

Over 20% of all incidents are cyberattacks. However, the most common victims are corporate and internal company networks. But still, cloud environments come right after.

That being said, companies can protect themselves from cyberattacks. Assessing threats will identify any potential gaps. The best fight against cyberattacks remains the constant monitoring of touch points so that know where to strengthen your defenses.

Misconfiguration

You’d be surprised at how many businesses don’t really configure their cloud environments right. Working with a misconfigured cloud environment exposes critical business data and applications to unauthorized access. You don’t want this happening to your system.

One of the main goals of a cloud infrastructure is to make it easily accessible, and to promote data sharing. Hence, making sure that only authorized users can access your data is difficult. A misconfiguration that leads to a lack of visibility or control, only makes this worse.

This is something that can easily be handled, though, by opting for a cloud security management provider that knows the ins and outs of migrating to the cloud and setting things up right with your cloud service provider. It keeps you secure, and it’s one of the best investments you can make if you’re making the switch to the cloud.

Data Leaks

One of the prime reasons enterprises consider switching to the cloud is the ease of data sharing. This makes it easier to access the system from anywhere. But when you consider that data sharing is usually done by direct invitations, it’s a big problem when someone unauthorized gets access to an invitation.

There’s also the case of hackers that are actively scouring the internet, looking for unsecured cloud deployments. You don’t want to be on the receiving end of a data leak, as it could easily spell disaster for your enterprise.

This could however be countered by granting proper access and training employees on cybersecurity best practices.

Internal threats

There are many measures companies can put in place to counter the above risks. But there is also a misconception that they need to address, and that is cyberattacks, data breaches and security threats always come from the outside. In fact, some reports indicate that as many as 30% of data breaches involve someone uninformed or with malicious intent working from the inside.

Now, this is much more of a problem when you’re working with an on-premise infrastructure. However, even with a cloud infrastructure as your main environment, it is still a risk. The problem lies in the fact that the infrastructure is accessible from anywhere, and by the time you’ve discovered that you’re dealing with a data breach, it might be too late.

Fortunately, this is one that’s rather easy to handle – all it takes is for your organization to have the proper security hierarchy in place to be able to identify who can access what, and of course, restrict access to anyone who’s not trustworthy.

Keeping your enterprise safe

Knowing about these risks certainly reduces getting exposed to them. But it does not absolutely prevent them from happening. Overcoming the risks is a whole different beast, and it’s something you want to handle the moment you start your migration.

Unless you’ve been working in the cloud computing industry, this is something that’s best left to a professional team that knows the ins and outs of handling a cloud migration, and the aftermath that follows. It’s too easy to make a mistake, and the results could be disastrous for your enterprise.

When it comes to the potential risk, they’re easily mitigated if you leave the migration and setup to a team like kloudr, a team that has years of experience in the cloud computing industry. After all and if handled properly, the cloud computing infrastructure allows you to even boost your enterprise’s security. Overall, the ultimate goal is to get a better environment that employees can access from anywhere.