10 things to overcome before moving to cloud

Problems with Cloud Security

Cyber-attacks (and data breaches) and regulatory compliance are among the cloud computing security concerns. The key problems are visibility, access constraints, and configuration errors. Extreme Compute has broken down the hurdles of cloud migration so you can do it confidently. Cloud security is a collaborative effort between businesses and service providers.

Cloud Service Providers
Many people believe that they can offload their cloud provider's security worries. CSPs can assist secure your data by investing in a shared infrastructure, but cloud security remains a joint duty.. Be aware of how your cloud provider secures your data and keep an eye on privacy and security policies from your service provider.

Challenges in cloud explained
1. Access to Cloud Data and Apps

Public cloud infrastructure does not provide the same level of control as on-premises technology does for organisations. Access restrictions are essential to protect PII and IP in public cloud infrastructure because it can be accessed via the internet. Two-factor or multi-factor authentication (MFA) should be used, and user access should only be granted to those who require it, using a personal key or token. Verify that your cloud provider's internal processes for physical security and user access are equivalent and comparable to those of your organisation.

2. Lock-In by Security Vendors

Businesses are concerned about the price of switching implementations  Or their dependence on specific capabilities. Pay-as-you-go services are common among cloud service providers (CSPs), but each CSP has its own unique set of policies. To avoid becoming a victim of lock-in, companies need to make sure their data is portable rather than locked into a format. Businesses can also lessen the risk of lock-in by adopting a hybrid or multi-cloud strategy.

3 a set of rules and guidelines
Concerns regarding constantly evolving industry, state, and federal data and privacy laws are felt by businesses of all sizes. The EU GDPR and CCPA, as well as impending legislation such as the EO on Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity Act, require companies and third-party cloud providers to adhere to stringent criteria. Cloud service providers' contracts must be examined in light of these overlapping regulations and frameworks. Large cloud service companies typically adhere to strong security criteria (such as NIST) and operate cloud service centres in the United States.

4 intruders from the cloud
can result in launching an attack, spreading it laterally, and corrupting data through the use of the cloud (and its vulnerabilities) (exfiltrate or lockdown with ransomware). SaaS sprawl generates an attack surface that generally goes unnoticed as 93% of cloud applications are not enterprise-ready (particularly with decentralised purchasing or the use of free, open-source SaaS against policies).

5 Defeats from within
Employees or authorised third parties may inadvertently or maliciously gain access to data or systems, resulting in an insider threat. Cloud-based insider risks are an issue for 50% of companies. One of the best ways to prevent insider threats is to ensure that only the right personnel have access to data and systems and that they are authenticated. Even minor mistakes like emailing spreadsheets or falling victim to phishing can be avoided with employee education on data security standards. Restricting user access as fast as possible lowers the risk of malicious insiders.

6 Apps and settings that aren't secure
According to a recent study, this is one of the most common entry points for cloud-native attacks. Data loss prevention (DLP), a cloud-native solution, could be considered for auditing installations to verify that data is saved and protected against breach and non-compliance.

7 Cloud Security expertise is not available.
From the previous decade, the talent deficit has gotten worse, with 69% of companies reporting difficulty finding suitable people in the IT field. There is a severe shortage of IT and cloud security professionals. Cloud-first strategy assessment and implementation can be made easier by outsourcing the necessary people, skills, and services, from assessing which apps and services are suited for the cloud to creating a cloud migration framework. 

8 DDoS and DoS Attacks 
Cloud-based data and apps are at risk of being inaccessible due to attacks such as denial of service (DoS) and distributed denial of service (DDoS). Blackhole routing, rate limiting, IP filtering, firewalls, and security services can all be used to lessen the impact of DDoS and DoS attacks on a system. Backups and load balancing are also suggested as additional defences against malware and other forms of intrusion.

9 Takeover of an account
Sixty-one percent of data breaches last year used credentials; as cloud services (and access points) expand, this number is rising. As a result of these restrictions and training on phishing and social engineering techniques, access to sensitive information is at risk. Make sure your most critical data and systems are protected by using 2FA or MFA with FIDO Authentication.

10 Attacks on web apps and data via APIs. Security testing for APIs is typically overlooked during application testing, despite their importance in digital transformation. There was a recent security incident involving live production APIs, according to 91% of those who took the survey. Tokens, encryption, and API traffic monitoring tools can help prevent API assaults.

A Security Checklist for the Cloud
Frameworks exist that can aid you in implementing adequate controls across all cloud technologies if you're ready to boost cloud security. NIST Cybersecurity Framework (SP 800-146 and SP 800-145) or the Cloud Security Alliance Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM)

Takeaways from Cloud Security Concerns:
If you understand your shared responsibility in assessing risk and keeping up with the dynamic threat landscape, cloud security can be achieved. Establishing digital workloads and moving to the cloud can be done safely with our assistance.