7 Security Challenges in Cloud Computing

These are top seven potential security Issues with the cloud 

Increasing numbers of people are turning to the cloud. End-user spending on public cloud computing will reach $304.9 billion by 2022, according to Gartner. Some companies remain sceptical of the cloud, with 66% of IT professionals citing security as their top concern.

Problems with Cloud Computing Security
This article will focus on a number of significant cloud computing security concerns and issues for businesses.

Misconfiguration
Data leaks are frequently caused by cloud misconfiguration. A company's most sensitive data and applications are at risk when the cloud is built incorrectly. In order to protect their data from unauthorised access, businesses must implement measures to restrict access to their cloud infrastructure. A lack of knowledge or control over cloud infrastructure could exacerbate this problem.

Misconfigurations in the cloud can have a significant impact on an organization's day-to-day operations, resulting in a loss of productivity. Cloud solution managers should be familiar with their cloud service provider's security measures to avoid misconfigurations.

Cyberattacks
Cybercriminals and threat actors are increasingly focusing their attention on cloud systems. Global security researchers found that in 2020, the number of attacks against cloud services had nearly doubled to 20 percent of all incidents. More than half of the events (54 percent) occurred in corporate and internal networks; cloud settings are now the third most common target.

If a company doesn't recognise its cyber risk, it can't prepare for a potential assault. Investigate potential security threats and vulnerabilities by conducting threat assessments across a wide variety of different security technologies. Afterwards, the company can take corrective measures to improve its cybersecurity system. 

Insider threat
In addition to external risks, organisations face internal threats as well. According to the 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report, internal actors were involved in a third of the data breaches analysed.

In both on-premises and cloud systems, this is a serious issue. In a public cloud, it can be difficult to detect hostile insider behaviour because the infrastructure is available over the Internet and the cloud is public. An active data breach is possible at the time of risk discovery. Organizations must have the proper security measures in place before any significant economic impact can occur.

Visibility issues
Only 7% of cybersecurity experts have an extremely deep understanding of how employees use essential business data across company and employee-owned devices, company-approved services, and employee services, according to an Extreme Compute survey.
Companies are vulnerable to hostile insider threats and cyberattacks because of this lack of visibility. By working with a managed cloud service provider that adheres to tight security and compliance standards, these challenges can be overcome.

An organization's cloud environment must always be transparent to them. Managed cloud service providers may help businesses detect and respond to threats by providing real-time information on network and user behaviour, among other areas.

Data breaches.
Cloud computing has several advantages, but one of the most important is the ease with which data can be shared and collaborated on. In cloud computing, direct email invitations or a public link to a group of users may cause security issues.

It is possible for anyone with knowledge of the link to view the data stored there. It's a common practise for hackers to aggressively scan the internet for unsecured cloud configurations. A catastrophic data breach can occur if these resources contain private corporate data or sensitive information that falls into the wrong hands.

Lack of relevant resources.
Cloud migration has its own challenges, and some firms believe they're done once all of their most significant assets have been relocated to the cloud. For optimal results, cloud adoption requires ongoing cloud monitoring and administration after the first migration has been completed.

Time and experience are required for a company's cloud solution to be planned, assessed, migrated, deployed, and managed. Small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) are less likely to invest in cloud infrastructure than larger organisations. It is possible for the firm to suffer cloud computing security threats if any of the steps in the cloud adoption process are missed or set incorrectly.

When looking for a cloud solution, companies should work with a partner who has the appropriate cloud expertise. Most companies provide a mix of full-time and part-time staffing options.

Confidentiality
It has always been a worry for company leaders, but as the cybersecurity landscape advances, it is becoming more and more important. For example, GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and other standards exist to protect customer data from being stolen or misused.

According to Commvault, only 12 percent of global IT organisations are aware of how GDPR could impact cloud computing. This means that companies may be more vulnerable if they do not adhere to GDPR standards in the cloud.

A data breach or significant fines could result if companies do not adhere to these requirements. A cloud management company can assist. It is important for the company and its clients to select a partner who is knowledgeable about data protection and compliance regulations.

How to address them?

When looking for a supplier, find out what cybersecurity framework they utilise. It's a simple question, yet many managed service providers won't have an answer. It's also critical to know how the provider protects your company's assets.