In 2024, the adoption of cloud computing by organizations has reached notable levels, with about 94% of companies that now use cloud -based services, according to the Rightscale report. However, cloud solutions bring significant security challenges, since they depend on shared resources and connectivity, making them susceptible to data infractions, erroneous configurations and hijacking. Explore the essential rules that can help minimize these risks and protect cloud environments effectively.
Cloud infrastructure offers organizations an average savings of 40% in physical space and reduced operating expenses. In addition, these environments allow faster marketing time and improve general business agility. More than half of the organizations have declared that the adoption of the cloud has accelerated their provision of products and services, which allows them to respond more quickly to the needs of the client.
Security is another important reason for companies to migrate to the cloud. Approximately 60% of business executives believe that cloud computing improves their safety position, particularly because it allows automated updates and reduces the risks of human error.
Common threats for cloud environments
Despite all the advantages, there are still some risks associated with cloud computing. For example, last year, Miter, a non -profit organization based in the United States recognized for its work in technology and defense research, experienced an important cloud security incident. In April 2024, the attackers exploded two zero day vulnerabilities at the Ivanti's Connect vpn, obtaining unauthorized access to the Network Experimentation Platform, Research and Virtualization of Miter.
This violation resulted in confidential research data, including technical findings, development methodologies and simulation results related to cybersecurity frames Miter Att & CK® and Calder, which are widely used by government agencies and private organizations. It is unlikely that national security data will be directly compromised.
The subsequent investigation revealed that the incident was perpetrated by a threat of foreign state-state. The successful violation was attributed to the non -flicked software and the committed devices, which provided the attackers unauthorized access to sensitive areas within the cloud surroundings.
Another important cloud security incident in 2024 involved the popular Trello project management tool. In January, the company experienced data violation, compromising 15 million user accounts. The hackers used a public API to connect an existing database of email addresses with Trello account information, which included user names, complete names and other details.
In general, according to the 2024 cloud security report by the Check Point software, 61% of organizations experienced at least one security incident related to the use of the public cloud in 2024, a significant increase compared to the 24% figure in 2023. From these incidents, 21% resulted in data violations.
Among other common vulnerabilities in cloud environments are erroneous configurations, which can lead to confidential data exposure if they are not immediately addressed, and internal threats, where employees or contractors compromise or maliciously inadvertently or maliciously cloud security. In addition, companies often struggle to maintain the pace of the rapid proliferation of solutions in the cloud, and the lack of personnel skills to operate in the cloud environment becomes a significant security threat in itself.
Ways to protect your cloud
Fortunately, companies that depend largely on cloud infrastructure can avoid such devastating attacks. The key is to follow seven essential rules. Each of them provides a specific approach to ensure a critical aspect of the cloud environment, from access management and data encryption to employee monitoring and training. They complement each other and contribute to a well -rounded cloud safety posture.
Rule 1: Continuously control and record all cloud activities
In 2024, according to Sailpoint, about 83% of organizations reported that continuous monitoring helped them catch early security incidents, avoiding possible data leaks and system commitments.
Effective network monitoring helps identify threats such as unauthorized access, data exfiltration and erroneous configurations that could expose confidential data. By continuously tracking the activities and analysis of the records, organizations can quickly identify unusual behaviors, such as access attempts at unknown locations, unusual data transfers or unauthorized use of privileged accounts.
Rule 2: Implement strong identity and access management policies (IAM)
The effective IAM ensures that only authorized users have access to specific cloud resources. A key component of these policies is multifactor authentication, which requires users to verify their identity through two or more authentication methods, such as a password and a unique code sent to a mobile device. This ensures that potential attackers would need more than a password to enter.
The roles -based access control (RBAC) is another critical IAM strategy, assigning permissions based on user roles within an organization. For example, an employee in the Finance Department could have access to financial records, but cannot see the details of IT infrastructure. With RBAC, users have the minimum access level required for their roles, which significantly reduces the risk of improper use of confidential data.
Rule 3: Data in encrypting and resting
It is important to encrypt data both when transmitted (in transit) and when stored (at rest). This ensures that even if the attackers intercept or access the data, it remains illegible without the correct deciphering keys.
To implement encryption effectively in its cloud surroundings, you must use the encryption of the transport layer (such as transport layer safety, TLS) for transit data and disc encryption for resting data. Many cloud suppliers offer built -in encryption tools that facilitate these practices.
Rule 4: Update regularly and patch resources in the cloud
Cloud environments, like any other IT infrastructure, are susceptible to vulnerabilities as software ages or new exploits are discovered. When the systems remain without blinking, they become easy objectives for attackers who often explore obsolete software and exploit known vulnerabilities. A recent study found that approximately 60% of cloud infractions could be attributed to non -ecological or poorly configured systems.
Periodic updates help protect the cloud resources from these risks when addressing known problems before attackers can take advantage of them. Cloud platforms generally facilitate the configuration of automated backup copies for persistent resources such as databases or virtual machines. These backups ensure that, even in the case of an important attack or human error, the data can be recovered without significant interruptions.
Rule 5: Use data retention policies
To protect against malicious attacks, such as ransomware, it is essential to establish policies that avoid immediate elimination of cloud resources. Many cloud suppliers offer this function, which allows you to configure a delay period. This ensures that even if an attacker gets access to his account and tries to eliminate critical resources, these resources will not be immediately eliminated.
For example, with a 30 -day delay, a marked resource for elimination would continue to be recoverable throughout that period. This delay provides two key advantages: it allows time to detect and respond to unauthorized actions, and gives you the opportunity to restore data before it is permanently lost. If your cloud supplier does not offer this protection, it can be worth reconsidering whether they meet your safety needs.
Rule 6: Keep your low costs
In the case of a DDOS attack, cloud infrastructure can administer traffic increase by automatically expanding resources. However, this scale can quickly increase costs, potentially exercising tension in the company's finances. To avoid these unexpected expenses, make sure your cloud supplier offers strong protection and mitigation options.
These measures can help absorb and filter attack traffic, minimizing the impact without leading to an excessive scale of resources. If the incorporated protections of your supplier are inadequate, consider using third -party ddos mitigation tools. This approach will help to safeguard both its systems and its budget during an attack.
Rule 7: Train employees on cloud security awareness
According to the Ponmon Institute, 82% of data violations are caused by staff errors, such as clicking phishing links, using weak passwords or falling into social engineering attacks. To avoid these problems, it is essential to invest in continuous security training programs. In fact, companies with comprehensive training programs can save an average of $ 2.66 million per violation.
What could these programs include? Phishing simulations that help employees identify suspicious emails and avoid disseminating confidential information. In addition, providing specific cloud security training, which focuses on safe data management, password management and the understanding of specific cloud threats, ensures that employees are well prepared to handle safety challenges effectively.
We have compiled a list of the best identity management software.
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