Cloud security: What is it and what are the top 5 security threats to watch out for?

In the digital age, security is a top priority. With many businesses adopting digital transformation and storing a lot of information in the cloud, cloud computing has become increasingly popular. There’s a need to know that your data is safe. And this has brought with it new challenges in terms of data protection and privacy.

In this article, we'll give an overview of cloud security and how it differs from traditional IT solutions and look at some of the main risks associated with cloud services.

What is cloud security?

Cloud security refers to the set of policies, processes, and technologies that help organisations protect their sensitive data as it resides on a cloud service provider's infrastructure. It includes measures taken to prevent data loss or theft during transmission over networks between organizations' premises and those of their cloud service providers.

Top five security threats to watch out for

• Stolen Credentials: When users' credentials are stolen, it gives access to sensitive data or enables attacks against other systems. This can include everything from usernames and passwords to API keys and certificates. If an attacker gets their hands on this information, they can easily impersonate an employee or someone else who has access to sensitive data.
• Insider Threats:Insider threats are still one of the biggest concerns when it comes to cloud security. This is because even if you've implemented all the right security measures and policies, users can still cause problems by accident. At worst, they could be working with an outside attacker who could take advantage of their privileges as an employee.
• Data breaches: Cloud computing makes it easier for hackers to access sensitive data such as credit card numbers and passwords through a single point of entry into a company's network. This can result in identity theft and other forms of fraud. Data breaches can also lead to lawsuits from customers whose private information has been compromised by hackers.
• Unauthorized access: Companies often use cloud computing services because they allow employees to access their email on smartphones or tablets while they're away from the office. However, this convenience comes with risks if employees inadvertently click on malicious links or attachments that allow hackers access to corporate networks through their personal devices.
• Data leakage: Data leakage refers to the loss or theft of sensitive information in transit over public networks like the internet or via email attachments. This could happen due to improper encryption protocols used while sending the data over these networks. It could also happen due to human error during transmission, such as sending an unencrypted file as an attachment in an email message.

Conclusion

With more companies moving to the cloud and relying on cloud storage solutions, it is likely that cyber-criminals will find ways to exploit these systems.

With that in mind, it is important to create an environment of security within the framework of the cloud, especially when it comes to looking at things from a cyber threat protection point of view.

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