Surveys show that around 95% of companies are using cloud services nowadays. However, considering the latest cybernetic threats more and more companies question the security cloud services offer. The fact is that every organization has to take certain measures to prevent breaches and to protect their data. Even if the latest cloud solutions are quite safe, no network is 100% protected from hacking.

The best insurance policy is applying the recommendations you will find in this article.

Threat 1 – #DataBreaches

The threat of data breaches is real, and it’s the main reason why data security is a priority for companies worldwide. A single data breach can have various consequences, depending on the specifics of the company, the type of information leaked, and the period the breach was not detected. Sometimes a single breach can lead to costs of millions of dollars.

Data breaches can be prevented and companies can protect themselves against the devastating consequences they bring. The best way to avoid them is to adopt the right security measures. The best protocol has a fault-tolerant approach by using multiple stages of security. It should include multi-factor authentication for data access, data-at-rest encryption, and perimeter and internal firewalls. Guarding your data is the best way to prevent breaches.

Threat 2–#InsecureAPIs

The main definition and reason for APIs are to show the company for public consumption or adaption. If it’s done meeting security measures, it can bring a smooth experience for users. APIs have some vulnerabilities, so if you use them, it’s advisable to reduce the flaws by performing penetration testing for the cloud, and security-focused code reviews. Testing has the role to find vulnerabilities and to solve them before they become an issue.

APIs are the first line of defense to your cloud solution. Threat modeling systems and apps are essential parts of the development lifestyle. The ideal solution to reduce APIs vulnerabilities is to establish a multi-layered authentication.

Threat 3 – #SystemVulnerabilities

How to prevent cloud security threats in your organization

Hackers use any exploitable features or bugs to compromise a network or computer. The list of vulnerabilities is quite long, but the most dangerous ones are the old ones. Depending on the nature of the exploit, the extent of the damage may differ from a threat to another, but most of the time, system vulnerabilities lead to heavy repair or recovery expenses, data breaches, and loss of service or data.

The best solution to guard your company against system vulnerabilities is to keep the cloud-based software and systems up-to-date with the newest security measures. This way you will quickly identify system bugs and protect your system.

Threat 4 – #AccountHijacking

When using cloud services hackers can try to deceive your system security by using numerous attack strategies like fraud and phishing. They will try to steal one of the user’s access credentials and use them to gain access to your data. If they succeed, they gain instant access to all your information and systems; the result being that they can launch multiple attacks on your company.

Account hijacking can have enormous consequences on your business, and it’s advisable to prevent it by adopting strong account security protocols and collaborating with companies experienced in offering secure cloud application development services. The users who have access to your cloud should follow some simple cybersecurity steps:

– They should create and use strong passwords
– They should NEVER share their account credentials with ANYONE
– They should be trained to identify and avoid phishing attempts
– They should use a multi-factor authentication

Threat 5 – #MaliciousInsiders

Even if it’s bad news, many times the most dangerous attacks come from inside the company, from an authorized user who abuses the access they received. Malicious insiders are one of the greatest threats your company can experience because they already have access to the network, and you may have no idea of how they are using it. All the present and former employees, business partners, contractors, and vendors who gained access to your system at a certain point can become a Cyber-threat.

It may be difficult for you to identify and prevent current employees from causing damage to your network but you can use some strategies to limit your exposure.

–  You should revoke users’ credentials on termination. It does not matter if you apart in good or bad terms with the employee, you should revoke their access privileges the moment they no longer collaborate with your brand.
– It is advisable to restrict the level of access your users have, they should all gain access only to the systems and data essential for their work. It will help you lower the risk of extended damage.
– Install internal firewalls for individual apps and users. If an insider becomes malicious and decides to strike your network, you should have a series of firewalls that partition your virtual machines and systems to prevent them from compromising your entire network. This way you limit the impact of the attack.

Threat 6 – #DataLoss

Data theft

When it comes to cloud computing, you can lose access to the data you have stored in your cloud. If you are working in the medical system, for example, this threat is serious because the hacker gains access to your patients’ data. It’s important you to know that in some cases data loss is not the result of a Cyber attack, multiple situations can cause it, like:

– Erasing of information from your storage drive
– Corruption of data
– Physical destruction of storage media
– Loss of the encryption key to access your information
– Interruptions of internet access
– Power outages
– Natural disasters

The good news is you can prevent data loss on the cloud because the above reasons are simply random events. An electrical storm or an earthquake can destroy the hardware that stores your data. The best way to prevent this situation is to use cloud-based services that provide geodiversity. When you store your information on hardware located in multiple locations, you are sure that if one of the centers is damaged you can get a backup of the data from the other locations.

Keeping your data safe can be difficult not only on a cloud-based infrastructure but on others as well. However, by adopting some security measures you can protect it, and boost your company’s operations.