Does your business rely on the cloud to communicate and share files? While it makes it easier to collaborate, it can lead to a huge security issue. According to the 2021 Thales Global Cloud Security Study, 40% of organizations experienced a cloud-based data breach from October 2020 to October 2021. They also found that one-fifth of businesses host most of their sensitive data in the cloud and only 17% of them have that stored data encrypted. This makes it easy for possible hackers to easily steal information and steal your business’s private information.

Here are some things that you should be aware of to keep your business safe:

  1. Cloud Misconfiguration
  2. API Vulnerability
  3. Lack of Multi-Factor Authentication

Need help with your cloud system? Contact 561 Communications today to learn more about our services. 

Cloud Misconfiguration

Cloud misconfiguration refers to any glitches, gaps, or errors that expose your environment to risk during cloud adoption. As found by the National Security Agency, cloud misconfiguration is the top vulnerability in a cloud security environment. This includes things like security breaches, ransomware, and malware.

Some cloud misconfigurations that may occur include:

  • Disabled Monitoring and Logging: Cloud logging is what enables you to log data from cloud applications, services, and infrastructure. This helps you identify issues, measure performance, and optimize configurations. But when cloud monitoring and logging are disabled, you won’t be able to keep necessary information like data sources or origin.
  • Insecure Automated Backups: When you first begin to move information to the cloud, you’ll need to make sure that your backups are encrypted and that access to them is restricted to deter any possible security breaches. To back up information securely, we recommend that you create at least three copies of your data with two different storage formats and keep at least one copy offsite.
  • Enabling Too Many Cloud Permissions: According to a report by Wiz Research, over 90% of cloud security teams are not aware that they give high permissions to third-party vendors that can then go on to sell your company’s and employees’ information. You should regularly review the people and accounts that are able to access your cloud and remove any permissions that you don’t recognize. You should also be aware of what devices your employees are using to access the cloud and keep a log of them on hand.

API Vulnerability

Application Programming Interface (APIs) allows different programs to work together and exchange information. This includes things like Zapier, Salesforce, and Google Assistant. While they can make your processes easier, they can also pose a high security risk if something like a data breach were to occur.

API vulnerabilities you should be aware of include:

  • Weak Authentication: Weak authentication can allow hackers to take control of user accounts, and steal their data or engage in fraudulent transactions. A relevant example was when a security researcher identified weak authentication (using publicly available information) that allowed Experian to authenticate users’ credit scores through API calls.
  • Excessive Data Exposure: The biggest risk of excessive data exposure is that end users can be exposed to sensitive data, such as personal information, or valuable information for which there are compliance regulations that may carry harsh fines – such as credit card numbers, bank details and passwords.
  • Enabling Too Many Cloud Access Permissions: Cloud computing is known for scalability, but it’s not without its downsides. With larger and more complex cloud environments, administrators can lose oversight of system controls. This loss of visibility makes it harder for admins to review permissions and restrict access. This is why it’s necessary to implement a regular review system to track permissions and remove those that are potentially harmful or no longer relevant.

Lack of Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication is a system that requires the user to identify themselves using two or more means. Common forms of multi-factor authentication include password and personal identification number (PIN), biometrics, and token-based one-time passwords (OTP). For your business, there are a variety of secure methods you can use to set up multi-factor authentication such as Google Authenticator or PingOne.

Trust the Experts at 561 Communications

At 561 Communications, we specialize in secure cloud services that allow you and your employees to communicate, share files, and collaborate on projects in real-time whether they’re in the office or elsewhere. And with your cyber security tools, you’ll always know that your business and its data is safe.

Contact us today to learn more about our cyber security solutions.