Cloud computing has become a staple for organizations across the globe. The exact numbers vary based on the industry, but up to 98% of companies depend on cloud computing for their operations worldwide. This makes it essential for cybersecurity teams to prioritize identifying and remediating their cloud computing vulnerabilities — but how do they know where to start?
This article will examine the top cloud computing vulnerabilities as well as some steps that your team can take to resolve them.
Cloud computing vulnerabilities are any oversights, errors, or gaps in your cloud environment that threat actors could use to infiltrate your network and harm your operations. Cloud architectures are highly complex and involve multiple components, so there are plenty of attack vectors to defend your infrastructure against. Understanding the most common cloud computing security vulnerabilities and which ones are most pressing can help you triage your remediation efforts and keep your attack surface to a minimum.
While several others exist, here are the main cloud computing vulnerabilities that you should account for in your cloud defenses.
Cloud misconfigurations encompass a wide range of poor security practices. They can include anything from insecure backups to excess permission levels, and they're often the result of carelessness amidst high-speed deployment environments or limited visibility into cloud architectures. Some common components that may be misconfigured are:
The first step to remediating misconfigurations is to stay current on cloud security best practices and maximize your visibility over your cloud environment. From there, consider taking these steps:
Application Programming Interfaces (API) serve as the doorway that connects your cloud environment to both internal and external client requests. If left unsecured, your cloud environment could be exposed to:
Many cloud service providers offer some type of API security solution, but since cloud environments are collaborations between host and the client, it's important to implement the appropriate security measures on your end too. Some steps to take are:
Poor access management enables users or services to access more of your organization's resources than they need to perform their tasks. It allows threat actors to overcome weak authentication or authorization security measures — or to circumvent them altogether. Some examples of poor access management are:
Poor access management is the basis for multiple attack vectors, including account hijacking tactics such as phishing attempts, brute-force attacks, and cross-site scripting (XSS). To stop them, implement security measures such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) or the principle of least privilege.
While many attack vectors come from external threat actors, insider threats can be equally damaging — and sometimes harder to spot. Insider threats might be from disgruntled employees with malicious intentions to exfiltrate data, install malware, or delete important resources, but they can also be negligent employees whose practices compromise your cloud environment.
An insider threat's activity may be more difficult to detect, since they already have access to important security credentials. Monitoring and auditing software can alert you to any suspicious behavior. Also, always be sure to delete a terminated employee's permissions as quickly as possible.
Zero-day vulnerabilities are weaknesses in your tools or platforms that vendors are yet to catch, but that threat actors have already found. This makes them particularly difficult to remediate, but swiftly deploying all available patches and updates, using the latest software versions, and employing behavior-based attack blocking mechanisms can help mitigate zero-day threats.
The diversity and sophistication of the threat landscape means that teams must implement the leading security protocols to safeguard their cloud environments. In addition to fundamental steps such as installing patches and updates addressing any misconfigurations, consider taking these steps to mitigate your security risks:
Implementing the right security protocols is important for all industries, but this is especially the case with those possessing sensitive information. Discover how Dell's cloud client workspace can help healthcare organizations strengthen their cloud environment — and other industries too.
Even with core security protocols in place, your team may still have difficulty managing your cloud security vulnerabilities. Implementing these best practices can further strengthen your cloud security posture:
While less technical than other tactics, another key security measure is education. Roughly 88% of data breaches are the result of human error, so training your employees on cloud security best practices can go a long way in reducing your cloud vulnerabilities.
Organizations' reliance on the cloud is increasing every day, and the sophistication of the threat landscape continues to grow with it. Your team must be proactive in implementing industry-leading best practices and protocols needed to mitigate your cloud computing vulnerabilities and minimize your attack surface in order to keep your cloud secure.
Because each company's cybersecurity needs may vary, it's important that they understand the solutions available that could best mitigate their security risks. Discover the crucial industry impacts that Dell's Thin Client has on your sector, and find out how you can begin strengthening your cloud security posture.