Introduction

The pandemic accelerated a shift in cloud adoption. More organizations are using cloud computing in their businesses. However, the transformation to the cloud is not straightforward. The best way to prepare for change is not just to adopt it, but maybe adapt to it as well. Gil Zimmermann, CEO of CloudLock, says that “the one-size-fits-all mentality of legacy enterprise security doesn’t necessarily apply when you have access to limitless compute power. What works in a small environment doesn’t necessarily translate when you send the data to a large cloud provider. ” He cautions that cloud security should not be viewed as “a short-term, project-based solution.” We’d Hi5 Gil on that! The mammoth of cloud adoption is an ocean-in-ocean, indeed.

Adapting to cloud adoption

Although cloud computing is still in its infancy and will likely undergo several changes in the coming years, the shift towards cloud computing is real and significant. Complementary trends from mobile technology, social media, analytics, and big data suggest an increasingly connected society. The public sector and well-funded startups are most likely to be the first to adopt new technologies. Google’s cloud computing play is aimed at making the web an “open” platform. Meanwhile, Amazon’s cloud computing play is aimed at speeding up the use of Web services, while Microsoft is trying to make it easier for enterprises to adopt it. While these potential trends should be viewed as an opportunity for transformation, they are also rife with risks and uncertainties. Most organizations are expected to be less cautious when it comes to adopting new technologies as they have come to depend upon services delivered by companies like Google and Amazon. Well, this brings us to the prime question……

Are we overlooking security?

Despite its advantages, there are still concerns about cloud computing. And many of these concerns have been brought to light over the past few years by organizations using cloud services improperly or by losing information to hackers. Cloud computing is not a safer option than taking any other action to protect data. However, the risks associated with incorrect or careless usage far outweigh any of the benefits cloud computing offers. So, to answer the first part of the question, YES! Security is being overlooked. Here are some of the issues that organizations need to consider when making plans for cloud adoption. This will answer the second part of the question. Make sure you make a checklist!

1. Data Loss

The most common risk associated with public cloud adoption is data loss. It is important to understand the consequences of data loss for a company. Data loss can happen for several reasons, like corruption, deletion from disk drives, or theft due to access by unauthorized users.

2. Data Breach

A data breach refers to the loss of private or confidential information and can be caused by several factors, such as hackers, malware, human error, and malicious insiders.

3. Data Theft & leak

Data theft consists of the unauthorized removal of data from a system accessible by others. This kind of attack generally targets financial data or stored passwords, credit cards, and logins. Data leakage, on the flip side, occurs when a data transfer from a network or system to another place is made without authorization.

4. Identity Theft

Identity theft is the most common data breach and can be done any time a user’s sensitive information falls into the wrong hands, such as e-mail addresses, social security numbers, or credit card numbers.

Why are we turning a blind-eye to cloud security?

The Ponemon report states: “Cloud computing models vary, as do their associated risks and controls. For example, some providers offer hosted solutions while others offer infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS). Some provide security through the provider’s own cloud, while others implement the vendor’s own proprietary security. In all cases, the goal is to provide services to users at a lower cost than if they were provided in-house. ” Yet, the fact remains that security is a critical consideration when moving your company’s IT infrastructure to the cloud. Herein lies the problem. Cloud storage is inherently insecure—different from a traditional data center. Once your data leaves the confines of your company and is sent out to the Internet, it can be intercepted by hackers anywhere in the world. That’s why a reviewer at TechSpot recently wrote that the rapid proliferation of cloud services has introduced serious risks to online security. Here’s why we’re overlooking security when it comes to cloud adoption.

#1 Misconceptions about security in the cloud

It’s very easy to make a claim that your service is secure without actually backing it up with any concrete evidence. Security is an incredibly complex subject, and it can be difficult for companies that don’t have the resources to do extensive testing on security breaches themselves. The biggest problem is that cloud providers do not disclose any specifics about the security of their service. It’s like government telling that city has police stations all around and hence citizens needn’t worry about their locking their main doors!

#2 Cost Savings.

Cloud computing is a great way to reduce costs and increase efficiency. But there’s a big difference between the private cloud and the public cloud. In private clouds, there is far more security and privacy. But when you “go public”—by moving your data into a public cloud, you leave behind control over security, privacy, and worker protections. You become vulnerable to massive attacks where hackers will plunder your data once it is located on the public cloud without proper security.

#3 Cloud Adoption Is Accelerating.

According to Gartner, cloud computing spending will reach $400 billion in the second pandemic year of 2021. At the same time, public cloud providers are expected to grow by 26% in 2022 compared to last year.

#4 You Can’t Trust the Cloud Provider’s Security.

This is a common perception that many people have. You must have probably seen the meme where Facebook’s CEO dodges questions about data privacy and comes out clean. Not only that, but hackers also broke into Google’s App Engine and stole several hundred thousand troves of data, including emails and passwords. At the time, Google said there was no evidence that its system had been hacked and no users had lost their data. This is a good example of how cloud providers lie about the security of their systems. Google’s system was not secure at all. We now know that hackers stole the data, but Google claimed otherwise. Hence companies moving to cloud need to have specialized third party security tools to properly secure their cloud assets.

Conclusion

Cloud computing is an opportunity for transformation, but it’s not without its risks. The same cloud that delivers convenience and flexibility can also open the door to new security threats. The Cloud is an Attractive Target. While these services increase user convenience and improve efficiency, they also present new opportunities for fraud, abuse, hacking, and other malicious activity. Organizations needs to have a focused security partner to help them guide and implement proper security tools to protect their cloud journey and securely enjoy its benefits. Well, the bottom line is that we live in a digital age where everyone has a camera in their pocket to upload stuff onto the cloud, but none has a shredder for taking stuff off the cloud. So, cloud computing has the potential to make our lives both safer and more secure if we build the proper controls into the system. About SNS: Secure Network Solutions India ( SNS ) provides a quantifiable, risk-based approach to build cyber security based on globally recognized frameworks and standards. We have been protecting business for the last 20 years! Write to us at [email protected].