How Cloud Technology is Transforming Cybersecurity

Cloud technology has been nothing short of revolutionary since its emergence. Web-based technologies have been transformed and business processes have been improved through the use of cloud computing, yet security concerns have remained consistent across the history of the cloud’s presence.

Cloud computing cannot be detached from the cybersecurity concerns that manifest as a result of its implementation. These concerns vary in nature as some are deeply rooted in the technology itself while others are a result of vulnerabilities that can be exploited by malicious actors.

What follows are a few of the most common cybersecurity challenges for businesses that utilize cloud computing today…

A Consistent Web Connection

At the root of most cloud-based cybersecurity concerns is the unavoidable fact that cloud services depend on a nearly constant connection to the internet. This same internet is the home to not only your cloud operations but the cybercriminals that may want to hack your systems as well. This makes it slightly easier for these malicious actors to conduct their nefarious work.

Some of the more common attacks including DDoS and Man-in-the-Middle attacks incorporate cloud connections into the preliminary stages of hacking. This constant connection to the internet needs to be considered when looking at your organization’s approach to cybersecurity.

Minimal Transparency

The current model being used by most cloud vendors offers reduced transparency to clients due to the fact that third parties must be entrusted with specific aspects of operations. In order to feel more confident in your vendor, it is important to understand what their data setup looks like. Do they use a multi-tenant design or are they offering a private cloud? What data-barriers exist between your data and the data of other customers?

Additional pieces of knowledge are the algorithms and security standards that your vendor is running. There is a lot of control being sacrificed and handed over to your vendor, which makes it important to do your due diligence. This ultimately boils down to trust and a strong relationship between your organization and your vendor.

API Vulnerability

The API is a critical piece of the cloud computing puzzle, as it functions as a connective device within modern architectures. If an API has security vulnerabilities, then some substantial cybersecurity issues can arise. This makes APIs one of the more common concerns among programmers and executives that are in the know.

IoT has become a model for connectivity and it is likely that billions of connected devices will be added every year moving forward. This increase in devices and expansion of IoT has led to a new philosophy known as edge computing. Edge computing places data closer towards the edge of a network, and further away from core repositories. One of the unideal results is an increased vulnerability. This vulnerability has become a big challenge for businesses that have cloud operations.

These challenges are just a few of the common cybersecurity concerns that are moving in parallel with the proliferation of cloud computing. Businesses that hope to remain ahead of these challenges should do their best to educate their team members and enact practices that keep their systems safe.

If you’d like to explore your companies cybersecurity practices further, give us a call for a complimentary security assessment!