By Parvinder Walia, President- Asia Pacific and Japan, ESET
The allure of cloud services lies in their promise of cost efficiency, scalability, and flexibility. However, beneath these advantages lie significant risks to data privacy, fidelity, and security. These risks can be particularly damaging for small and medium businesses (SMBs) who often lack the resources and expertise to manage cybersecurity threats effectively.
Top cloud security mistakes that SMBs make
SMBs often make several common mistakes when it comes to cloud security. By recognizing and addressing these blind spots, organizations can significantly enhance their cybersecurity. One major mistake is placing too much trust in the cloud provider. Many IT leaders assume that investing in cloud services means fully outsourcing security to a third party. However, security responsibilities are shared between the cloud service provider (CSP) and the customer. The specific responsibilities depend on the type of cloud service and the provider.
Another common error is failing to back up data. Organisations should not assume that their cloud provider will automatically handle backups. It's essential to prepare for worst-case scenarios, such as system failures or cyberattacks, as lost data can lead to significant downtime, productivity, and reputation losses. Neglecting regular patching also exposes cloud systems to vulnerabilities. Unpatched systems can be exploited, leading to malware infections, data breaches, and other security issues. Regular patch management is crucial for maintaining cloud security, just as it is for on-premises systems.
Finally, not monitoring cloud traffic is a significant oversight. Today, it is often a matter of when, not if, a cloud environment will be breached. Rapid detection and response are critical to containing attacks before they impact the organization. Continuous monitoring of cloud traffic is essential for early detection and mitigation of threats.
Common types of cloud-based security threats
As a result, SMBs need to be vigilant against these threats that can jeopardize their operations. One of the most pressing concerns in cloud computing is data breaches. This occurs when unauthorised users gain access to sensitive information stored in the cloud, leading to severe consequences for businesses.
Account hijacking also poses a significant threat, especially through email inboxes. Cybercriminals can easily gather information by breaching an environment and taking control of accounts. This can result in data theft, unauthorized transactions, and damage to the company’s reputation.
Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, often executed by botnets—collections of millions of infected computers—aim to slow down or completely deny service to users. These attacks can severely disrupt business operations, causing downtime and financial losses. Malware and ransomware are additional threats. Malicious software can infect cloud-based systems, encrypt data, and demand a ransom for its release. A successful ransomware attack can halt operations, lead to significant data loss, and incur substantial financial costs.
What SMBs Can Do
The first step in securing your business data is to invest in security solutions that integrate multilayered technology such as AI and Machine Learning to enhance your cloud security and protection for your email, storage, and collaboration applications, on top of the security features built into cloud services offered by the world’s leading cloud providers. Businesses should also provide relevant training on how to stay digitally safe on these platforms. Employees should be educated on the potential implications and vulnerabilities of clicking and opening malicious
attachments or URL links.
Additionally, regularly updating, and patching systems, is crucial. Look for solutions with vulnerability and patch management because this provides an additional layer of security to organisations that want to stop threats from out-of-date operating systems and applications. Lastly, encrypt data at rest (at the database level) and in transit to ensure it is protected even if the threat actors get a hold of it. This will require effective and continuous data discovery and classification.
Embracing cloud technology responsibly for business success
In conclusion, while it is indisputable that cloud-based apps and services offer numerous strategic IT advantages to SMBs, they must not leave the job of protecting their all-important data to the cloud providers alone. Understanding potential threats, implementing best practices, and using comprehensive security solutions can help SMEs safeguard their data and maintain operational integrity, and thus take full advantage of cloud as a technology without
compromising their business operations.