Cloud networking Cloud security

Could greater reliance on cloud computing mean a cyber security risk for businesses?

Alix Ingram
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Alix Ingram

3 min. read
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Cloud services are fast becoming an essential part of any organisation’s network. With more people working remotely the ability to collaborate with a dispersed team and access documentation from anywhere is vital to the success of the business. However, this new way of working brings with it some new cybersecurity considerations. Let’s take a look at the potential risks that come with working on the cloud and of course, the best solutions for them.

What are the main risks of cloud computing?

As the amount of data we produce and store increases, the attack surface grows. This is still the case whether this data is stored on the cloud or not. Below are some of the main cloud services that could cause a risk to your cyber security.

Wrongly configured services

This is a surprisingly common problem but luckily, it’s one that is easily preventable. Human error or negligence is a major cause of risk in cyber security, and this can easily extend to the configuration of services, opening the gates for malicious threats and data breaches. A simple and cost-effective solution to this is to enlist the services of a trusted cyber security and network systems integrator like Nomios UK. Our expert team can ensure the proper and most secure configuration for your cloud network.

API vulnerability

APIs are fantastic and necessary tools that allow cloud services to communicate with applications. However, without the proper security, they are also prone to attacks that can lead to data breaches. APIs can have some common vulnerabilities like SaaS misconfiguration, unauthenticated endpoints and disabled security controls. Luckily these can be fixed with comprehensive, multi-layered security solutions and the expertise of a certified security team.

Malware

The great accessibility that the cloud gives us can also leave it open to access by malicious entities. While these threats are similar to those we’ve experienced in traditional IT spaces, their impact can be catastrophic. As cloud environments are interlinked any attack can spread quickly to all areas of your network. Proper safety protocols are essential and could be the difference between your organisation’s continued success and a costly attack.

Inadequate access management controls

As much as you trust your employees, you don’t necessarily want them to be able to access every piece of data on your network. This can cause all manner of problems and leaves your data vulnerable. Ensuring that you have appropriate access controls before you even begin your data migration can save you a lot of time and problems further down the line.

If you’re unsure about putting access management controls in place, Nomios UK can help you and your team get it right.

What can strengthen cloud security?

The list above may make it seem like migrating your network to the cloud is a risky business. But there are many benefits to cloud computing and plenty of things you can do to strengthen your cyber security.

Automated vulnerability scanning & traffic monitoring

Investing in fully automated vulnerability scanning and traffic monitoring from managed detection and response solutions reduces the mean time to discover problems. Thanks to AI and machine learning these solutions can analyse huge amounts of data from multiple sources, detecting issues and fixing them before they become a problem.

AI solutions for proactive threat detection and rapid response

AI solutions aren’t just great for finding vulnerabilities and monitoring your traffic. They are also perfect for proactively seeking out potential threats to your network, alerting your team and providing a rapid response, so your organisation can maintain productivity.

Multi-factor authentication & user access monitoring

Investing in multi-factor authentication is one of the most basic and meaningful steps you can take to secure your network. Requiring users to provide two or more methods of verification to access the network and applications contributes to a strong identity and access management (IAM) policy.

Data encryption

Encrypting your data may seem obvious but it is essential to securing it. It makes it far more difficult for attackers to access your data transmissions and anything you have stored on your network. It’s essential that data is encrypted both in motion, i.e. when being transferred, and at rest when it’s stored.

Getting help with cloud cyber security

If you’d like to know more about how to protect your business and prevent attacks on your cloud network get in touch with the Nomios UK team today. We’re experts in cyber security and network solutions, and always happy to answer your questions. Fill out a contact form today.

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