Organizations, large and small, are making the transition to cloud services. In many ways, it’s a big part of the digital transformation that so many businesses are embracing today. Don’t let it come at a drastic cost — prioritize the evolution of cloud security and protect your data from compromise by connecting with the right solutions.

You’re not the only one coveting your data; cyber criminals are hard at work trying to access it, and with roughly 97% of organizations adopting cloud services, taking cloud security risks into account has to go along with the process. A majority of cloud users are storing sensitive information there, which puts the need for security protocols into perspective.

Avoiding the Breach

According to “Navigating a Cloud Sky” by McAfee, one in four organizations using the cloud have had data stolen and one in five have experienced advanced attacks. Security incidents not only slow down your momentum, but they also damage your reputation. If they’re serious enough, recovery can be painful, and in some cases, shut a company down completely.

While transitioning to the cloud, it’s recommended to run strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis (SWOT). You must first know what your business objectives are and have an idea of what your security requirements will be. Run a thorough assessment of your internal and external security risks so you know what you’re facing and what solutions will protect you.

Knowing Your Threats

The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) has enumerated the major threats to cloud security. They include the following:

• Data breaches
• Weak identity, credential, and access management
• Insecure APIs
• System and application vulnerabilities
• Account hijacking
• Malicious insiders
• Advanced persistent threats
• Data loss
• Insufficient due diligence
• Abuse and nefarious use of cloud services
• Denial of service
• Shared technology vulnerabilities

The threats are a result of bad cloud computing decisions, according to CSA, and the poor decisions go from lower management to upper management. Rather than being an IT issue, CSA has surmised that cloud security issues are largely on the shoulders of executives.

Business Impacts

Any data breach is going to have an impact on the company that experiences it, but when sensitive material is breached, the impact is far greater. Consumers have been burned too many times, which is why there are laws in place for companies to follow that protect consumer information. When something goes south, the business must be held accountable, which means breaches come with significant fines.

There is a collateral cost associated with figuring out how the breach occurred and then having to notify every customer who was impacted. Rather than risk suffering these losses, partner with an agent that can connect you with the right security tools.

At eXemplify, we understand how cloud computing has transformed the landscape and that advanced security needs are a high priority. Our cloud infrastructure solutions take that into account, while also giving access to a scalable, flexible, and agile tool that can help make your business goals a reality. Contact us today. Let’s talk about the evolution of cloud security within your business.