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As a small business dependent on cloud computing technology, what have you done to prepare for data breaches and hacking attempts?
Cloud technology has saved lives in cost-effective scaling, creating storage on the go, and enabling remote work.
For companies to get the most out of it, they need to be well protected against potential intrusions.
What are the most common weaknesses that put cloud systems and data within such infrastructure at risk, and how do you protect assets residing within that infrastructure?
Here, we discuss cloud security top practices and how the Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAAP) can help protect your business.
Flaws that expose the cloud to hacking risks
The most common cloud vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit within cloud environments are:
- setting error
- Insecure Application Programming Interface (API)
- Data theft or leakage
Misconfigurations of cloud components (such as containers) are common these days. Enterprises are migrating their systems to a combination of cloud technologies from multiple vendors, adding complexity.
Misconfigurations can be due to DevOp teams not knowing how to properly configure the cloud or needing training on good practices.
If these errors are not fixed, they can create gaps that hackers can exploit to gain unauthorized access to your system, run ransomware, or enable insider threats.
A vulnerable API is one that is exposed without encryption, without authentication, and whose activity is not monitored regularly.
If such a component were discovered by a hacker, it could allow access without knowing the employee’s exact password and username.
In worst-case scenarios, insecure APIs can lead to theft or exposure of sensitive information.
Data protection is at the core of cloud security and should be a priority.
For example, cloud storage can be unintentionally automatically marked public and accessible to anyone.
Publicly accessible code, data, or S3 buckets can also create huge gaps in security. It’s possible that you don’t have the proper settings, or that anyone has changed it to give you access to more information.
Now I just scratched the surface. There are other things that can jeopardize cloud-dependent systems.
According to the OWASP Top 10 list, other common weaknesses that small businesses using the cloud should be aware of are injection flaws, improper authentication, gaps in the software supply chain, unencrypted secrets, known It is the integration of parts with flaws in
Cloud protection best practices
As a small business that wants to integrate the cloud into its architecture and protect its facilities, start with these cybersecurity practices.
- Restrictions on user rights
- Adopting Zero Trust Principles
- Invest in phishing training for team members
By always knowing who has access to your cloud, you can easily determine if compromised access is leading to unwanted hacking activity.
For example, an employee may be flagged as using certain parts of the system outside business hours, or accessing parts of the system that are not required for their job duties.
You can take this a step further and set up security by restricting employee access to systems based on their role within the enterprise. This way, once a hacker gets your credentials, their access to your network is also restricted.
Additionally, enforcing zero trust and not automatically assuming that someone with credentials is an employee helps detect intruders early.
Phishing remains a major vector for attackers leading to data breaches. More sophisticated campaigns tend to circumvent security that detects social engineering.
Therefore, awareness training for all teams is still needed to combat this threat. You should know how to recognize and report phishing.
CNAAP Platform for Cloud Native Workloads
The Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAAP) is a combination of several tools created specifically to protect the cloud.
By working together and consolidating into one platform under the acronym CNAAP, security teams can:
- Find configuration errors
- Discover which parts of the cloud need your attention first
- Achieve compliance
Whether we’re talking about container, security, or configuration errors in cloud workloads, CNAAP allows you to detect misconfigured components. Constantly scan your environment to identify errors in your configuration.
Risk-focused alerts help security teams detect and mitigate threats. These are neatly displayed in your team’s dashboard for an at-a-glance overview of your cloud security.
The platform uses machine learning to determine if potential threats detected actually pose significant risk in the context of your infrastructure.
Another important function of CNAAP is its ability to help companies meet compliance. Automate it and enforce it along with other security policies that matter to your business.
Stay safe and take advantage of cloud nine
Overall, cloud security for small businesses should focus on efficiency and low cost while protecting data stored within virtual environments.
Companies with tight budgets may not have large security teams dedicated to securing and configuring their cloud.
Regardless, buy and add cloud components as needed to reduce costs, facilitate work from home, and allow for future scaling.
Therefore, it is important to know the most common vulnerabilities that can put your company at risk and turn this vital asset into a liability.
Additionally, it’s important to choose tools that help you manage your new, increasingly complex infrastructure and protect your most valuable assets, such as your data.
Image: Envato Elements
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