Companies often neglect misconfigurations of cloud solutions when devising their cybersecurity plans. Cloud apps tend to be user-friendly, making it tempting for companies to assume that security is handled automatically by these applications. Unfortunately, companies must rely on outside resources for effective protection from attacks.
This misconception is incorrect, as cloud security is a shared model. The solution provider takes care of the security of their backend infrastructure; however, it's up to each user to configure security settings within their account appropriately.
Misconfiguration is a major cause of cloud data breaches and often an unforced error. If a company has not adequately secured their cloud applications due to misconfiguration, they could make an unforced mistake that results in serious financial loss.
They could have granted too many employees administrative rights. Furthermore, they may not have activated security features like one that prevented an unauthorized user from downloading cloud files.
Misconfiguration refers to any negligent act that affects cloud security settings, as reported in The State of Cloud Security 2021 report. A quarter of companies experience between one and 50 cloud misconfigurations daily.
Misconfiguration can often be caused by:
- Inadequate oversight and controls
- Security awareness is lacking within a team.
- There are simply too many cloud APIs to keep track of.
- Monitoring cloud environments is not enough.
- Negligent insider behavior
- Cloud security is not widely known.
These tips can help reduce the likelihood of cloud data breaches and enhance cloud security.
Gain visibility into Your Cloud Infrastructure
Are you aware of all the cloud applications your employees use at work? You're not alone if you don't. Shadow IT usage is estimated to be approximately 10x greater than that of the cloud, according to various estimates.
An employee may use a cloud app to complete their task without authorization, which is known as "shadow IT."
How do you protect something that you don't know? Shadow cloud applications can be risky if misconfigured, leading to security breaches.
With cloud access security applications, you can gain visibility into everything in your environment and protect it accordingly.
Restriction of Privilege Accounts
When you have more privilege accounts than necessary, there is an increased risk for misconfigurations. It's better to limit who can modify security configurations; otherwise, someone who doesn't know better could accidentally open a security vulnerability. For instance, taking away restrictions on cloud storage sharing could make your environment vulnerable to hackers.
Audit all privileged accounts within cloud tools. Reduce the number of administrative accounts needed for running cloud tools down to a minimum.
Install Automated Security Policies
Automation can help mitigate human error, and cloud security breaches can be avoided by automating as many security policies and procedures as possible.
You can, for instance, set a "do NOT copy" policy if you use sensitive labels in Microsoft 365. This will track the file throughout all cloud applications; once set up, users only need to enable it.
Utilize a Cloud Security Assessment Tool (such as Microsoft Secure Score)
How secure is your cloud environment, and what number of misconfigurations exist right now? This information is essential so you can address issues and reduce risks.
Microsoft Secure Score is an ideal auditing tool. This scanning software scans your cloud environment to detect issues and provides recommendations for remediation.
Set Alerts When Configurations Alter
Once your cloud security settings are optimized, there are a variety of things that can impact their effectiveness. Here are some key things to consider:
- Unintentionally, an employee with more authority may alter the employee roster without knowledge.
- An integrated 3rd-party plugin causes a change.
- Software Updates
- Hacker who has successfully gained access to a user's privileged credential
Establish Alerts to Stay ProactiveDimensiuni Setting up alerts is essential for staying informed of any major changes in your cloud environment, such as disabling multi-factor authentication.
Your team will be alerted immediately if there is a security breach, enabling them to investigate and take appropriate measures to rectify the situation.
Request a cloud specialist to review your cloud settings
Executives, business owners and managers of offices are not cybersecurity experts. Don't expect them to set up the best security for your company.
A cloud security specialist from an established IT firm should review your settings. We can ensure they are set up securely without restricting your access.
Increase Cloud Security and Lower your Chances of a Data Breach
Cloud computing is becoming increasingly popular as companies move their data online. Make sure your cloud environment is configured properly - contact us today to arrange for a free cloud security assessment!
