Cloud(nouvelle fenêtre) computing offers businesses incredible flexibility and scalability, but it also introduces significant security risks. You’re sending data across global infrastructure you don’t control, and attackers are constantly probing it for weaknesses.
Major security incidents like the Allianz Life data breach — which exposed 1.1 million customers(nouvelle fenêtre) — make the headlines, but every business is at risk. According to research by IBM, the average cost of a data breach climbed to $4.88 million(nouvelle fenêtre) in 2024, and a staggering 45% of security incidents originate in cloud environments.
Below are the most critical cloud security issues, organized into vulnerabilities, attack methods, and business risks, with clear steps you can take to address each one.
Cloud vulnerabilities
These are the weak points attackers look for first.
Misconfigurations
The single greatest threat to cloud security is a simple mistake. Hacks make headlines, but misconfigurations cause the most damage. Gartner predicts that through 2025, 99% of all cloud security failures will be due to human error(nouvelle fenêtre).
The Fix: Preventing misconfigurations begins with regular audits and strict controls over changes. Encrypting your data by default ensures it stays protected, even if a server is misconfigured.
Weak account security
An employee account is often the easiest way into your cloud environment. If it’s protected by a weak password, missing MFA, or excessive access permissions, that single account becomes an attacker’s best asset.
The Fix: Enforce the principle of least privilege by granting employees access only to the data they require. Mandate strong, unique passwords(nouvelle fenêtre) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) for every account.
Exposed APIs
APIs are convenient for connecting services, but can create an open doorway into your systems and data. APIs are a favorite target for hackers looking to steal data or hijack user accounts.
The Fix: Secure your APIs by requiring keys for all connections and continually checking them for gaps or misconfigurations.
Unsecured public WiFi
Every time an employee works from a coffee shop, airport, or any public WiFi, your data is put at risk. Unsecured networks allow attackers to intercept and spy on the information traveling between your employees’ devices and your cloud services.
The Fix: Require all remote employees to use a business VPN. It encrypts their connection end-to-end, ensuring data on public WiFi can’t be intercepted.
Shadow IT
Your security is only as strong as what you can see. When employees use unapproved apps and services (“shadow IT”), they create security blind spots that your IT team cannot monitor or protect.
The Fix: Create a clear policy for all software and services used in your company. Educate your team on the risks of using unapproved tools.
Common cloud attacks
Here’s how attackers exploit those weaknesses.
Insider threats
The most damaging threats can come from users you already trust. Whether it’s a malicious employee stealing data or an honest one making a mistake, their authorized access makes it easier for them to bypass your external defenses.
The Fix: Monitor user activity for suspicious behavior. Limit potential damage by enforcing strict access controls, ensuring that no single user has unrestricted access to everything.
Supply chain attacks
Attackers won’t always knock on your front door; sometimes they’ll sneak in through a trusted partner. By targeting a less secure third-party vendor in your supply chain, they can exploit that connection to infiltrate your network.
The Fix: Thoroughly vet the security of all third-party vendors before granting them access. Maintain a clear inventory of all third-party software to quickly identify new risks.
Malware and ransomware
Malicious software, such as ransomware that holds your files hostage, can spread rapidly through interconnected cloud services. A single compromised account can quickly infect an entire organization.
The Fix: Use malware detection tools on all devices that connect to your cloud. Regularly back up your critical data so you can restore it without having to pay a ransom.
Denial-of-service (DoS) attacks
A denial-of-service attack is a brute-force attempt to knock your service offline by overwhelming it with a flood of junk traffic. This makes your service unavailable to legitimate customers.
The Fix: Use the DDoS protection offered by your cloud provider. You can also use a web application firewall to filter and block malicious traffic before it reaches your service.
Advanced persistent threats (APTs)
Unlike a smash-and-grab attack, an APT is a quiet, long-term intrusion. An attacker gains access to your network, remains undetected for months, and gradually steals sensitive data over time.
The Fix: This type of stealthy attack is hard to stop. Defending against it requires continuous monitoring for unusual activity and enforcing strict access controls to limit an intruder’s ability to move through your systems.
Business risks and impact
These are the consequences when issues go unchecked.
Data breaches
A data breach(nouvelle fenêtre) is the ultimate consequence of a security failure. Whether it’s through a misconfiguration, an insider threat, or a direct attack, a breach means sensitive company and customer data has been exposed.
The Fix: Prevent breaches by strictly controlling who has access to your data. Encrypt all sensitive files so that they remain unreadable even if they’re stolen.
Financial losses
Once an attacker is inside your network, they can do direct financial damage to your business. Ransomware attacks(nouvelle fenêtre) are the most common way hackers try to extract money from you, but they can also use social engineering to trick your team into paying fake invoices or steal credentials to your financial accounts.
The Fix: Back up your data to mitigate the leverage hackers have in a ransomware attempt. Use a VPN with dedicated IPs to control who can access your systems. And use a password manager(nouvelle fenêtre) to enforce strong account security.
Compliance risks
Failing to meet data protection regulations, such as GDPR or HIPAA, in the cloud can be catastrophic. The consequences aren’t just heavy fines; they include legal action and a permanent loss of customer trust.
The Fix: Understand the specific regulations applicable to your industry and utilize cloud services that comply with them. Regularly audit your setup to ensure and document your compliance.
How to secure your cloud environment
Securing your cloud requires a multi-layered approach. By building better processes and guardrails, you can help everyone do the right thing.
Here are four key steps you can take.
1. Encrypt your traffic
A business VPN(nouvelle fenêtre) protects you by encrypting traffic and keeping it private. More importantly, it can assign a dedicated company IP to remote employees, allowing your IT team to block all login attempts from any other network. This stops attackers with stolen credentials before they can even reach your login page.
2. Secure your passwords and accounts
Stolen or weak credentials are a primary entry point for attackers into your cloud services. Without a system to enforce strong, unique passwords and a second factor of authentication for every account, your organization is vulnerable to account takeovers.
Use an enterprise password manager(nouvelle fenêtre) to easily create and store strong, unique passwords for every service and force MFA, adding a critical second layer of security to every account.
3. Securely store and back up your data
A single ransomware attack or accidental deletion can permanently wipe out critical business files. A secure backup strategy is essential. Regularly back up your data to an end-to-end encrypted cloud storage service so that even if a server is breached, your backups remain unreadable to anyone but you.
Back up your docs and files in an end-to-end encrypted cloud storage(nouvelle fenêtre) provider, ensuring they’re always available and always secure.
4. Build a security-aware culture
Your team is a critical layer of defense. Invest in regular security training to help employees identify threats, such as phishing, and understand safe data-handling practices. A strong security culture encourages staff to report suspicious activity.
Conclusion
The long-term success of any business in the cloud depends on its security posture. Threats will constantly evolve, but a commitment to security creates resilience. By layering strong encryption, implementing strict access controls, and maintaining a vigilant team, you can protect your data and ensure your business is built to last.
