Avoid these biggest mistakes to secure your cloud
Cloud security is turning into one major concern. People believe that the cybercrimes are committed by people who are brilliant at programming. This is exactly the reason why some of the leaders have been reluctant to invest in Public Cloud due to the obscure vulnerabilities that it is exposed to. Cloud security is not understood completely. As many don’t realize that the threats to cloud security are mainly due to simple misconfigurations caused due human errors. Leading cloud platforms like Microsoft, Google, Amazon and IBM are maintaining high security standards for public cloud but you just can’t leave it at that.
Image Source: https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2017/01/01/14/39/hacker-1944688_960_720.jpg
Moving from on-premises private data storage to cloud services is not an easy decision to make. Before you make a switch to public cloud solution, you need to know the right questions to ask and the mistakes to avoid.
CIOs and business owners need to understand that cloud security is not only the responsibility of the cloud vendor but also a shared responsibility of the customer. So what are the mistakes that enterprises make when they open a loophole for a breach to cloud security.
* Using a high profile for day-to-day admin related tasks
As a best practice and optimum security, high profile accounts must not be used for day-to-day admin related tasks. The first account with every AWS and Azure account is unlimited access to all services available under that account. Using this account for admin tasks can expose it to several security risks. Exposed root account can lead to several security breaches like your password being compromised, destroy resources and steal sensitive data.
Enterprises can rather create alternate accounts for their employees who use cloud accounts. High profile accounts can be used for more sophisticated tasks.
* Lack of multifactor authentication for administrative accounts
I recommend another best practice that is related to creating multifactor authentication for admin accounts. It adds an additional security layer for example in addition to username and password, it can be a random code generated on a smartphone or USB security key. You can even build a text message for added security.
* Not protecting confidential information
You cannot expose confidential data in application source code or configuration files. Automation scripts and application connect to other systems like storage services or platform APIs or even other database servers that exposes the risk of exposure. Several platforms like AWS and Azure offer services like secret manager that is used to store confidential information in hardware security modules.
* Not applying least privilege
With the application of least privilege, you can be explicit about who access what cloud resources. Rule-based policies can help to delegate the control that different people have. Some enterprises consider just-in-time access while others consider granting access to users for a specific period of time.
It can be invaluable to avoid the mistakes listed above to monitor cloud security. There are third-party security tools that are invaluable to manage security and compliance in case of any security breaches.
If you wish to discuss you cloud security concerns with us, you can speak to us.
