7. Data extraction
Data leaks, often overlooked, pose a significant threat to cloud security. “A data leak refers to the electronic transfer of data from a cloud environment to an unauthorized external location,” says John Henley, principal consultant at technology research and consulting firm ISG. “This can happen in a number of ways, including exploiting a vulnerability, misconfiguration, or credential compromise.”
A data leak could result in the theft of sensitive information, such as personal identity data, financial information, intellectual property, or confidential corporate data. “The consequences of a data leak on monitoring, remediation, and legal action can be long-lasting and far-reaching,” Henley warns.
Adversaries may use stolen intellectual property or trade secrets to gain a competitive advantage that erodes future market share or market dominance. At the same time, operational disruption may result in downtime, lost productivity, and incurred costs to rebuild operations.
