Cloud-related cyberattacks have been on the rise as organizations adopt different forms of cloud computing. According to a recent report from CloudstreakCyberattacks are on the rise as threat actors become more adept at exploiting vulnerabilities in cloud environments. Cloudstrike's 2023 Threat Research Report shows a staggering 95% increase in cloud attacks.
Cloud security risks are also increasing due to the significant expansion of remote work. Hybrid and remote work relies largely on cloud-based collaboration tools such as video conferencing and other tools that allow the sharing and storage of documents, content, recordings and data – including proprietary information. Research from Dig reveals that “more than 30% of cloud data assets Contain sensitive information.”
Expanding cloud environments can easily lead to cloud data sprawl and the risk of storing sensitive data in multiple places. Data is also more vulnerable when shared between storage assets, cloud accounts, and managed databases. Additional security vulnerabilities also occur due to excessive data access permission.
Organizations must implement robust security strategies for cloud environments, including all third-party cloud-based tools. Vulnerabilities grow as these environments become more complex.
Tips for protecting data shared in video collaboration and document sharing tools
A cloud security strategy is essential to an organization's overall cybersecurity strategy. However, the security approach may vary depending on how each cloud provider or third-party tool is used. According to one report,More than 73% of companies You have applications or infrastructure in the cloud. These cloud environments, managed by cloud providers and SaaS vendors, are not part of the enterprise network…”
Organizations can take precautions to secure their data when using collaboration tools or other third-party tools. Companies that routinely handle proprietary information, such as legal, financial, healthcare, or corporate information, should consider taking a more stringent approach to protecting client and customer data.
Some best practices for third-party cloud-based tools include:
Implement zero trust principles for cloud service providers or cloud storage instances. When evaluating vendors, determine whether they use zero trust policies for their software tools.
Choose work and collaboration tools Secure by design and defaultAs directed by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Look for software with built-in security throughout the design and development process.
Be aware of what data is being routed to third-party tools. Be careful about what information is shared and stored in the cloud.
Consider using collaboration tools that don't route your data to a third party.
Look for apps that allow your organization to control how and where data is stored or support private cloud storage.
Follow the principles to limit and control access to tools, data, and information.
Evaluate whether your data is affected by the terms of service or license agreements of third-party software.
Finally, organizations must create a culture that follows cloud cybersecurity best practices. Ideally, companies should also continually evaluate cloud and other solutions for potential vulnerabilities. By choosing tools that allow for full data and privacy control, organizations can provide additional assurance to their systems.
