Does your business use cloud computing services? According to a report by Right Scale, over nine in 10 businesses use at least one public cloud computing service, and over two in three businesses use a private cloud computing service. While cloud computing reduces the need for on-premise hardware, though, it can leave your business exposed to new cybersecurity threats.
DDoS Attacks
Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are a concern with cloud computing. Whether you store data on the cloud, or if you use the computing resources of a cloud-based server, it may sustain a DDoS attack. DDoS attacks involve spamming a server with requests from many different Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. Servers can obviously handle a moderate number of requests. But with a DDoS attack, the server will become overloaded with requests, resulting in performance and stability issues.
Data Breaches
Another cybersecurity threat in cloud computing is data breaches. According to HIPAA Journal, 68% of businesses have experienced a cloud-related database breach in the past 12 months. When using a cloud computing service, you may store some or all of your business’s data on a remote, cloud-based server. If the server is breached, however, this data may fall into the wrong hands.
Malware
Cloud-based servers aren’t immune to malware. They can become infected with viruses, trojans, worms and other forms of malware just like on-premise servers and computers. Most cloud service providers offer cybersecurity solutions to protect against malware. Unfortunately, they aren’t always sufficient. Cloud-based servers can become infected with malware. Depending on the type of malware, an infection may result in data loss, data theft or performance issues.
Account Hijacking
Account hijacking is a possibility with cloud computing. Cloud computing services are typically accessed via a login. You’ll have to log in to your business’s cloud computing account by entering a username and password. Account hijacking is a cyber threat that involves an unauthorized user, such as hacker, gaining access to your cloud computing account. The unauthorized user may discover your username and password, after which he or she can log in to your business’s cloud computing account.
Outdated Software
Finally, outdated software is a cybersecurity threat in cloud computing. All cloud-based servers run software. At the very least, they typically need an operating system. Many cloud-based servers run other types of software as well. Regardless, the software needs to be updated regularly. If the software is outdated, it may pose a vulnerability that allows a hacker or attacker to access it.
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