Cloud-related cyberattacks have escalated as organizations adopt various forms of cloud computing. According to a recent report from Cloudstrike, cyberattacks are climbing as threat actors grow more adept at exploiting the vulnerabilities in cloud environments. Cloudstrike’s 2023 Threat Hunting Report shows an astounding 95% increase in cloud attacks.
Cloud security risks are also rising due to the wide expansion of remote work. Hybrid and remote work largely depend on cloud-based collaboration tools such as video conferencing and other tools that permit cloud-based 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 susceptible when shared between storage assets, cloud accounts, and managed databases. Additional vulnerabilities also occur because of over-permissioning access to data.
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 to protect 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 have applications or infrastructure in the cloud. These cloud environments, operated by cloud service providers and SaaS vendors, are not a part of an organization’s network … “
Organizations can take precautions to secure their data when using collaboration or other third-party tools. Firms that routinely handle proprietary information, such as legal, financial, healthcare, or corporate, must consider a more stringent approach to safeguard customer and client data.
Some best practices for third-party cloud-based tools include:
- Implement Zero-Trust Principles for cloud providers or cloud storage instances. When evaluating vendors, determine if they use Zero-Trust policies for their software tools.
- Choose business and collaboration tools that are secure by design and default, per guidance from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Look for software with security built in throughout the design and development process.
- Become aware of what data is being routed to third-party tools. Use caution about what information is being shared and stored in the cloud.
- Consider using collaboration tools that do not route your data to a third party.
- Look for applications that allow your organization to control how and where data is stored or support private cloud storage.
- Follow principles to limit and control access to tools, data and information.
- Evaluate whether your data is affected by third-party software terms of service or licensing agreements.
Finally, organizations must create a culture that follows best practices for cloud cybersecurity. Ideally, firms must also constantly evaluate their cloud and other solutions for potential vulnerabilities. By choosing tools that allow complete control over data and privacy, organizations can provide additional safeguards for their systems.
