5 Common Issues Plaguing Cloud Security

For a system that has been in use for two decades, the use of cloud computing is frequent.

Most corporations are subscribing to this pervasive system of data storage. Such adoption which has increased has brought about an increase in the need for cloud security and the attendant challenges.

Several consumers find cloud security to be more than a handful, at least so says a 2018 Statista Survey on Cloud Security Challenges which showed that 48% of the corporations interviewed found cloud security a challenge.

In the same vein, it is an incontrovertible fact that cloud service vendors bear the brunt of the responsibility for cloud security, although experts believe that in the near future, a major percentage of cloud security failures will end with the customer/consumer taking the blame.

With that said, here are the 5 common issues plaguing cloud security providers.

1. Malware injections 

In situations where there is a high volume of data stored in the cloud of which an Internet connection is a prerequisite for storage, the cloud system is at a vulnerable position, malware injection can erode or weaken cloud security. Most of these are valid SaaS(Software-as-a-Service) programs existing in the cloud. They can contaminate data and disrupt the program to devastating effect.

2. Issue of Visibility

A case of lack of visibility in either public or hybrid cloud environments can bring with it a loss of control, ultimately leading to a failure to pinpoint and tackle potential risks.

This can be a huge problem as it can cause a fall in cloud adoption rates in sectors where cloud security is a necessity.

3. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)

A DDoS offensive, if launched, may cripple cloud security by inundating the network with traffic, thereby knocking it offline, crashing the servers and ending the web-based application where applicable.

In situations where these occur, the inability of consumers to gain access to applications may bring about unwanted panic, which may be bad for business if you’re looking at it from the angle of the cloud service provider.

Normally, situations like these end up in a cancellation of the service contract by the consumer/client, which obviously will not go down well with the cloud service provider.

4. Account or Service Traffic Hijacking

This breach of cloud security affords the invader access to secure data through the instrumentality of already obtained passwords and necessary access keys. A devastating consequence would be the fact that data integrity may be compromised without alerting the cloud detection system.

5. Insecure Interfaces/APIs

In order to effectively manage the cloud service, the customer is provided with a variety of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) by the cloud service vendors.

Ordinarily, not all APIs are secure. In situations where the consumer/customer adds an extra layer of application atop the APIs in a case of a VPN suitable for torrenting, the vulnerabilities and the frailties of the APIs are doubled and compounded. Such will take place in the application belonging to the customer, as not every API is deemed secure.

As such, there could arise an exposure of private and/or confidential data which most likely will not augur well for both the customer/consumer and the cloud service provider/vendor.

Surveys have posited that around 75% of IT managers who are consumers are only marginally confident that their data is stored securely by their cloud vendor/provider. Cloud security thus has a role to play in bridging the gulf in trust between both parties.

In cases where a third party intercepts a relay of data between a source and a destination, such data, whether public or private, run the risk of being altered or compromised.

Cloud service providers/vendors need to step up and pay close attention to its data security footprint and put up procedures to deal with any frailties if and when unearthed.

Cloud security failures have been...

Dangers of Corporate Espionage in the IoT world

Constant development of technology, as well as ever lower prices of sensors and smart devices, has resulted in news about the IoT (Internet of Things) on a daily basis. However, we still aren’t living in the IoT world with full capacity for several reasons – from the lack of IoT professionals, small business IoT case studies which would persuade as many small business owners as possible that digital transformation is needed, all the way to old habits which people find difficult to break.

IoT still hasn’t introduced automatization into our private lives as much as it was expected, but its industrial usage is increasing every day. Naturally, every serious business is going to conduct a SWOT analysis prior to the decision about digital transformation. A part of the analysis dealing with threats (T) certainly includes safety, which has been one of the burning issues in the IoT community for years.

Even though people are much more emotional when it comes to the possibility of abusing IoT solutions for their personal needs, it can’t be denied that companies are paying attention to this issue, too.

The main problem lies in the complexity of IoT system security. The devices are vulnerable on their own, as well as the system as a whole; there are lots of potential oversights, and a person who could abuse all of these could do it from anywhere in the world via the internet, or even come from a country in which there are no legal consequences for such acts.

Threats

In short, threats abound. Starting from the ones envisioned in popular culture, such as the Black Mirror episode where IoT bees were hacked to kill people, to those which we have already witnessed, like hacking devices with the purpose of bitcoin mining, or stealing the data. Either way, the most common cause of a potential attack in industrial IoT is corporate espionage.

The main aim of espionage activities is either to provide information which will make the competition stronger in the market, or to harm your business in such a way that you will no longer be competitive, or even be forced to shut down the business. In this sense, the most common activities are the following:

Recording the employees

Of course, this is possible only if your devices can perform video or audio recording. Another issue is that employees could be quite uncomfortable about someone watching their every move. Basically, video or audio recording of the employees is not that dangerous on its own, unless we’re talking about revealing business secrets and operations or using it for blackmailing the workers.

Data theft

Data theft is the most common case of abusing vulnerable IoT systems. There is just too much important and confidential information which could help the competition to gain the advantage in the market: the employee structure and their salaries, client contracts, business operations, technologies, confidential data, and so on.

Nevertheless, even though your competitors are the only ones who are interested in the data, that doesn’t have to mean they are the ones who have hacked into your system. It so often happens that hackers get into the system through the places which were poorly protected, and then sell the information to your competition, or blackmail you to prevent this.

Abusing your resources for their needs

I already mentioned hacking devices to perform bitcoin mining. Even though this is not too big a threat to your business, it still wastes your resources, which makes it worth mentioning.

Stopping your business

By hacking into your system someone could control your devices, and the possibilities are endless; from switching the devices on and off, to their blocking, slowing down, or even stopping the total functioning of your business. Also, DDoS attacks can disable your devices and stop them from functioning normally. Once again, the potential attacker can be your competitor, or someone asking for money in order to end...

What Are The Inevitable Reasons Why You Should Consider WordPress For Your Blog?

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