Cloud Security

When software-as-a-service (SaaS) was adapted by businesses, the world wasn’t completely into remote work environments.  Then the pandemic hit, and low and behold, remote work environments became a must.   

With the pandemic’s ‘peak havoc’ behind us, hybrid workspace is what is sticking around.  Cloud is how the remote and hybrid work environment is taking place.  This is for all types of companies in every industry.  However, checking for cloud security issues is something that wasn’t done efficiently pre-pandemic and still isn’t quite where it needs to be post-pandemic. 

The gaps with cloud security issues are due to the immediate transition to a remote work environment that then moved back to a hybrid environment and that never really sat down to do cloud security assessments.   

While some companies may think that a cloud security posture management assessment service is the same as a security assessment service, they are not.  To learn about the difference between cybersecurity and cloud security you can read our article here: https://ncxgroup.com/2021/11/the-difference-between-cybersecurity-and-cloud-security/  

When reviewing the security issues, you want to evaluate in your cloud environment, here’s what this involves. 

The level of visibility of your online services are very important.  Keeping track of all the different services you use can be a challenge due to the number of services you are using, which can lead to duplicate services.  

Furthermore, you want to ensure the cloud services you use have sufficient encryption for login information. 

Check if your service provider has been hacked in the past.  If this is the case, also look at how they responded and follow up with them if this is something you can do. 

Remember that many types of cloud services have been vulnerable to malware. Reports have found that nearly 70% of hacks and exploits have been downloaded from cloud services.  Also, that 97% of cloud applications get used without authorization or knowledge of the security team members. 

In addition to these technical aspects, your people are also fundamental to cloud security.  How employees use their credentials or how they don’t use them.  You should have policies in place for network logins that are respected and that aren’t shared accounts or credentials.  If employees leave your company, you want to make sure you close their accounts. 

When using multiple apps and add-ons you want to check the connection between these, such as notifications.  When sending notifications between apps there is potential vulnerability for data privacy. 

Lastly, your company should also look at network security.  Take into account that certain services install codes or cookies on user devices.  Do you know if these codes interfere with the IT systems?  Or how about if third parties gain access to data?  And are any third parties secure?  Are they following the compliance regulations your company has to follow to avoid fines, like HIPAA or GDPR? 

Cloud security posture management assessment services are important to have all of these aspects in the forefront for any company who is looking to bring forth cyber resiliency in the post-pandemic world. 

From NCX Group’s experience in the past 18-months with all that has happened through this time and the workforce’s transition to remote and hybrid, companies have struggled with security assessments overall, not to mention their lack of visibility into their cloud environments.  Every company’s risk management score has come down and the cloud is an added piece to the insecurity. 

If you need support for your cloud security posture management assessment services reach out.  Schedule your free consultation here: https://calendly.com/ncxgroup  

Photo courtesy of Maksim Kabakou