Cloud remains the biggest target for cyberattacks

Top security company Thales has announced new figures that only serve to show the increasing trend in attacks on the cloud, with nearly two in five (39%) businesses experiencing a data breach in their cloud environment last year.

The study of nearly 3,000 IT and security professionals from 18 countries uncovers the frightening reality behind many cloud attacks, with more than half (55%) being attributable to human error.

Recent months have seen significant developments in artificial intelligence, and many cybersecurity firms now hope that AI can play a role in securing company data.

Cloud data risk

The number of businesses who say that at least 40% of their cloud data is sensitive has grown from just under half (49%) last year to three-quarters (75%).

Encryption, which is a hot topic for online data and communications, was among the most eye-opening parts of the study. While many cloud providers boast of industry-standard or above encryption, the reality is that an estimated half (45%) of cloud data is currently being encrypted. Very few businesses have total control over their encryption keys, and those that do have information stored in multiple locations which takes away from the ease.

Further complexities come in the form of the rising multicloud adoption rates, as well as hybrid environments that combine cloud storage with on-prem storage. The disparity between different services makes it hard for businesses to remain consistent.

This comes as 55% of the participants suggest that managing cloud data is more complex than on-prem, up from 46% in the space of a year.

Looking ahead, it’s clear that businesses need to learn to walk before they attempt to run. Besides encryption, only two-thirds (65%) use multi-factor authentication on their accounts. While that figure represents some growth compared with the previous year, many businesses are still failing on these simple steps.

In an era of hybridized approaches and growing -aaS subscriptions, securing online environments is only going to get more vital.

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