Epic Surge in Public Cloud Use Revealed, but at What Cost?

We’re in the thick of the digital transformation age and if there’s one thing we know, it’s that public cloud usage is skyrocketing. Recent research shows that a whopping 60% of all cloud workloads are now running in the public cloud. This is great news for the cloud providers that are riding the cloud-wave, but how does it affect security?

Bigger Clouds, Bigger Gaps?

As the public cloud takes off and keeps growing, it may be that security risks increase with it. Organizations need to be aware of the potential for:

• Lack of visibility into what’s happening in the cloud
• Configuration issues and misconfigurations
• Data leakage due to their cloud-based applications

These security gaps increase with the size and number of cloud services an organization uses. Many may mistakenly think that the bigger the cloud, the safer they are. When in actual fact, it’s quite the opposite.

Help, Help – We Need Security Superheroes!

But all is not lost! It’s best to approach new public cloud deployments with a security-first mindset. Start by taking a comprehensive look at your cloud environment and make sure your cloud workloads, services and vendors are securely configured and monitored.

The world of cloud security is ever-changing, so it’s important to stay up to date. All too often we hear stories of security teams getting caught up in their day-to-day duties and not having the time or resources to monitor the clouds.

Make sure your security team has the knowledge, skills and training to keep up with all the latest cloud security threats and use monitoring and automation tools to help keep the workload manageable.

Organizations can also leverage security technologies, such as multi-factor authentication, encryption and other data privacy methods, to protect their public cloud workloads.

To the Clouds!

The sky’s the limit when it comes to public cloud. But as use increases, security gaps will widen. It’s up to cloud consumers to do their due diligence and plug any possible holes in the cloud defenses.

So if you’re ready to take a leap into the world of public cloud, just remember: clouds can be fun, but rain can make them slippery. So the best way to stay safe is to wear your ‘security hat’ and get your cloud security superhero cape out of storage!