Ease of use, unlimited storage, and access from anywhere in the world – the benefits of cloud computing are many; but as such can mean added threats. The Cloud Security Alliance has come up with a list of issues that pose a serious threat to cloud computing. Let’s have a look at each of them.

Breach of Privacy

There have been several incidences of sensitive information being hacked in large amounts – even from big names. According to the experts at the University of Wisconsin and the University of North Carolina, it is possible for a user to listen for signals that arrive at another Virtual Machine (VM) on the same host. This entire process is known as ‘side channel timing exposure’ and is the worst nightmare of any company because it means that their sensitive information can be viewed by their competitors. Some counter-measures for this particular form of attack can be found here.

Data Loss

Data loss may occur if the user forgets to backup their data or if they lose the key that unlocks encrypted data. The whole idea of losing data can be terrifying for both businesses as well as their clients. Automatic schedules should be put into place to eliminate this possibility, and users should ensure they properly manage their sensitive login information.

Account Hacking

Being hacked is one of the main concerns of any person who uses the internet. If an intruder gets a hold of your account, they could be able to view all of your transactions, which is obviously harmful for your business. Not only this, these hackers can even give false responses to customers and forward them explicit content. Proper credential management practices should be in place to avoid unauthorized access.

Insecure APIs

APIs or Application Programming Interfaces were made in response to the need of making the cloud available to multiple people while limiting the damage. However, according to the experts, there are no secure APIs; the ones that are developed by third parties may also be flawed. Relying on insecure APIs can lead companies to issues of reliability, confidentiality, and accountability.

Denial Of Service Attacks

Denial of Service (DoS) is another threat that disrupts online operations. The attackers have improvised their strategies and make it hard for providers to keep a track on the traffic that consists of genuine users and the part that consists of bad actors. Victims of DoS attacks have no way of accessing their data, relegated to sitting and waiting for the attack to end. While not entirely preventable, some mitigation techniques such as traffic-scrubbing filters can be utilized. DoS/DDoS mitigation is also available through cloud-based providers.

Malicious Insiders

Malicious insiders are another common security threat. In order to make sure that this does not happen, it is important that encryption keys are only made available during data usage time. Proper account permissions should be set to reduce the likelihood of credential misuse, along with auto-expiring passwords.

Shared Technology

Shared technology can lead to a number of compromises when it comes to security and can affect the entire cloud environment. In order to overcome this issue, it is important that service providers keep an eye on destructive behaviors and moves.