Implementing effective cloud application security measures is a critical component of any enterprise IT strategy. The key to securing cloud-based assets is consistent application security policy. Policies should clearly define who has access to which applications, and what authentication and access management methods are required. This way, organizations can ensure ongoing security of their cloud-based assets. The article below provides some tips for securing your cloud applications. In addition to implementing effective cloud application security policies, enterprises should also make sure to use automation and integrate these technologies with enterprise security.
Account hijacking
There are several reasons to implement multifactor authentication, or 3FA, to protect your business and your customers from account hijacking. Credential stuffing is one such reason, which makes it extremely easy for hackers to steal the login details of legitimate users and access cloud applications. Another reason to implement Multifactor Authentication is to ensure that only the account owner can access company accounts. Account hijacking can lead to massive data leakage and falsified information, as well as loss of reputation and even legal ramifications. In addition to multifactor authentication, Data Loss Protection tools can prevent account hijacking and other types of security threats.
Although cloud computing brings many benefits to businesses, it also creates an environment that’s ripe for cyber attacks. Cloud services house vast amounts of personal information, including credit card numbers and financial information. Because they are hosted on shared resources and devices, the environment is prime for account hijacking. To make matters worse, phishing attacks can make your customers untrustworthy and cost you money. Not only does account hijacking damage your business, it can also have legal ramifications, especially for highly regulated industries such as healthcare.
Account hijacking and cloud application security is a serious problem because cloud environments are highly vulnerable to attacks. If a cloud account is breached, the resulting data leak can affect both companies and individuals. Cloud accounts may contain sensitive financial information or customer files, making them valuable targets for hackers. Cloud application security may not be at its highest level, as most cloud application providers leave it up to the users to configure security controls.
While the number of stolen cloud credentials is low, the risk of account hijacking has increased as a result of phishing attacks and misconfigured cloud accounts. To counter this, IT professionals should implement measures to ensure the security of cloud accounts. Among these measures is Two-Factor Authentication, which helps reduce the number of cloud jacking events. Also, Two-factor Authentication addresses the issue of poor password security and weak passwords.
Credential exposure
There are numerous ways to expose user credentials in cloud applications. The biggest problem lies in the fact that applications typically rely on user sessions to grant access. Proper access controls are crucial to avoid exploitation. For example, if an application relies on a user’s session to grant access, users may be able to change the ID of an arbitrary element – such as a document or email – exposing sensitive data.
Cyber attackers understand the value of secrets and make special efforts to compromise them. Once they have access to a cloud application, they can move across host, service, and container environments to gain elevated privileges. Particularly risky are hard-coded credentials. These are commonly found in containerized applications, automated configuration management processes, or any other integration point. These vulnerabilities could lead to account hijacking or more sophisticated long-term attacks.
To combat this threat, enterprises need to automate configuration, monitoring, and incident response for cloud applications. Manual processes are inefficient and can lead to data leakage. Further, they should ensure that user accounts only have the access that is required for the business functions they perform. Enforcing the principle of least privilege is a necessary part of cloud application security, and enterprise identity management solutions and single sign-on help enterprises implement such security policies.
Despite the importance of cloud application security, the problem persists despite the fact that only half of information security executives felt confident about their cloud application security posture. Moreover, 60% of surveyed security professionals reported a cloud data breach, while 100% of 200 security decision makers indicated a cloud app breach as the main source of phishing attacks. Hence, it’s imperative to keep these data under control. It is crucial that enterprises employ robust cloud application security measures to safeguard their sensitive data.
An example of a security breach is when an employee of a cloud app shares a confidential document with the public. The attacker will then use social engineering techniques to trick the user into divulging their credentials. In many cases, the attacker will use the cloud application URL embedded in a third-party website to steal user credentials. In such a scenario, a user can be tricked into revealing their credentials, which will then allow the attacker to exploit the cloud app’s storage functionality and use it as a malware delivery platform.
Automated SaaS Management
IT managers have a growing list of applications that need to be managed and secured – and they can’t be bothered to monitor them all. SaaS management tools can help. They can detect deviations from corporate security policy and make changes automatically. They can also identify potential security risks and enable corrective action, depending on the context. IT managers can benefit from the added insight that automated SaaS management provides.
Fortunately, SaaS security visibility can quickly deploy and help you protect your sensitive data. It can detect a variety of configuration issues, such as user permissions. It can also help you protect sensitive data by unsharing sensitive files or contacting their creators. It can even automate “go-forward” policies so that you can be alerted to potential misconfigurations or data exposure.
Automated SaaS management solutions can help minimize lag times and errors in the adoption process. By integrating SaaS management platforms into your infrastructure, you can find out which applications are redundant and consolidate usage to reduce licensing costs. The monitoring tools can also help identify functionality gaps within your current SaaS portfolio. Using a SaaS management platform can also help you evaluate and vet new SaaS apps based on their value to your business.
Automated SaaS management can enforce critical SaaS security controls, helping you achieve PCI compliance, GDPR, HIPAA, and GDPR compliance goals. SaaS security management can also automate configuration updates, monitor sensitive administrative actions, and provide detailed compliance dashboards and reports. For organizations that are looking to deploy SaaS applications, this platform is an invaluable resource. The SaaS security management platform from AppOmni makes it easier for security teams to keep track of and manage all of the critical applications in their cloud environments.
Cloud access security brokers (CASB) and automated SaaS management are closely related, but there is a slight overlap. While they both function as a bridge between the end user and cloud providers, CASBs work by applying standardized security policies across multiple clouds. In addition, CASB solutions offer agnostic cloud security and visibility across all devices. Despite the similarities, CASB solutions can provide the best of both worlds.
Integration with enterprise security
Incorporating cloud application security into the enterprise’s security infrastructure is an important task. As workforce mobility increases, companies are increasingly exposed to the risks of BYOD (bring your own device) and unsanctioned cloud usage. By banning such practices, companies may harm their reputations, and restrict employee usage will ultimately affect productivity. However, CASBs offer an easy and flexible way to enforce security policies while enabling secure cloud usage.
Integrating cloud application security with enterprise security requires careful planning and thorough auditing. There are numerous elements to the overall security solution, so a comprehensive evaluation of your current security posture is essential. You must be aware of the risks associated with various aspects of your security, such as the risk of data breaches, and prioritize your security priorities. You can also take advantage of industry-specific training and certifications to increase your knowledge and skills.
As cloud native application development grows, security and development teams need to share responsibility. While security professionals are assuming increasing responsibility for cloud application security, developers are increasingly taking on additional AppSec responsibilities, referred to as DevSecOps. Nevertheless, only a small percentage of security professionals believe that developers should be in charge of cloud native security. Whether or not developers take on responsibility for this security issue, it’s clear that the division of responsibility between the various teams will continue to evolve in the coming years.
Integration of cloud application security with enterprise security is a critical strategy for ensuring that your data is secure. CSPs have made improvements in their security expertise over the last decade, ensuring that the boundaries between tenants are protected. These enhanced boundaries are designed to protect data from other tenants, as well as internal company employees. They balance security and user experience, and utilize cloud-native security controls that aren’t designed for on-premises storage.
Incorporating Cloud application security with enterprise security is a fundamental element of a national cyber-security strategy. Moreover, it improves the overall user experience of cloud-based applications. Moreover, it enables automated security management across multiple Cloud environments. As a result, Cloud applications are more secure than ever. Combined with a comprehensive enterprise security program, Cloud application security can provide a more secure, flexible, and effective solution to protect business data.