Written by CSA’s Top Threats Working Group.

In this blog series, we cover the key security challenges from CSA's Top Threats to Cloud Computing 2024. Drawing from the insights of over 500 experts, we'll discuss the 11 top cybersecurity threats, their business impact, and how to tackle them. Whether you're a professional or a beginner, this series offers a clear guide to the evolving cloud security landscape.

Today’s post covers the #9 top threat: Limited Cloud Visibility/Observability.

What is Limited Cloud Visibility?

Limited cloud visibility occurs when organizations can’t effectively monitor or analyze whether cloud service usage is safe or malicious. This issue stems from two key challenges:

• Un-sanctioned app use (Shadow IT): Employees use cloud applications without IT or security approval, posing risks–especially when sensitive data is involved.
• Sanctioned app misuse: Organizations struggle to monitor how approved applications are used, making them vulnerable to insider threats, credential theft, SQL injection, and DNS attacks.

Consequences & Business Impact

Limited cloud visibility can severely impact businesses through various technical, operational, financial, and reputational consequences. Here are the key impacts:

• Technical impacts: Weakened security makes cloud services more vulnerable to attacks due to unmonitored vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. Data loss from APT attacks can expose or steal sensitive business information, compromising integrity and confidentiality.
• Operational impacts: Business disruption occurs when data loss prevents organizations from meeting obligations to partners and customers. System performance issues from attacks can degrade productivity or cause outages, affecting service delivery.
• Financial impacts: Lost revenue results from service disruptions, restoration costs, customer dissatisfaction, and legal actions. Failure to meet security regulations can lead to hefty fines that impact financial stability.
• Reputational impacts: Company reputation suffers when data breaches damage a cloud provider’s public image and erode customer trust. Customers relying on compromised services may face reputational harm and strained client relationships.

Mitigation Strategies

To strengthen cloud security and minimize risks, organizations should take a proactive approach to visibility, monitoring, and policy enforcement.

• Build cloud visibility with a top-down approach, led by a cloud security architect integrating people, processes, and technology.
• Train employees on cloud usage policies and enforcement to ensure company-wide compliance.
• Review non-approved services by having a cloud architect or third-party risk team assess them.
• Use CASB and Zero Trust Security (ZTS) to monitor outbound activities, detect risky users, and track credential anomalies.
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to detect suspicious inbound connections, malware, DDoS attacks, and botnet threats.
• Monitor key cloud applications to control access and detect suspicious behavior.
• Implement a Zero Trust model to strengthen cloud security at all levels.

To learn more about the top threats and explore strategies for mitigating these risks, download the full Top Threats to Cloud Computing 2024 here.