Cloud Security and its Issues

Cloud security encompasses the strategies, technologies, and practices used to protect data, applications, and infrastructure hosted in cloud environments. It aims to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of cloud-based assets from various cyber threats.

Organizations need cloud security as they move toward their digital transformation strategy and incorporate cloud-based tools and services as part of their infrastructure. Two-Factor Authentication, Data Encryption, Network Security & Identity and Access Management (IAM) are some Cloud Security measures.

Issues

1. Data Loss : Loss of sensitive or critical data due to accidental deletion, system failure, or failed backups. In cloud systems, shared responsibility makes it harder to pinpoint and recover from loss if proper measures aren't in place.

2. Interference of Hackers and Insecure API’s : Hackers exploit poorly secured or exposed APIs to gain unauthorized access. APIs act as gateways to cloud services; if not properly authenticated or encrypted, they become easy targets.

3. User Account Hijacking: If an attacker gains access to login credentials (e.g., via phishing or brute force), they can control cloud accounts, steal data, or perform unauthorized actions. Multi-factor authentication helps reduce this risk.

4. Vendor Lock-In: Cloud providers may use proprietary services or tools that make it difficult to migrate to another provider. This leads to high switching costs, technical incompatibilities, and reduced flexibility.

5. Lack of in-house High Cloud Skills: Organizations often lack skilled professionals who understand cloud architecture, security, and management — leading to misconfigurations, poor utilization, and security gaps.

6. Denial of Service (DoS) attack: Attackers flood cloud servers with excessive traffic to make services slow or completely unavailable. This affects both performance and availability of cloud-hosted apps.

7. Noisy Neighbour Effect: In multi-tenant environments, one user’s resource-intensive activity (e.g., heavy compute load) can impact the performance of other users sharing the same physical server.

8. Compilance and Leagal Issues: Cloud data storage must follow regulatory requirements (like GDPR, HIPAA). Misunderstanding legal boundaries (e.g., data location, ownership) can lead to penalties and legal conflicts.

9. Insider Threats: Employees or contractors with access to cloud systems can intentionally or accidentally cause harm — such as leaking data, misconfiguring servers, or deleting files.

10. Lowered Data Backup & Recovery: If backup systems are poorly configured or not tested, recovery may fail when needed. Cloud users may assume backups are automatic, but this is often not fully managed by default.