TL;DR
Cloud adoption is accelerating, but so are the threats targeting cloud environments — from account hijacking and insecure APIs to data breaches costing millions. A robust cloud security platform addresses these risks through centralized identity management (e.g., Single Sign-On (SSO) and Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)) and intelligent lifecycle management that automatically provisions and deprovisions users. Choosing the right platform isn't just a best practice — it's a business survival strategy.
The state of cloud adoption and security risks
Cloud computing isn't the future—it's already here. According to recent research from the Cloud Industry Forum, 88% of businesses use cloud-based applications, and that number is expected to rise, with a whopping 67% anticipating an increase in their adoption in the near future.
How widespread is cloud adoption today?
The benefits of cloud-based applications include enhanced productivity, profitability, agility, and operational efficiency. It's not just good marketing that tells us so, but rather real results backed up by detailed, data-driven case studies.
Unfortunately, the very characteristics that make cloud-based applications so effective (no installation, access from anywhere with an internet connection, etc.) also mean that without security designed specifically for the cloud, cloud apps are vulnerable to security threats.
Best-in-class cloud security couples easily with your existing infrastructure and cloud applications, and empowers you with both safety and flexibility. In order to identify a reliable security solution, however, it's important to understand the most common threats associated with cloud computing.
What are the biggest cloud computing threats and their consequences?
With the rise of cloud-based applications, data has never been so easily accessed—and easily exploited. Worldwide, the average data breach costs an organization $3.86 million, according to a 2018 study from IBM. In the US alone, this number more than doubles to $7.91 million per occurrence. Data is not only a valuable asset; it's also a dangerous liability.
Aside from costly data breaches, the Cloud Security Alliance reports 11 other cloud computing security threats, including:
- Weak identity, credential, and access management
- Insecure Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
- System and application vulnerabilities
- Account hijacking
- Malicious insiders
- Advanced persistent threats
- Data loss
- Insufficient due diligence
- Abuse and nefarious use of cloud services
- Denial of service
- Shared technology issues
Real-world consequences of cloud security failures
Like data breaches, each of these threats—when successfully exploited—can be catastrophic. Take the $2 million T-Mobile hack, where attackers accessed encrypted passwords, account numbers, billing information, and email addresses, all via an exploited API.
Protecting against these threats doesn't just come down to ethical responsibility; it also comes down to survivability in the face of increasingly sophisticated methods of hacking
What to look for in a cloud security platform
Despite the threats associated with cloud computing, a strong security platform will significantly mitigate risk—protecting yourself is just a matter of knowing what to look for. The following capabilities are essential components of any best-in-class cloud security solution.
| Feature | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Single Sign-On (SSO) | Provides a single authentication point for all provisioned applications, enabling strong passwords without sacrificing user experience. |
| Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) | Makes contextual access decisions based on device, location, IP address, and more. |
| Lifecycle Management | Automatically provisions and deprovisions users, eliminating stale accounts and reducing attack surface area. |
| Universal Directory | Integrates with SSO and Adaptive MFA to bridge legacy on-premises systems with cloud-based infrastructure. |
Understanding how each of these capabilities works in practice can help you evaluate which platform is the right fit for your organization.
How does centralized identity management improve cloud security?
As intelligent as your employees (and vendors and partners) may be, they're likely reusing existing passwords across multiple platforms or choosing common, easy-to-crack passwords.
By centralizing identity management with single sign-on (SSO), users have a single authentication point for all of their provisioned applications, ensuring your users' passwords can be as strong as possible without sacrificing user experience.
Should you require more robust security measures, opt for cloud security that offers additional security factors, such as Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). It makes contextual access decisions based on device, location, IP address, and more.
How does intelligent lifecycle management reduce your attack surface?
As security perimeters grow to include not only employees but also partners, vendors, contractors, and even customers, it's more important than ever that each user has access to the tools they need—and only the tools they need.
A platform for managing user identities via an automated lifecycle process can help—enabling IT to automatically provision and deprovision users as needed. This eliminates stale accounts and drastically reduces your attack surface area.
How do cloud security tools bridge legacy on-premises systems with cloud infrastructure?
Lifecycle management can be given a boost with an intelligent system that integrates seamlessly into tools like Universal Directory, SSO, and Adaptive MFA. These sophisticated methods of identity control across lifecycle states can be used to bridge the gap between legacy on-premises systems and newer cloud-based infrastructure.
Why is cloud security essential for business survival?
Cloud computing is here to stay, but its success and ability to improve a company is based on the quality of that company's cloud security.
A best-in-class cloud security platform will not only ensure your users and their data is protected, but also empower information technology (IT) to spend less time with unnecessary administrative tasks and more time thinking about the future of the business. After all, the future might be closer than you think.
Frequently asked questions
Why are cloud-based applications more vulnerable to security threats than traditional on-premises software?
The same features that make cloud apps convenient — no installation required and access from any internet-connected device — also expand the attack surface. Without security designed specifically for the cloud, these open access points can be exploited through threats like account hijacking, insecure APIs, and weak credential management.
How much can a cloud data breach actually cost a business?
According to IBM research cited in the article, the global average cost of a data breach is $3.86 million. In the United States, that figure more than doubles to $7.91 million per incident, making cloud security a direct financial imperative, not just a technical concern.
What is Single Sign-On (SSO) and how does it strengthen cloud security?
Single Sign-On (SSO) gives users a single authentication point across all their provisioned applications. This allows organizations to enforce stronger password policies without creating friction for end users, reducing the risk of weak or reused passwords across multiple platforms.
What does lifecycle management do that standard user account management cannot?
Intelligent lifecycle management automates the provisioning and deprovisioning of user accounts as roles change. This eliminates stale or orphaned accounts — a common attack vector — and ensures that every user, whether an employee, vendor, contractor, or partner, only has access to the tools they actually need.
How does Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) differ from standard MFA?
Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) goes beyond a simple second factor by making contextual access decisions. It evaluates signals like the user's device, geographic location, and IP address to determine the appropriate level of authentication required, adding intelligence to the verification process.
Can a cloud security platform work alongside existing on-premises infrastructure?
Yes. The article notes that sophisticated identity control tools — including lifecycle management integrated with Universal Directory, SSO, and Adaptive MFA — are specifically designed to bridge the gap between legacy on-premises systems and newer cloud-based infrastructure.
