Cloud adoption can feel like navigating uncharted territory — brimming with potential but fraught with hidden dangers. Cloud security challenges such as vulnerabilities in APIs and configuration missteps can turn the cloud’s openness into a double-edged sword. As cloud adoption accelerates, so do the complexities of securing it.
Cybersecurity is about more than just solving problems as they arise. It’s about staying ahead of those problems before they even surface. At SecPod, we like to say, “Don’t just patch. Pre-vent.”
In this article, we explore the 15 most common cloud security challenges, focusing not on reactionary fixes but on how to outsmart and outmaneuver these threats with SecPod’s prevention-first approach.
1. Misconfigured Cloud Settings: The Hidden Trap
Misconfigured settings are one of the major cloud security challenges contributing to data breaches. When sensitive data is left exposed due to misconfigurations such as publicly accessible storage, failure to update default security settings, and insufficient access controls, it significantly increases the risk of data breaches. According to recent studies, 39% of businesses experienced cloud security challenges leading to data breaches in 2023, with human error playing a significant role in these breaches. Therefore, addressing misconfigurations to protect cloud environments from threats is crucial.
2. Weak Access Controls: The Unlocked Door to Cloud Security Challenges
The lack of multifactor authentication (MFA), the use of weak passwords, insufficient rotation of cryptographic keys and certificates, and inadequate identity and access management (IAM) systems are common issues that can lead to data breaches. MFA, including smartcards, OTPs, and phone authentication, can mitigate unauthorized data access.
Imagine leaving your house without locking the door. We teach customers to build a vault, not just lock a door. At SecPod, we promote “Vault Thinking” to strengthen access controls so that even if someone gets through the first line of defense, they can’t find the crown jewels.
3. Lack of Encryption: The Data Exposed
Businesses encounter many challenges when trying to identify and resolve data encryption threats and policy violations. The study “Operationalizing Encryption and Key Management” conducted by Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) and Fortanix Inc. recently brought this information to light. The study discovered that despite rising encryption adoption and widespread confidence in cryptographic capabilities, lack of encryption continues to be the leading cause of sensitive data loss.
A key finding was that tech professionals needed help determining when and where to apply encryption. Addressing these cloud security challenges requires systems capable of centralized cryptographic key discovery and evaluation, especially for hybrid and multicloud environments. Such solutions would allow development, security, and cloud operations teams to work together to identify compliance gaps and assess risk posture. Therefore, to guarantee proper encryption implementation and reduce the risk of data loss, organizations must address issues with knowledge, experience, and technologies.
Think of unencrypted data as treasure lying in the open. We believe in encryption as invisibility. By making your sensitive data invisible to prying eyes, you prevent problems before they happen. Encrypt everything, always.
4. Inadequate Visibility Across Multicloud Environments
As organizations distribute their resources across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), visibility becomes a significant concern. The task of detecting cyber threats and monitoring resource usage, performance, and security within disparate platforms becomes difficult in a multicloud setup.
It’s not easy for organizations to monitor suspicious activities or detect vulnerabilities without broad and granular visibility. For example, if a business monitors traffic in AWS and Azure using different technologies, it may be challenging to identify a threat that spans both cloud environments.
As a result, it is essential to use centralized logging and monitoring solutions that collect information from all cloud environments. No matter which cloud environment an attacker targets, these tools should have features like anomaly detection and real-time alerts and notifications to enable security teams to react swiftly.
We call this the “Fog of War.” When you can’t see the entire battlefield, you’re fighting blind. SecPod eliminates the fog by providing a unified view of all your cloud environments, so you’re always ten steps ahead of potential threats.
5. Inefficient IAM Policies = More Cloud Security Challenges
Inadequate IAM policies are among the critical cloud security challenges organizations face today, leading to financial losses, reputational damage, data breaches, and legal liabilities. Since an organization’s employees and partners maintain access to vast amounts of sensitive data, implementing robust IAM policies is crucial in today’s data-driven environment.
To develop a strong IAM strategy, organizations should use Multi Factor Authentication (MFA), enforce granular access controls based on the PoLP, establish strong password policies, monitor and control privileged access, invest in reliable logging and auditing tools, and regularly perform security assessments and penetration tests. By implementing these practices, organizations can significantly improve their security posture and reduce the dangers of inefficient IAM.
Here, we use the “Trojan Horse Trap.” Just because someone is inside your gates doesn’t mean they’re a friend. Our specialty is continuous monitoring and privilege management — catching insiders before they cause harm is the ultimate prevention.
6. Unpatched Vulnerabilities: The “Time Bomb” of Cloud Security
Unpatched vulnerabilities are flaws or weaknesses in hardware, software, or systems that a patch or upgrade has not yet fixed. Threat actors may exploit these flaws to enter a network without authorization and steal data. Once vulnerabilities are found, software developers usually release updates or patches to reduce risks. Regrettably, companies that neglect to apply patches and updates on time run the risk of exposing their systems to cybercriminals.
We call this “The Pothole Effect.” If you leave potholes unchecked, the damage only gets worse. Our philosophy? Pave the road before it breaks down. SecPod automates vulnerability detection and patching, ensuring no time bombs are left ticking in your cloud infrastructure.
7. Shadow IT: The Invisible Risk
Unauthorized use of any digital service or device not officially supported by the IT department is known as “shadow IT.”
Employees often turn to shadow IT to get their work done more efficiently, but this reliance on unapproved tools often slips under the radar of the IT team. As a result, these applications remain vulnerable, falling outside the protection of the company’s cybersecurity policies and procedures. Assets that developers use for cloud workloads and other services could have major security flaws, like misconfigurations or default passwords. As a result, the danger of data breaches, noncompliance, and other liabilities rises dramatically.
Some examples of shadow IT include:
- Using passwords or personal accounts to create cloud workloads.
- Acquiring subscriptions to Software-as-a-service (SaaS) or other cloud services that fall below the purchasing thresholds outlined by IT.
- Making use of productivity or workflow software like Asana or Trello.
8. Insider Threats: The Quiet Saboteur of Your Cloud Security
Insider threats are another critical component of cloud security challenges. Authorized individuals within a company — whether negligent or malicious employees, subcontractors, or business associates — can inadvertently or intentionally compromise cloud services, causing significant harm to the organization.
This can occur in several ways. For instance, an insider may inadvertently disclose private information by improperly managing data-sharing rights. Alternatively, a disgruntled employee can purposefully leak or damage important data or introduce malicious malware into the cloud infrastructure to cause service interruptions.
Furthermore, insiders can carry out these operations from any location due to cloud systems’ remote access capabilities, which makes it more difficult to identify and stop such attacks. Insider threats and remote access showcase the downside to a cloud’s scalability and flexibility. They increase the potential attack surface.
9. Lack of Compliance: The Costly Oversight
Organizations must adhere to industry standards when protecting and managing sensitive data. Depending on the nature of the services you provide — and your industry — regulations like HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS, and SOX may apply to your business.
These regulations impose rules, procedures, and guidelines that support improving information security and protecting people’s sensitive data. To be compliant, you must be able to pass an audit of your software, workflows, and IT security procedures to ensure that they adhere to the applicable standards.
Noncompliance with regulations can lead to significant fines and legal liabilities, among other challenges. Even the most traditional businesses have transitioned certain services to the cloud due to the growing need for flexible, scalable infrastructure to accommodate shifts in work environments. And failing to adhere to regulations in the process of implementing cloud-based solutions can lead to drastic consequences.
One notable instance is the ransomware attack that took place in 2024, targeting Ivanti’s widely used VPN systems. The vulnerabilities in Ivanti’s Connect Secure VPN led to massive exploitation, with thousands of devices compromised, including systems used by the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Because of the pandemic or the urgent need to expand IT services, hasty cloud adoptions frequently result in a lack of compliance.
Understanding the primary compliance concerns associated with cloud computing and how to address them will better position your company to reap the benefits of a safe and effective cloud deployment.
10. Data Leakage: The Silent Spill
A data leak occurs when internal faults allow information to be accessed by unauthorized parties. Outdated systems, inadequate data security, sanitization, or inadequate personnel training are usually the root causes of a data leak. Identity theft, data breaches, and ransomware installation usually follow such an incident, further amplifying cloud security challenges for organizations.
Data leaks are often attributed to internal issues rather than external cyberattacks. This is good news for enterprises since they can identify and fix data leaks early before hackers’ attack.
Human error and technology malfunctions frequently cause data leaks resulting from operational problems. To prevent such leaks successfully, organizations must have a strong, multi-layered cybersecurity strategy and foster a culture of respect for data privacy. To ensure a prompt recovery from any cyberattack, security teams should also develop a robust defense system and a well-defined incident response strategy.
11. Overprivileged Users: The Oversight Waiting to Happen
Roles, individuals, or identities that require excessive privileges to perform their duties are called overprivileged users. People with identities that need access to local files or devices yet possess network administrator credentials and rights are typical examples of overprivileged users.
Nonetheless, there are additional instances of overprivileged identities, such as when the “owner” title is granted to cloud-based assets. These overprivileged individuals can be quite dangerous and are hard to identify. These users either gradually accrue privileges or apply for and receive privileges for a specific purpose.
Businesses frequently grant apps greater access than necessary, which increases the risks associated with them. Overprivileged users can lead to poor security outcomes, especially if they’ve been unchecked for a long time.
12. Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs): The Long Game
A sophisticated, ongoing cyberattack known as an advanced persistent threat (APT) occurs when an attacker sneaks into a network and remains there for an extended amount of time to steal confidential information. APT attacks are meticulously prepared and intended to sneak inside a particular company, circumvent security protocols, and go unnoticed.
Unlike a typical attack, an APT attack demands more customization and expertise. Adversaries are often well-resourced, skilled groups of online fraudsters that go after valuable companies. They’ve invested much time and money investigating and discovering an organization’s weaknesses.
APT objectives can be divided into four main categories:
- Theft of intellectual property or state secrets: This type of cyber espionage, which frequently targets businesses or governmental organizations, entails gaining unauthorized access to confidential data.
- eCrime motivated by financial gain: Cybercriminals engage in eCrime, exploiting human vulnerabilities for monetary profit.
- Hacktivism: Often opposing the status quo, hacktivists use their skills to disrupt websites or leak sensitive information. Bad actors in such scenarios are motivated by a desire for social change.
- Destruction: Cyberattacks launched with the intent to destroy an organization can cause chaos by erasing or distorting vital information and systems.
13. Insufficient Backup and Recovery Plans
Without a reliable backup and disaster recovery plan, data loss from an attack can cripple your organization. As a result, solutions for cloud-based backup and disaster recovery are growing in popularity among businesses of all kinds. Many cloud providers offer the infrastructure for data storage and, occasionally, the tools for overseeing backup and disaster recovery procedures.
You can save money on infrastructure maintenance and significant capital expenditures by opting for a cloud-based backup or disaster recovery solution. You also get the geographic distance required to protect data in the case of a regional calamity. Quick scalability is a bonus.
Cloud-based disaster recovery and backup solutions can support both on-premises and cloud-based production settings. You may choose, for instance, to keep your production environment on your own data storage system and merely store backed-up or duplicated data on the cloud.
With this hybrid method, you may retain the benefits of geographic distance and scalability without relocating your production environment. Production and disaster recovery are situated in the cloud but at different locations to guarantee enough physical separation.
14. Malware and Ransomware Infections
Malware is malicious software that can affect a system in many ways if allowed to operate. This includes:
- Making a device unusable or locked.
- Stealing, deleting, or encrypting data.
- Gaining control of the devices to launch attacks against other businesses.
On the other hand, ransomware is malware that keeps you from accessing your computer and its data. It can lock the computer or encrypt, delete, or steal information. Certain ransomware strains, such as LockBit, which emerged in recent years, can rapidly propagate across networks, compromising numerous systems within a short time frame. For instance, in 2022, LockBit attacks targeted multiple organizations worldwide, emphasizing the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures to prevent widespread damage.
Malware occasionally poses as ransomware, but the files remain encrypted even after the ransom is paid. This is referred to as wiper malware. For these reasons, you must always have an updated, offline backup of your most crucial files and data.
15. Lack of Cloud Security Awareness Training
A cloud security awareness program educates employees about protecting their computer systems and mitigating cloud security challenges. Cloud computing services help protect data from cyber threats and ensure its security. The program also summarizes the policies that describe how cloud security operates. To effectively protect sensitive data, businesses should prioritize strong security awareness training initiatives for their employees.
Human error is often the weakest link in any security strategy, leading to misconfigurations, phishing attacks, or accidental data loss.
Outthinking, Not Just Outfighting Cloud Security Challenges
At SecPod, prevention isn’t just about patching up problems as they arise. It’s about seeing ahead, thinking like a strategist, and building secure systems so risks never become a reality.
Our approach to cyber security is rooted in our philosophy: “Don’t just patch. Pre-vent.” We believe that security is a strategic game. With the right mindset, you can win before the game even begins.
Prevention is the Ultimate Security Strategy
Cloud security isn’t just about reacting to threats — it’s about outsmarting them from the start. By understanding the common cloud security challenges and adopting SecPod’s prevention-first mindset, you can ensure that your cloud environment remains secure, compliant, and resilient.
Remember: Don’t wait for a problem to knock on your door. Prevent.
To ensure your cloud environment remains secure, reach out to us and find out how our advanced security tools for continuous monitoring, vulnerability management, and patching can help you maintain a strong posture across all your work environments.