Cloud-based cyberattacks have nearly halved (48%) over 2022 compared to the previous year, according to new data from Check Point Research (CPR).
The company’s analysis found that as companies accelerate their digital transformation, they are increasingly leveraging the cloud, making it an attractive target for cybercriminals.
Moreover, companies tend to store more sensitive data in the cloud (opens in a new tab) than locally, which is another key argument for putting the technology in the crosshairs of cybercriminals.
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The largest increase in attacks was seen in Asia (over 60%), followed by Europe (50%+) and North America (28%+).
Unlike on-premise attacks, where hackers typically exploit slightly older vulnerabilities, in cloud attacks, hackers often exploit newer vulnerabilities, mainly vulnerabilities discovered in 2020-2022.
Typically, these cyber incidents result in data loss and ransomware attacks.
“Enterprise attack surfaces have expanded rapidly in a short period of time,” commented Omer Dembinsky, data group manager at Check Point Software. “Digital transformations and remote work due to the Covid pandemic have accelerated the transition to the cloud. Hackers quickly follow them. These organizations have faced the challenge of securing a dispersed workforce while facing a shortage of skilled security personnel. Data loss, malware and ransomware attacks are some of the biggest threats organizations face in the cloud. Cloud apps and services are a prime target for hackers as misconfigured services and recent CVEs leave them vulnerable to the internet and vulnerable to simple cyberattacks.”
To ensure the security of their cloud facilities, CPR recommends that companies frequently back up their data to the cloud, set up access controls for third-party applications, use multi-factor authentication whenever possible, use logically isolated networks and micro segments, and deploy resources and applications with business-critical into logically isolated sections of cloud networks (think virtual private clouds or vNETs).
Finally, companies should “shift security to the left” by including security and compliance protection early in the development cycle.