In a recent report by Illumio, findings reveal growing apprehensions regarding traditional cloud security measures. The study underscores the heightened risk landscape, with a staggering 47% of data breaches in the past year originating in the cloud, prompting concerns among over 60% of respondents about the inadequacy of current cloud security measures.
The financial toll of these breaches stands substantial, with organizations facing an average loss of nearly $4.1 million per incident. Despite this, a concerning 26% of entities operate under the assumption that breaches are avoidable, highlighting potential vulnerabilities in their security strategies.
A notable 97% of participants believe that adopting Zero Trust Segmentation (ZTS) could significantly enhance their cloud security posture. This approach is perceived as instrumental in fostering digital trust (61%), ensuring business continuity (59%), and fortifying cyber resilience (61%).
One of the key challenges highlighted is the complexity and risks associated with migrating sensitive data to the cloud. While a staggering 98% store their most sensitive information in cloud repositories, concerns loom over unauthorized connectivity between services, increasing the probability of breaches.
The study pinpoints several prevalent threats to cloud security, including blurred boundaries of workloads and data (43%), lack of clarity in responsibilities between cloud providers and vendors (41%), social engineering attacks (36%), and insufficient visibility across multi-cloud deployments (32%). Moreover, rising instances of malware and ransomware attacks compound these concerns.
An overwhelming 95% of respondents express the dire need for improved visibility into connectivity with third-party software. The lack of this visibility hampers their ability to promptly respond to cloud breaches, a concern shared by 95% of the participants.
Top concerns stemming from potential cloud breaches encompass reputational damage (39%), loss of sensitive data (36%), and a decline in revenue-generating services (35%).
Highlighting the significance of asset segmentation, 93% of IT and security decision-makers emphasize its pivotal role in securing cloud-based projects. Organizations leveraging dedicated microsegmentation technology demonstrate lower breach incidents (35%) compared to counterparts without such solutions (43%).
John Kindervag, Chief Evangelist at Illumio, stresses the evolving challenge posed by dynamic and interconnected cloud environments. He advocates for modern security approaches that offer real-time visibility and default containment to mitigate risks and optimize cloud opportunities. Kindervag remains optimistic about security teams prioritizing cloud security improvements, viewing solutions like ZTS as integral in their journey towards Zero Trust.
The report underscores the pressing need for evolving security measures in tandem with the dynamic cloud landscape, emphasizing the critical role of Zero Trust approaches in fortifying cloud security.
