Importance of Cloud Risk Management

Are you addressing the root causes of your cloud security threats or just treating the symptoms? The Cloud Security Alliance's Top Threats to Cloud Computing 2024 report illuminates critical security challenges, but many of these threats result from overlooking foundational practices in favor of more complex solutions. My takeaways: 1️⃣ Misconfiguration and change control - Misconfigurations often signal that organizations advance to complex cloud setups without mastering the basics. For example, the Toyota data breach, where a decade-long exposure was due to human error and inadequate cloud configuration management, highlights the need for robust configuration management and continuous monitoring. 2️⃣ Identity & Access Management (IAM) - IAM issues frequently stem from inconsistent governance. The JumpCloud breach, where attackers exploited over-permissioned accounts and poor separation of duties, underscores the importance of regular policy reviews and strict governance practices. 3️⃣ Insecure interfaces and APIs - Securing APIs is crucial, but the rush to innovate can sometimes overshadow security. The Spoutible (an X alternative) API vulnerability, which exposed user data due to poor security practices, serves as a reminder to embed security into the API development process from the start. What can you do? 1) Focus on fundamentals: To address misconfigurations, prioritize strong configuration management and continuous monitoring. Look at tools like Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks. 2) Regular governance reviews: Prevent IAM issues by regularly reviewing and adapting policies. Ensure all your applications are part of your IAM strategy, not just those supporting standards like SAML, OIDC, and SCIM. (Cerby can help you with these apps.) 3) Balanced innovation: Integrate security into development processes to avoid compromising security in a rush to innovate (see Secure by Design from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency). Focusing on the basics and doing them well can mitigate most of the risks in this report. Props to the authors Jon-Michael C. Randall, Alexander S. Getsin, Vic Hargrave, Laura Kenner, Michael Morgenstern, Stephen Pieraldi, and Michael Roza. #Cybersecurity #cloudsecurity #api Cloud Security Alliance

Governments are moving national secrets to the cloud faster than they can secure it, and spending tens of billions trying to catch up. That creates a once-in-a-generation opportunity for founders who can close these 4 critical blind spots before adversaries exploit them. The National Security Cloud Opportunity Stack for security innovators: 1) Multi-Cloud Security → Posture Management 78% of multi-cloud setups have critical flaws. → Supply Chain Risk Every dependency is a threat surface. → Identity Controls Nearly 40% of cloud breaches come from insiders, most unintentional. Cross-cloud access must be governed, scoped, and kill-switched by default. 2) AI-Driven Threat Detection → Behavior Monitoring Rules don’t catch lateral movement. AI models that flag anomalies in user behavior will fill the gap. → AI Model Security Attackers target the models themselves. Securing the AI layer, not just the infra, is the next defense frontier. → Predictive Intelligence The future is prediction. Blending open-source and classified data to forecast threats. 3) Secure Integration → Cross-Domain Sharing Data must move between classification levels securely. Tools that manage controlled transfers are core to Allied operations. → Secure Dev Pipelines Solutions that bake in policy enforcement and automated testing—inside SCIFs—will lead. 4) Zero-Trust Implementation “Never Trust, Always Verify” is now doctrine. But legacy systems aren’t going anywhere. The most valuable solutions will retrofit zero-trust across identity, access, and traffic, without requiring a rebuild. Governments don’t invent. They buy innovation at scale. But the gaps are still wide: This is a National Security vacuum. If you’re building here, this is your moment. ____________________________ P.S. Building in classified cloud, multi-cloud security, or AI integrity? Let’s talk. I’ve spent years studying how adversaries breach multi-cloud and air-gapped systems, and have built and exited 2 software firms in the GovCon space If you’re scaling hard and need deep technical and go-to-market lift, my DMs are open.

Key Risks in Cloud Infrastructure ⬇️ ➡️ Insider Threats One of the most significant risks in Cloud Infrastructure such as OCI is insider threats. These often stem from unintentional human errors or a lack of awareness about security protocols. Even well-intentioned employees can inadvertently create vulnerabilities if proper safeguards aren't in place. Robust controls and monitoring systems are essential, especially in cloud environments where the attack surface is larger. ➡️ Expanding Attack Surfaces The shift to cloud environments such as OCI inherently increases the attack surface. Organizations must adopt a hacker's perspective to identify and mitigate potential vulnerabilities. Regular penetration testing, for example, is critical for managing these expanded attack surfaces. ➡️ API Security Concerns With the proliferation of SaaS applications, API security has become a top concern. The integration of multiple cloud services through APIs can introduce new vulnerabilities if not properly managed and secured. ➡️ Misconfigurations and Default Settings Misconfigurations are a significant risk factor in Cloud Infrastructure environments. Default settings may leave systems vulnerable if not adjusted appropriately. While many organizations do a good job of addressing initial configuration issues, ongoing management remains a challenge. Patches and updates must be carefully managed to avoid introducing new vulnerabilities. Regular security audits and penetration testing are essential for identifying misconfigurations and ensuring that all systems are secure. By addressing these key risks - insider threats, expanding attack surfaces, API security concerns, and misconfigurations - organizations can significantly enhance their security posture within Cloud Infrastructure environments.

Critical Infrastructure and the Cloud: Policy for Emerging Risk I'm a big fan of materials put out by the Atlantic Council's Cyber Statecraft Initiative. They recently published a great whitepaper along with the team from Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) discussing policy recommendations to managing the risk associated with cloud consumption in critical infrastructure. It points out how Federal agencies and organizations overseeing critical infrastructure sectors risk major cybersecurity threats if they fail to properly evolve their oversight and cybersecurity practices when it comes to cloud consumption and governance. We all know there's tremendous value in cloud computing from innovative technologies to even improved security capabilities, underpinned by emerging technologies such as AI. However, we also know that issues like misconfigurations, failing to understand the shared responsibility model, complex software supply chains and a lack of governance can wreak havoc on cloud consumers. These concerns are even more alarming when we're dealing with critical infrastructure such as utilities, public safety and national security and the defense industrial base. It covers: - Cloud Computing and Cloud Risks - Critical Sectors Using the Cloud - Cloud as Critical Infrastructure (a hot topic, emphasized by leaders at Office of the National Cyber Director and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency such as Jen Easterly, Kemba Eneas Walden and Anne Neuberger, along with Mark Montgomery who we discussed this topic with on the Resilient Cyber Podcast) - Policy Recommendations As someone who has been securing Cloud workloads across Federal Civilian agencies and the Department of Defense (DoD) for nearly a decade, I definitely recommend giving this one a read! #cyber #security #nationalsecurity #software #cybersecurity #cloud #ai