Cloud services are designed to help you and your company to optimize your resources and save some time. It is one of the good things produced by the ever-improving technology of today. However, technological advancement is much too inclusive in the sense that cybercriminals can get a hold of new technology just as how an honest working person can.

What does this mean? It means that cyberattackers can also use cloud technology, particularly cloud apps and services to improve and expand their reach. They can steal both personal and corporate credentials which can compromise your business network.

How Do Hackers Steal Credentials?

There are many ways to obtain network and cloud credentials. Hackers can use the very thing you are using to make your life easier to ruin your business reputation. Traditionally, cybercriminals will look for a weak link (normally a vulnerable employee or member of the company) then deploy malware to harvest account data.

They can also access your data due to a weak or reused network password. Once they are in your system, personal, corporate, and client accounts are all compromised. The fact that your network is not safe can make a massive dent in your reputation and your company can lose trust from both your clients and employees.

Cloud service providers do take some of the security responsibility off your plate, however– if you do not have any security measures on your own– then the cloud service provider can only do so much.

For instance, once your data is compromised and your credentials are obtained by hackers– the cloud service provider needs to go through millions of records. 

Cloud Apps and Services Popularity On the Rise

Cybercrime is a whole industry within itself. Although illegitimate, it is still some form of business. And much like any other business, they try to expand, eliminate waste, and improve efficiency for better ROI. Now that cloud apps and services use is gaining popularity in enterprises, hackers would love to dig into that gold mine.

The popularity of enterprise cloud apps and services makes them a target for phishing and malware attacks from cybercriminals. Although the traditional phishing rules still use traditional websites and emails, hackers are now investing in cloud apps to gain footholds in organizations and companies.

For instance, there has been an increase in the use of malicious Microsoft Office documents to infiltrate corporate networks. This method is straightforward– hackers use the malicious documents as pretty packages for their malware and ransomware.

They can also use cloud app delivery to get past the legacy email and web defenses. This malware and ransomware can easily get into your corporate system without being detected or blocked if you are not adequately prepared for cloud app hacking methods.

It only shows that hackers have indeed improved beyond shady phishing emails. So you should also build up your defenses by using security tools that can cover all the bases.

The Risk of Remote Work for Companies

Due to current circumstances, many companies opted to operate remotely to ensure the safety of both their employees and their clients. Remote operations have many advantages for businesses and employees. However, the fact that employees are accessing company network files from outside poses some risks for corporate systems.

For instance, since the employees may be using their devices, they will most likely have personal apps running on their computers or laptops. On top of that, remote workers will not have the same level of security that they have when they are working within their respective offices. Data can easily be mishandled or leaked in this setting.

Defending Your Company Network from Cyber Threats

Nowadays, cyberattacks are bound to happen eventually– it’s just a matter of “when”. You should prepare your company network by using the security tools that can help you detect malware and ransomware before they get into your system.

Of course, there are other ways to get into your network so you will need multiple layers of defense to ensure that if one fails– another one can take over. Redundancy is a must.

Aside from that, you should also invest in a good backup strategy for your data. Some cybercriminals are not just there to take data, some want to take your data as a hostage so that you will give in to their demands. Having a backup ensures that your operations can go on while you resolve the security issue at hand.

At the End of the Day

You should strengthen the foundation of your security to ensure that you can identify breaches before the situation escalates. Aside from adequate security tools and strategies— you should also educate your employees about cyberthreats and how to avoid them. As criminals improve their methods, you should too.