Cloud misconfigurations represent something that’s plaguing many organizations’ cloud adoption efforts. For example, a 2020 report found that 91% of cloud deployments contained at least one misconfiguration that left organizations exposed to potential digital threats. Those weaknesses contributed to more than 200 data breaches between 2018 and 2020, noted SC Magazine, with those security incidents exposing more than 30 billion records.

Cloud computing is an integral part of most businesses globally. Technology has transformed the way businesses operate and thrive in the industry. However, the cloud industry has been facing huge challenges when it comes to complying with various data protection and data privacy standards. With the enforcement of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a lot has changed for most businesses.

With all the headlines about ransomware attacks hitting companies hard, you might think there’s only bad news around the subject. Well, think again.

MITRE ATT&CK stands for MITRE Adversarial Tactics, Techniques and Common Knowledge. It’s a curated knowledge base of adversarial behavior based on real-world observation of APT campaigns.

On May 8th, I was at a gas station filling up my car before a trip I was taking when the news about a cyberattack against a large pipeline company broke. The attack led them to halt all operations. Ultimately, the incident stemmed from a ransomware infection in which a well-known threat actor took volumes of corporate data in just two hours and made their demands including the threat to block and encrypt the company’s network. They even threatened to release the data to the internet.

Responding to the all too familiar news of compromised Amazon cloud storage, security researchers have begun leaving “friendly warnings” on AWS S3 accounts with exposed data or incorrect permissions. The misconfiguration of access control on AWS storage “buckets” has been behind numerous high profile data breaches, including Verizon, The Pentagon, Uber and FedEx.

Amazon’s, Google’s and Microsoft’s experiences with building massive infrastructures for the world allows for some fascinating insights into the future of IT security at scale. As a result, when Google published The CISO’s Guide to Cloud Security Transformation earlier this year, I was curious about what priorities they saw in cloud security. It’s a short read, and it’s well worth the time invested in downloading a copy.

Organizations are increasingly faced with threats from sophisticated criminal organizations and nation-state actors. To mitigate the risks posed by cyber criminals, organizations must secure and protect their proprietary and sensitive information. They must also commit to training their employees to do their part to protect proprietary and sensitive information.

There is a saying in cybersecurity that “Data is the new oil.” If that is true, then that oil is powering not only the economy but also industry. The term ‘Industry 4.0’ refers to the fourth industrial revolution where traditional manufacturing and industrial processes are increasingly using IT and data to the point that we’re now seeing the emergence of ‘smart factories.’

Given that attacks are only increasing and there needs to be greater efficacy in how companies protect themselves, let us reference how the financial industry has created and relies on a body of standards to address issues in financial accounting as a defined comparison for Information Security. To support this argument, there is a defined contrast between information security and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. We’ll explore this relationship in more detail below.