Misconfigurations and other “simple mistakes” impede organizations from muting security, privacy and regulatory risks as they expand further into the cloud, a new cloud security report found.Tripwire’s Implementing Cloud Security Best Practices, August 2020 edition, examines progress organizations have made to secure their cloud environments and points out needed improvements to meet industry best practices. Data for the study was gleaned from interviews with more than 300 individuals responsible for IT security of public cloud environments at companies exceeding 100 employees and representing 15 industries, including financial services and insurance, software, healthcare and others.Here are the results:On assessing overall cloud posture and automation:
“Attackers are known to run automated searches to find sensitive data exposed in the cloud, making it critical for organizations to monitor their cloud security posture on a recurring basis and fix issues immediately, Tripwire said.On risk management in the cloud:
On maintaining security configurations in cloud environments and human error:
On following a best practices framework:
On maintaining continuous compliance of cloud security and regulations:
On automated enforcement of cloud security efforts:
On identity and access management:
On automated alerts and behavior alarms:
Amid the risks and concerns above, many MSSPs and businesses are exploring cloud security posture management (CSPM) tools.
- 42% assess in near real time or weekly.
- 22% conduct assessments manually.
- 70% are partially automated.
- 6% fully automated.
- 37% worse or much worse in the cloud as compared to other parts of the environment.
- 31% better to much better.
- 76% face challenges.
- 93% at least somewhat concerned about human error causing public exposure to cloud data.
- 50% follow NIST cybersecurity framework.
- 46% follow CIS Google Cloud Computing Platform Foundations Benchmark.
- 19% don’t use any security frameworks.
- 22% continuous reviews.
- 58% periodic reviews.
- 91% use some level of automation.
- 4% are fully automated.
- 9% are not automated.
- 92% prefer more or slightly more automation.
- 82% ensure password complexity requirements and reuse restrictions.
- 68% ensure MFA is enabled for all IAM users with console password.
- 51% get automated alerts with context.
- 29% get automated alerts without context.
- 69% get alarms on brute force attempts.
- 51% get alarms on brute force attempts.
