Cybersecurity has been a problem ever since the internet was created. In the past, businesses mainly worried about common phishing or DDoS attacks. Simply spotting scams or strengthening network defenses was enough to stay protected.
But now, the rise of cloud computing has changed everything. In PwC’s latest survey of over 1,000 businesses, only 5% of companies do not use public cloud services.¹ With so much data moving online, cybercriminals are finding new ways to attack. New and bigger threats to cloud data security are emerging, like AI-driven attacks and API vulnerabilities—and we’re not talking about them enough.
If businesses don’t start paying attention to these new threats to cloud security, they could face even bigger security problems in the next few years.
Read More: Fortifying Digital Defenses: How Enterprise Platforms are Prioritizing Data Protection
The Biggest Risks in Cloud Security This Year
Phishing started with simple emails—AI turned it into a smarter, stealthier threat. As businesses rely more on cloud computing, cyber threats are evolving just as fast. Here are this year’s most common cloud security threats you should know.
1. Vulnerable APIs
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are essential to cloud computing because they allow different systems to communicate and share data. However, they can become cloud security risks if they lack strong authentication, fail to encrypt sensitive information or have weak access controls that let unauthorized users access or modify data.
Because APIs handle sensitive information among multiple systems, they are large targets for cybercriminals. Without proper cloud security, hackers can exploit vulnerabilities to steal data or even take control of public and private cloud systems.
Industries like banking, healthcare, and business services rely heavily on APIs, making them attractive targets. A single API vulnerability can expose financial information, medical records, or corporate data.
2. Supply Chain Attacks
Many businesses rely on third-party vendors for cloud services, software, and IT support. However, if a vendor’s system is compromised, hackers can use that access to attack multiple companies at once.
One major issue is that businesses often trust vendors without thoroughly verifying their security measures. Cybercriminals usually target vendors that provide software updates, cloud storage, or IT services. If hackers inject malicious code into a vendor’s system, it can spread to all companies using that provider.
3. AI-Powered Security Breaches
Cybercriminals are now using artificial intelligence to develop more powerful cloud security attacks. The World Economic Forum reports that phishing and social engineering attacks using AI increased drastically in 2024, affecting 42% of organizations.²
These attacks are usually harder to detect because they constantly evolve, mimic human behavior, and adapt to bypass security measures like filters, antivirus software, and password protection.
For example, AI-powered phishing emails look more convincing than ever, making it easier to trick employees into revealing sensitive information. Hackers can also use AI to guess passwords and break into cloud accounts much faster than traditional methods. Some AI-driven malware can even rewrite its code to bypass security defenses.
4. Imbalanced Hybrid Cloud Systems
Many businesses use a mix of on-site servers and cloud services. For example, some deployment models involve storing sensitive data on private servers but use cloud applications for emails and work tools. Hackers target these hybrid clouds because they provide multiple ways to break in—if one part has weak security, attackers can use it to access the other.
The problem is that companies often focus their security posture on only one side, either their on-site servers or their cloud infrastructure, leaving the other vulnerable. Hackers take advantage of this by using stolen passwords or software vulnerabilities to move between systems undetected. Once inside, they can steal data, install ransomware, or disrupt business operations.
5. Insider Threats
Not all network security risks come from outside attacks. Employees can also pose a serious threat to cloud computing security. For instance, a former Microsoft-owned healthcare technology company employee stole the protected health information of over 1.2 million patients just two days after being terminated.³ In other cases, an employee with access to sensitive customer data could intentionally steal and sell it for financial gain, opening up various legal issues.
Even unintentional mistakes can damage cloud security. For example, a worker might accidentally misconfigure cloud settings, exposing private company data to the public. Since insiders already have legitimate access, detecting and stopping these threats is much harder than defending against external attacks.
How to Strengthen Cloud Security Against Modern Threats
As cyberattacks and cloud security challenges evolve, so must your cloud security strategy. Here’s how:
Understand Your Role in Cloud Security
Many companies assume their cloud provider handles the bulk of cyber security management, but that’s not true. The Shared Responsibility Model clearly states that both the provider and the customer must work together to secure cloud environments.
So, while the cloud provider secures the infrastructure, businesses are responsible for protecting their data, applications, and user access. The more control a business has over its cloud setup, the more security responsibilities they have.
Implement Stronger Data Encryption
Encrypting stored or sent data helps keep it safe from hackers. Encryption turns information into unreadable code that only someone with the right key can unlock. Even if cybercriminals steal the data, they won’t be able to use it without that key.
As cyber threats become more advanced, key management is improving, too. New methods like end-to-end encryption and homomorphic encryption provide even stronger protection. Companies can leverage these latest developments in encryption tech to prevent cloud security leaks and unauthorized access.
Train Employees in Cybersecurity
No matter how secure your cloud computing systems are, human error remains a prominent weak spot. Many cyberattacks succeed because employees fall for phishing scams, use weak passwords, or unknowingly expose sensitive data.
A robust cloud security program trains employees to recognize threats and avoid costly mistakes. Top security professionals can introduce them to various security solutions, like Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management, Cloud Access Security Broker policy, or Cloud Workload Protection platforms. You can also run penetration testing sessions to test your security operations. Regular workshops about your incident response plans and disaster recovery protocols can help them understand your company’s methods.
When they learn more about phishing, risk management, social engineering, and other security issues, they become the first line of defense against hackers.
Use AI to Boost Your Security Tools
Since AI has made cyberattacks harder to detect—even for trained security teams—businesses with cloud networks may need to fight fire with fire. AI-powered threat detection systems can identify unusual patterns humans might overlook, stopping attacks before they spread. Add AI to your Cloud Security Posture Management system to further boost security practices.
AI can assess risk by analyzing network traffic, user behavior, and login patterns. They can quickly detect and report hacking attempts, such as unauthorized access or unusual data transfers.
What’s better is that generative AI and machine learning help AI improve over time by learning from past attacks, making it better at predicting and preventing future threats against cloud environments.
Leverage Multi-Factor Authentication
Using only a password to secure cloud accounts is no longer enough to prevent data loss. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) strengthens your security architecture by requiring multiple forms of verification, such as a fingerprint, a one-time code, or facial recognition.
MFA is crucial for cloud security because credential-stuffing attacks often target cloud accounts. With MFA, even if hackers steal a password, they won’t be able to access an account without the additional verification step.
Establish Zero Trust Security
Cloud security works best against insider threats if it has Zero Trust security. This follows a “never trust, always verify” approach, meaning no one gets automatic access, even if they’re inside the company. Before approval, every request to access data or systems from your cloud environments is checked for identity, permission, and security.
This new access management model also detects unusual behavior, like an employee trying to access restricted files or logging in from an unusual location. If anything seems suspicious, the system requires reauthentication or access is blocked entirely.
Boost your cloud security with Raso360!
Cyberattacks are becoming more advanced due to mass public cloud migration—don’t wait until it’s too late. At Raso360, we help businesses strengthen their cybersecurity by securing cloud environments, protecting every device teams use, and managing security controls. Whether you need to boost your defenses or establish business continuity after a breach, our team is here to create a security plan that works for you.
Contact us today for a personalized consultation. Let’s find the best ways to enhance your cloud security solutions!
References:
- “2024 Cloud and AI Business Survey.” PwC, 2024, www.pwc.com/us/en/tech-effect/cloud/cloud-ai-business-survey.html.
- World Economic Forum. Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025. January 2025. reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Cybersecurity_Outlook_2025.pdf.
- Johnson, Liam. “Former Nuance Communications Employee Accessed 1.2 Million Geisinger Records After Termination.” The HIPAA Guide, 1 July 2024, www.hipaaguide.net/nuance-employee-geisinger-insider-breach/.
