INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Cloud

Globally , cloud adoption and notably multicloud adoption , remains on the rise . In 2021 , organisations worldwide were using an average amount of 110 Software- As-a- Service ( SaaS ) applications , compared with just eight in 2015 , showcasing a startlingly rapid increase .

There has been a notable expansion in the use of multiple IaaS providers , with almost three-quarters ( 72 %) of businesses using multiple IaaS providers , up from 57 % the year before . The use of multiple providers has almost doubled in the last year , with one in five ( 20 %) of respondents reporting using three or more providers .

Despite their increasing prevalence and use , businesses share common concerns about the increasing complexity of cloud services with the majority ( 51 %) of IT professionals agreeing that it is more complex to manage privacy and data protection in the cloud .

Security challenges of multi-cloud complexity

With increasing complexity comes an even greater need for robust cybersecurity . When asked what percentage of their sensitive data is stored in the cloud , a solid majority ( 66 %) said between 21-60 %. However , only a quarter ( 25 %) said they could fully classify all data .

Additionally , nearly a third ( 32 %) of respondents admitted to having to issue a breach notification to a government agency , customer , partner or employees . This should be a cause for concern among enterprises with sensitive data , particularly in highly regulated industries .

Cyberattacks also present an on-going risk to cloud applications and data . Respondents reported an increasing prevalence of attacks , with a quarter ( 26 %) citing an increase in malware , 25 % in ransomware and onefifth ( 19 %) reporting seeing an increase in phishing / whaling .

Protecting sensitive data

When it comes to securing data in multicloud environments , IT professionals view encryption as a critical security control . The majority of respondents cited encryption ( 59 %) and key management ( 52 %) as the security technologies they currently use to protect sensitive data in the cloud .

However , when asked what percentage of their data in the cloud is encrypted , only 11 % of respondents said between 81-100 % is encrypted . Additionally , key management platform sprawl may be an issue for enterprises . Only 10 % of respondents use one to two platforms , 90 % use three or more , and almost one in five ( 17 %) admitted using eight or more platforms .

Encryption should be a priority area for enterprises to focus on when it comes to securing data in the cloud . In fact , 40 % of respondents stated that they were able to avoid the breach notification process because the stolen or leaked data was encrypted or tokenized , showcasing the tangible value of encryption platforms .

Sebastien Cano , Senior Vice President , Cloud Protection and Licensing activities , Thales , said : “ The complexity of managing multi-cloud environments cannot be overstated . Additionally , the growing importance of data sovereignty is increasingly raising questions for CISOs and Data Protection Officers when considering their cloud strategy , governance and risk management . The challenge is not only where the sensitive data resides geographically , but even who has access to sensitive data inside the organisation .

“ There are various solutions such as encryption and key management . Last but not least , continuing to embrace a Zero Trust strategy will be essential in securing these complex environments , helping to ensure organisations can support their data and manage future challenges .” p

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