Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 72 | Page 56

INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Cloud

The cloud is a growing target for cyberattacks , a new Sophos survey finds

Sophos , a global provider innovating and delivering cybersecurity as a service , has published findings of a new survey , The Reality of SMB Cloud Security in 2022 . The survey found that , among infrastructure-as-a-service ( IaaS ) users , 56 % experienced an increase in the volume of attacks on their organisation when compared to the previous year , and 67 % were hit by ransomware . In addition , 59 % experienced an increase in complexity of attacks .

For many of these users , a lack of visibility into their infrastructure , unpatched vulnerabilities and resource misconfigurations make them susceptible to various types of attacks , including ransomware . Of those surveyed , only 37 % track and detect resource misconfigurations and only 43 % routinely scan IaaS resources for software vulnerabilities . What ’ s more , 65 % of cloud users reported not having visibility of all resources and their configurations , and only 33 % said their organisation has the resources to continuously detect , investigate and remove threats in their IaaS infrastructure .
John Shier , Senior Security Advisor , Sophos
“ It is imperative that security is prioritised as organisations continue to adopt cloud services . This includes implementing traditional threat-based protections , as well as risk-based mitigations . Unpatched vulnerabilities and misconfigured resources are both preventable mistakes and avoidable risks that make life easier for attackers . Most attackers are not unstoppable criminal masterminds , but rather opportunistic cyberthugs looking for an easy payday ,” said John Shier , Senior Security Advisor , Sophos . “ However , the survey also found that more advanced IaaS users are twice as likely to report a decrease in attack impact than beginners , suggesting the appropriate defence mechanisms can go a long way in deterring threat actors . For users who need help , we recommend security services that have the 24 / 7 experts who can detect and quickly respond to active attacks .”
The Reality of SMB Cloud Security in 2022 survey polled 4,984 IT professionals in small and mid-sized organisations . p
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