Cloud computing grew drastically in 2019. However, cloud security has dragged behind in development which has resulted in some of the most devastating cyberattacks in history.

In traditional offline computing, programs and data are stored locally on a machine. On the organizational scale, data may be stored and shared on local servers that are linked to office devices within an enclosed network.

Cloud computing changes this model – instead of keeping files and programs stored locally, they are instead running on servers of tech giants such as Microsoft and Amazon and are transferred in real time to local machines over the internet. Common cloud computing platforms include Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google’s Compute Engine.

SaaS, Paas, and IaaS

There are three major types of cloud computing services. Saas, or Software as a Service, involves running programs via a web browser instead of on a local machine. An advantage of this is that end users no longer have to download update packages and that app speed is only depends on internet speed.

IaaS, or Infrastructure as a Service, includes components such as servers, storage, and networking.

Finally, PaaS, or Platform as a Service, is used by software developers to build applications.

There are many advantages to cloud computing. For businesses, cloud computing is a much more flexible and scalable option compared to on-premise solutions. Furthermore, cloud computing opens the door for many pay-as-you-go computing models, eliminating the need to purchase perpetual software.

Security Threats of Cloud Computing

The rapid growth of cloud computing – and the failure of cloud security to keep pace – has resulted in a number of devastating cyberattacks this year.

In July 2019, Capital One announced that it had suffered a data breach affecting over 100 million of its customers.

APIs are a new security weakpoint

APIs, or Application Programing Interfaces, are the channels through which a computer can communicate with a cloud service. APIs have become a vulnerability that is often exploited by cyberattackers when targeting cloud based systems.

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In a recent report, Microsoft has stated that supply chain attacks have become an increasingly pressing concern for cybersecurity professionals.

What are Supply Chain Attacks?

Computer software is constantly updated by developers. These are released to the public through cycles of patches. A supply Chain Attack is a type of cyberattack that infiltrates a victim’s computer through one of these updates.

By hacking into a software developer’s update code before it is released to the public, cyberattackers are able to avoid detection by antivirus protocols that are designed to allow these updates from trusted developers through their firewalls. In the past few years, this type of cyberattack has become more and more prominent, as illustrated by these following examples.

In June 2017, more than 10 000 computers in Ukraine were infected by a ransomware known as Petya. Incidentally, ransomware is a type of malware that locks sensitive data behind ‘ransomwalls’ and demands payment for its safe release. In its investigation, Microsoft uncovered that the attack originated from a hacked patch of the tax-accounting software MEDoc. It is now known that the attackers had illegally inserted a line of malicious code into one if its patches.

Three months later in September 2017, CCleaner, a software that unclutters old computer files, was also hacked using Supply Chain. The software’s developer Piriform stated that the malware inserted into its code stole sensitive data from victims’ computers and sent it to the cyberattacker’s computer.

A Growing Threat towards Cloud Computing

As the percentage of computers relying on cloud computing and online data storage grows, so too does the threat of cyberattacks such as Supply Chain. We are already seeing devastating damage being done to cloud servers with this kind of cyberattack. For example, Docker Hub, a cloud-storage service, was hacked in mid-2018 – an attack that lead to over 5 million infections.

Because it is often difficult for antivirus software to detect these attacks, Microsoft suggests that companies need to develop countermeasures to handle post-infection scenarios to protect themselves against Supply Chain cyberattack. An example of this is using network segmentation, which involves keeping critical computers permanently disconnected from the company network, so that it is not in danger even if a virus were to infect the main server.

Do you need help setting up or protecting your servers? Our technicians at GigE can help. Our networking solutions can help your company protect itself from cyberattack. We also provide IT consulting to help you identify weak points in your network. Call us today at +1 888 366 4443!