How Secure is your Cloud?

HOW SECURE IS YOUR CLOUD? Cloud usage has seen meteoric growth since its introduction, with 54% of US firms currently using it. But how safe is it? And how can we best protect users from perceived threats? To find out, we conducted a survey of 200 IT managers who have employed cloud security in their own workplace. COMMON SECURITY SYSTEMS AND HOW THEY WORK VPN blocking Approved devices DNS security Virtual Private Networks (VPNS) allow secure and private access across different platforms. Domain Name System (DNS) security is used to protect individual domains. These are platforms or computers that have been connected with the proper security configurations to a corporate cloud. TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BUSINESS'S SECURITY When asked if their business used or was considering purchasing a 'security as a service' subscription: 12% said they didn't know - suggesting some IT managers are not well equipped enough to manage threats to security effectively 26% said yes 19.5% said they were considering outsourcing their cloud security- indicating security is quite specialised 42.5% said no The survey highlights the limitations of IT managers' understanding of their own security setup. BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE (BYOD) How well do IT managers understand their BYOD policy and cloud or network device management? 14.5% said their businesses completely blocked access to these devices 46% 10.5% said theirs was completely unblocked said they had limited access to VPN compatible devices and platforms D And what were their top 3 security priorities? 0% 20% 40% VPN client 37.5% support Full-disk or file-level encryption 36.5% Password protection on boot or post lock 33% Other key priorities were: Configuring devices from approved Wi-Fi networks limit access 24% Anti-malware 17.5% Remote management support to 15.5% lock or wipe devices WEBSITE AND WEB PORTAL THREATS How well did IT managers understand these threats? Were thinking of using some form of DNS security Of IT managers said their businesses use DNS security effectively 47% 31% Said they weren't Said they used it ineffectively 20% 17% Said they didn't feel they needed it 10% 11.5% Not using it at all When asked if their business used a non-recursive DNS to limit the risk of inclusion in a denial of service attack: v 31% said yes X 37% said no However, an alarming: 12% didn't understand 20% didn't know the question Which Type of Firewall is the Most Popular? 15% Used network layer firewall 24% O Used just software 11% Used a proxy firewall 18% Used just hardware Used application layer firewall 4% 9% Used none of the above 13% Used both hardware and software 5% Used a Unified Threat Management Didn't know IS THERE A PROBLEM? How well did IT managers understand these threats? 52% of the IT managers 60% of men believed in Compared to 44% of women surveyed believed threats exist. the credibility of a threat. The older the age group, the more convinced they were of threats: 87% 71% 61% 38% 34% Aged 55+ 45-54 35-44 25-34 18-24 year-olds year-olds year-olds year-olds What threats do IT managers foresee for cloud computing? DATA LOSS TROJAN ATTACKS FROM OTHER COMPANIES' COMPUTERS MICROSOFT VIRUSES BUGS FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN LACK OF CONTROL HACKERS AN ADDITIONAL LAYER OF VULNERABILITIES TERRORIST THREATS DENIAL OF SERVICES TO USERS CYBER-ATTACKS DATA BREACH Cloud security is only going to become more important. Make sure you look into these threats so your business is protected. Sources Connected and Cloud Security Survey (2014) - ITManagers.com More than Half US Businesses Using Cloud Services- centerbeam.com Get Started With a VPN: For Beginners, Power Users, and IT Pros - pcworld.com What is a DNS Server? - compnetworking.about.com OnePoll - 200 UK Based IT Managers Survey-ITManagers.com