The cloud has transformed how businesses access and manage IT resources. With flexible, pay-as-you-go models, organizations can quickly scale storage, applications, and infrastructure without the upfront cost of physical hardware.
This shift from capital to operational spending has opened the door for more companies to adopt powerful, enterprise-grade technology.
But with this convenience comes a new set of challenges.
Cloud environments introduce unique cybersecurity risks that many businesses overlook. From data breaches to misconfigurations, relying on cloud providers alone can create gaps in protection—especially if you're not actively managing your cloud security posture.
In this article, we’ll explore the top cloud cybersecurity threats facing businesses today, and what’s at stake when cloud environments aren’t properly secured.
A quick look at cloud evolution
The cloud allows companies to access applications, servers, data storage, dev tools, and other IT resources remotely via the Internet or a private network connection.
The concept first gained traction in 1999, when Salesforce introduced its customer relationship management (CRM) platform as a service delivered entirely online. This innovation helped establish the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model and marked the beginning of a new era in IT.
By 2002, Amazon Web Services (AWS) began offering foundational cloud services such as storage and compute power, setting the stage for broader cloud adoption.
Still, early concerns about reliability and control led many organizations to hesitate. Transitioning from traditional infrastructure raised questions about performance, data ownership, and overall cloud security.
That changed in the 2010s.
Two major trends reshaped the conversation:
- Faster, more reliable connectivity – Broadband improvements and the introduction of 4G LTE made cloud applications nearly as responsive as on-premise systems, even for remote users.
- Mature cloud platforms – Providers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud expanded and refined their services, offering greater flexibility and scalability for businesses of all sizes.
Then came the pandemic in 2020, which accelerated the shift to cloud-based work. Organizations needed to support remote teams quickly and securely. Cloud environments made it possible—offering instant access to data, collaboration tools, and applications without the logistical challenges of scaling on-premise infrastructure.
Today, cloud computing is a cornerstone of modern IT:
- Around 60% of corporate data is stored in the cloud.
- Of the enterprises that use public cloud services like AWS, Google, and Azure, more than 98% use the services of multiple cloud service providers.
- Between 2020 and 2022, smaller businesses increased their cloud computing spending by 38%.
What are the main cloud security threats?
Security has always been a concern in cloud computing, especially when sensitive data and business-critical applications are involved. Trusting third-party platforms to store and manage core business assets may feel inherently risky.
While leading cloud providers invest heavily in cybersecurity, not all risks originate from the vendor. Some threats are rooted in how services are configured, used, or monitored, putting the onus on businesses to maintain strong cloud cybersecurity practices.
Here are some of the most prevalent cloud security threats today:
Misconfigurations
Misconfigured cloud settings remain one of the top causes of cloud cybersecurity incidents. An exposed storage bucket, an overly broad access policy, or a misaligned firewall rule can all open the door to attackers—and often go unnoticed until it’s too late.
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These risks are amplified in the cloud. Security controls differ by vendor, and even small configuration errors can have far-reaching consequences. For many organizations, limited cloud expertise and a global shortage of cybersecurity talent make it difficult to configure environments securely and consistently.
What makes cloud misconfigurations especially dangerous? They expand your external attack surface. Unlike internal systems, where errors may stay contained, cloud-based vulnerabilities are internet-facing—meaning exposure is immediate, widespread, and exploitable at scale.
Here are some real-world examples of cloud misconfigurations leading to severe and costly data loss incidents:
- A misconfigured web application firewall in AWS resulted in a breach impacting the American financial institution, Capital One. The result? $100 million in damages for the company and Canadian credit card applicants had their personal information stolen.
- In 2020, Broadvoice, a VoIP provider, left a cluster of databases stored in the cloud without any password protection. This led to the exposure of 350+ million records, including voicemail transcripts that contained confidential financial details, medical conditions, and more.
Account hijacking
Account hijacking occurs when cybercriminals gain unauthorized access to a user’s account—often to steal sensitive data, deploy malware, or pivot into other parts of a network.
Cloud environments are especially attractive targets. Why? Because they host a high volume of user accounts, each one potentially tied to critical data and applications. As organizations adopt more cloud services, the attack surface grows—offering more opportunities for compromise.
Weak password hygiene and reused credentials amplify the risk. And as social engineering methods evolve, threat actors are increasingly successful at tricking users into revealing login details through phishing emails, fake login pages, or phone-based impersonation.
The challenge doesn’t stop at prevention. Visibility is a major blind spot in many cloud environments. Unlike internal networks—where security teams typically have tighter control over user access and activity—cloud platforms often limit visibility, making it harder to spot unauthorized logins and respond in real time.
Here are a couple recent examples of cloud-based account hijacking:
- In December 2022, hackers accessed private source code belonging to identity and access management company Okta by breaking into accounts associated with Okta’s cloud-based Github repository.
- In May 2024, cloud data platform Snowflake experienced a breach where threat actors accessed customer accounts lacking MFA protection. Using credentials obtained through infostealing malware, attackers infiltrated accounts of major organizations, leading to the theft of data from approximately 560 million users.
Unsecured APIs
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are the connective tissue of cloud platforms—enabling users, systems, and services to communicate, manage resources, and extend functionality. They’re essential for scalability and automation, but they also introduce significant security risk.
Cloud vendors typically provide detailed API documentation to support developers, but what helps users can also help attackers. Publicly available docs give adversaries a roadmap to potential vulnerabilities.
And when security best practices aren’t followed, like enforcing strong authentication, encrypting traffic, or managing access, APIs become low-hanging fruit for exploitation.
Here's one recent example of an unsecured API leading to a major leak:
- In May 2024, Dell disclosed that a threat actor named “Menelik” scraped 49 million customer records by abusing an unsecured partner portal API. The exposed data included customer names, order numbers, service tags, and warranty details.
Cloud vendors and security
Every cloud provider has its own security framework—different tools, controls, and configuration standards. While these measures are designed to protect the infrastructure they manage, they also create complexity for users.
That complexity multiplies in a multi-cloud environment. As organizations combine services from providers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud to meet different needs, security postures can quickly become inconsistent. What works in one environment might not apply (or even exist!) in another.
It’s a common misconception that using a reputable cloud vendor guarantees security. But cloud security is a shared responsibility. Providers protect the infrastructure; you’re responsible for how services are configured, how data is accessed, and how users behave.
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