Cloud Risks Are Soaring: How to Stay Ahead in Data Security

After more than a decade of widespread cloud adoption, organizations now store and process staggering amounts of sensitive data across multiple cloud environments. 

While cloud platforms undeniably offer significant operational advantages, they also introduce substantial security risks when improperly configured.

At the same time, rising regulatory pressures and increasing cyber attacks require organizations to adopt stronger data-centric security strategies. 

Protecting data stored in the cloud is now a critical priority, especially as traditional security methods struggle to keep pace with evolving threats.

Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) has emerged as a critical security framework addressing the shortcomings of traditional approaches. DSPM platforms and supporting processes provide increased visibility and control, enabling robust security and compliance management.

This post examines key cloud security challenges and details how DSPM directly addresses these issues. 

 

Why Traditional Approaches Fall Short: Common Cloud Security Challenges

Traditional cloud security approaches often rely on legacy on-premises methodologies, which are insufficient for comprehensive cloud data protection.

Here’s why:

Lack of Visibility into Data Assets

Organizations frequently struggle with limited visibility into their cloud data. Unlike on-premises environments with clearly defined storage locations, cloud environments often distribute data across multiple providers and regions, complicating IT teams’ efforts to effectively track sensitive data, identify risks, and enforce security policies. 

Enterprises storing extensive datasets in cloud services often remain unaware of their full data exposure until an incident occurs. Security teams cannot consistently enforce data protection policies without continuous data discovery and classification.

Data Misconfigurations and Overexposure

Misconfigurations represent a leading cause of cloud data breaches. Overly broad permissions and improperly configured security settings can unintentionally expose sensitive data. 

Many organizations incorrectly assume cloud providers fully manage data security, overlooking their own shared responsibility.

Rapid deployments often lead to security compromises, as teams prioritize speed over security. Misconfigured controls can grant excessive access levels, increasing the risk of insider threats or compromised credentials. 

Without automated controls in place, IT teams respond reactively, addressing breaches after the damage is done rather than proactively preventing them.

Shadow Data and Unmanaged Assets

Cloud agility frequently leads to shadow data — assets created or stored outside IT’s visibility and data protection controls. Employees may inadvertently place sensitive data in unmanaged databases, backups, or SaaS applications, significantly increasing exposure risk.

Unmanaged storage and forgotten backups become prime targets for cybercriminals looking to exploit unprotected data sources. Organizations remain vulnerable to data leaks and compliance violations without comprehensive inventories and proactive management. Without proactive oversight, organizations are at greater risk from shadow data than they realize.

Ineffective Access Control and Privilege Management

Excessive permissions and weak access controls substantially elevate breach risks. Attackers commonly exploit overprivileged accounts, escalating privileges, and extracting sensitive data.

Traditional Identity and Access Management (IAM) tools rarely offer sufficiently granular controls, resulting in unchecked permissions for employees, contractors, and vendors. 

Automated monitoring and continuous reviews of access privileges are critical for maintaining effective security postures.

Compliance and Regulatory Risks

Regulations such as GDPR, CPRA, and HIPAA continuously evolve, mandating stringent documented data protections. Cloud data security lapses can lead to hefty fines, legal liabilities, and lasting reputational damage.

Traditional periodic audits fall short in dynamic cloud environments, making continuous compliance models driven by automated monitoring essential. 

Without DSPM, organizations struggle to maintain compliance, accurately classify data, and meet regulatory standards, risking significant fines, legal liabilities, and reputational damage. 

 

How DSPM Resolves Cloud Security Challenges

 Unchecked cloud security challenges can result in severe financial losses and long-term reputational harm. DSPM offers proactive solutions that directly address these issues. 

Continuous Data Discovery and Classification

DSPM platforms leverage automated scanning and AI-driven classification to continuously identify and categorize sensitive data continuously — regardless of where it lives. 

This eliminates manual audits and reduces blind spots by proactively identifying and protecting personally identifiable information (PII), financial records, and other sensitive data. 

Continuous Risk Monitoring and Policy Enforcement

Traditional methods largely rely on reactive incident responses, but DSPM solutions shift security strategies from reactive to proactive, providing ongoing risk assessments and real-time monitoring. Continuous scanning ensures early identification and remediation of vulnerabilities, preventing breaches before they occur.

Data Access Governance and Least Privilege Enforcement

Effective DSPM solutions actively enforce least privilege principles, ensuring users only have necessary permissions. Continuous monitoring identifies and rectifies excessive privileges, significantly reducing risk exposure.

A platform that enables audit trails and access logging can also greatly enhance effective data governance.

 

Real-World Examples of DSPM Impact

Recent high-profile  breaches illustrate DSPM’s potential impact: 

Uber’s 2022 Data Breach

In 2022, Uber suffered what could have been a devastating data breach if the cyber attacker had different motivations. A malicious user bought credentials on the darknet, socially engineered MFA access, and gained access to a large volume of sensitive data.

How could a DSPM solution help? The Uber account was over-privileged, which a DSPM platform would have identified. Additionally, data was stored in multiple accessible locations with the credentials. The DSPM tool would have also identified the data exfiltration rather than allowing it to occur under the radar.

Microsoft’s 2023 Azure Data Leak

File-sharing links were the culprits in Microsoft’s 2023 data leak. Data stored in an Azure bucket was misconfigured and shared with the public. The link allowed public access and even write permissions, which could have enabled an even more devastating attack. 

A robust DSPM solution could have promptly identified and corrected this misconfiguration, preventing unauthorized exposure. 

This incident highlights how even the best resourced security teams can overlook relatively simple issues that enable cyber attacks. 

 

Unlock DSPM in Any Environment with 1touch.io

Today’s cloud security challenges demand solutions beyond traditional, outdated methodologies that have rendered many traditional approaches obsolete or ineffective. 

1touch.io’s enterprise DSPM platform provides continuous, automated data discovery and classification across your entire environment.  By actively identifying shadow data, enforcing robust access controls, and maintaining compliance, 1touch.io strengthens your security posture.

Take proactive steps to secure your cloud data effectively. Book a demo today to see how 1touch.io  can protect your organization from emerging threats.