In a rapidly evolving and increasingly intelligent threat landscape, the cybersecurity industry grapples with a staggering gap between overworked security teams and the protection modern enterprises require, leaving space for cyber attacks to creep in through the cracks. Threat actors are tapping into more complex methods powered by emerging technologies, like AI, and humans alone are no match for the battle. For companies to meet the moment and address these threats more proactively, it is crucial that both security teams and aspiring professionals stay ahead of the curve by leaning into AI as a valuable ally to bolster human capabilities and allow teams to focus on more complex tasks.

Employees are Burnt Out and Threats Don’t Rest

According to recent research, the cybersecurity sector is faced with approximately 4.8 million job vacancies globally, with a talent gap of nearly 550,000 in the U.S. alone. Amidst an increasingly persistent threat landscape, the depletion of cyber talent opens companies up for increased risk of vulnerability and break-ins. There was a 72% increase in the number of global data compromises between 2022 and 2023, and a 10% increase in data breach costs in 2024. 

With an ever-present AI attack force, numbers are anticipated to soar. Threat actors are on the cusp of employing AI to intelligently locate and analyze targets, personalize tactics based on perceived vulnerabilities, and amplify the persistence of their attempts. Security teams continue handling an ever-increasing number of issues due to a growing attack surface, as their organizations deploy various pure and hybrid cloud business applications. As a result, these teams are seeing the detrimental effects of inefficient processes, alert fatigue, and ultimately employee burnout. 

AI Enhancing Human Capital Through Automation and Streamlined Remediation

Adversaries are already utilizing emerging technologies to increase their firepower, and human labor alone simply cannot keep up, especially amidst this talent shortage. Furthermore, in order to combat the high volume of incoming threats, security teams must fight fire with fire. In fact, the number of organizations using security AI and automation extensively increased by nearly 11% from 2023 to 2024. By automating workflows and streamlining detection and response processes through the adoption of AI, security teams and organizations can maximize human potential. 

Hyperautomation is enabling the autonomous SOC, which streamlines security operations, improves efficiency, and accelerates incident response. Together, they automate routine tasks, intelligently prioritize, investigate, and remediate alerts around-the-clock, and enrich case data with contextual information and threat intelligence. By recognizing and responding to high-volume, low-complexity tasks, such as phishing and repetitive security incidents, AI allows security teams to pivot their energy from mundane monitoring toward more complex defensive endeavors.

Organizational AI adoption has increased from 20% in 2017 to 72% in 2024, and these numbers are predicted to rise. Myriad Fortune 500 companies have successfully taken the leap into AI automation, cutting down time spent on manual and repetitive security tasks from hours to minutes. Within one month of adopting AI workflows, the world’s leading online car reseller was able to automate 41 different runbooks. Hyperautomation and the autonomous SOC cannot replace human value, but they can redirect and amplify it to maximize efficiency. 

Breaking the Barrier

A paradox many aspiring professionals are faced with is that despite the talent shortage, entry-level cybersecurity roles have become difficult to find and even harder to obtain. From a recent study of 15,852 global cybersecurity practitioners, nearly one third of participants reported that their security teams had no entry-level professionals. How can we foster the next generation of cybersecurity professionals and bridge the talent gap if we do not invest in their growth? Likewise, how can aspiring professionals better prepare themselves for this AI-driven threat landscape and distinguish themselves as viable assets as they enter the job market amidst this AI-dominated world? 

1.Upskilling Young Professionals

Approximately 90% of organizations are faced with security team skills gaps, and over one third attribute this gap to a lack of AI expertise. In order to keep up with the demands of AI threats, companies need to invest in not only incoming professionals, but the entirety of their workforce. It is critical that companies build AI training modules for current and future employees to better prepare them for the modern threat landscape. Using AI to teach AI, companies can train large language models to coach new employees based on an analysis of what high-performing employees do. This is already being adopted within the sales sector, where AI agents can listen to a young salesperson, automatically generate analysis, and coach them in real time. Adopting this AI-mentorship approach would bring employees up to speed without expending human resources for training, and ultimately strengthen security team effectiveness.

2.What Aspiring Professionals Need to Know

At the same time, incoming cybersecurity professionals should increase their chance of success and likelihood of being hired by taking the time to develop certain skills before approaching the job market.

• AI literacy: Aspiring professionals need to understand how AI functions, as well as its potential impacts and limitations within the cybersecurity industry.
• Responsible AI use: AI is a double edged sword, as it presents as many risks as it does opportunities. It is crucial to understand both how and when to use AI as an ally.
• Continuous learning: The cybersecurity landscape is rapidly transforming, thus it is important to stay ahead of the curve by constantly self-educating on new innovations as well as threats.

A New Defense Landscape

By integrating hyperautomation and the autonomous SOC to drive speed and more effective resource allocation, as well as introducing intelligent AI training programs, companies can eliminate employee burnout, optimize their defense systems, and narrow the talent gap. With threats becoming increasingly innovative as the cybersecurity industry hurries to catch up, it is imperative for security teams to reinforce their repertoire and transform their potential with the adoption of AI.

 

The post Harnessing AI to Strengthen Cyber Teams Amidst Talent Shortage first appeared on Cybersecurity Insiders.

The post Harnessing AI to Strengthen Cyber Teams Amidst Talent Shortage appeared first on Cybersecurity Insiders.

from Cybersecurity Insiders https://ift.tt/oXU3VRw
via IFTTT

The year 2025 is critical for cybersecurity as cyber threats are advancing unprecedentedly. AI-driven attacks, deepfake scams, and state-of-the-art ransomware schemes have become more prevalent. Businesses and individuals must remain vigilant against these emerging dangers. Implementing various security measures, adopting smarter defense strategies, and taking a proactive stance on digital protection are now more essential than ever.

This article explores the biggest cybersecurity threats expected in 2025 and the most effective ways to protect yourself and your business.

The Biggest Cybersecurity Threats in 2025

1. AI-Powered Cyberattacks

AI is not limited to defense alone; cybercriminals have turned artificial intelligence into a powerful weapon. Unethical hackers leverage AI to automate attacks, evade security systems, and identify vulnerabilities instantly.

With AI’s ability to design and send highly realistic phishing emails, break passwords at unprecedented speeds, and execute large-scale cyberattacks with minimal effort, the threat landscape is rapidly growing. This shift demands stronger security measures and proactive defenses to stay ahead of AI-driven cyber threats.

How to Protect Yourself:

• Use AI-powered threat detection tools to monitor network behavior and flag suspicious activities.
• Implement multi-layered authentication to prevent unauthorized access.
• Regularly update security protocols to counteract evolving AI threats.

2. Deepfake Scams & Identity Fraud

Deepfake technology is advancing significantly, blurring the line between what’s real and what’s digitally fabricated. Cybercriminals use AI-generated videos and audio clips to impersonate executives, alter financial transactions, and distribute false information on a large scale.

In 2025, the growing trend of deepfake scams will present a serious threat to businesses and individuals, making verifying digital content and implementing effective security measures more critical than ever.

How to Protect Yourself:

• Use AI-based deepfake detection software to verify video and voice authenticity.
• Educate employees on the risks of social engineering attacks.
• Implement strict identity verification processes for financial transactions.

3. Ransomware 2.0: More Destructive Than Ever

Ransomware threats have become more refined, extending beyond simple data encryption. Ransomware 2.0, the latest variant, locks critical files and blackmails victims by threatening to expose sensitive information unless payment is made.

Due to the value of their data, industries such as healthcare, finance, and government face heightened risks, making them primary targets for these increasingly aggressive cyberattacks.

How to Protect Yourself:

• Maintain frequent, encrypted backups stored offline.
• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to identify early-stage ransomware infections.
• Train employees to recognize and avoid phishing emails, the most common entry point for ransomware.

4. Supply Chain Attacks on the Rise

As businesses depend more on third-party vendors, cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities in supplier systems to breach larger networks. These supply chain attacks take advantage of weak security measures within vendors, allowing hackers to gain unauthorized access and spread their impact across multiple organizations and industries.

How to Protect Yourself:

• Conduct regular security audits on third-party vendors.
• Implement a zero-trust security model that verifies every access request.
• Use network segmentation to limit the spread of a potential breach.

5. Internet of Things (IoT) Vulnerabilities

IoT security has become a growing challenge with the rapid expansion of connected devices. Many smart home gadgets, wearables, and industrial IoT systems have weak or inadequate security protections, leaving them vulnerable to cyber threats.

The risk of attacks targeting IoT infrastructure is expected to rise, with cybercriminals exploiting these weaknesses for large-scale botnet-driven DDoS attacks and unauthorized device takeovers.

How to Protect Yourself:

• Change default passwords and enable firmware updates on all IoT devices.
• Segment IoT devices from core networks to limit access.
• Use network monitoring tools to detect unauthorized IoT activity.

How to Strengthen Your Cybersecurity in 2025?

1. Adopt a Zero-Trust Security Model

Zero-trust security is a model that assumes no user or device should be trusted by default. It requires continuous verification of users, devices, and network activities before granting access. This approach is gaining prominence in cybersecurity, particularly in 2025, as it provides a more robust defense against evolving cyber threats.

• Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) across all accounts.
• Use identity and access management (IAM) tools to limit privileges.
• Encrypt sensitive data both in transit and at rest.

2. Leverage AI for Threat Detection

AI-driven cybersecurity tools help identify and neutralize threats faster than traditional methods.

• Use AI-based security software that analyzes patterns and detects anomalies.
• Automate incident response to reduce reaction time to attacks.
• Invest in AI-powered firewalls and intrusion detection systems.

3. Educate and Train Employees

Human error is still one of the leading causes of cyber breaches. A well-trained workforce can significantly reduce security risks.

• Conduct regular cybersecurity awareness training for employees.
• Simulate phishing attacks to test and improve response strategies.
• Establish clear security policies and enforce compliance.

4. Strengthen Data Privacy Measures

With strict data protection regulations (like GDPR and CCPA), businesses must take data privacy seriously.

• Regularly update privacy policies and ensure compliance.
• Limit data collection to only what is necessary.
• Use end-to-end encryption for communications and sensitive data storage.

5. Secure Cloud Environments

As businesses increasingly rely on cloud storage, securing cloud environments is crucial.

• Choose reputable cloud providers with strong security measures.
• Enable role-based access control (RBAC) to prevent unauthorized access.
• Monitor cloud activity with cloud security posture management (CSPM) tools.

Conclusion

Cybersecurity in 2025 is more than just an IT concern—it’s a business necessity. With cyber threats becoming more sophisticated, individuals and organizations must proactively approach security. By adopting zero-trust models, leveraging AI for threat detection, and educating employees, you can stay ahead of cybercriminals and safeguard your digital assets.

 

The post Cybersecurity in 2025: The Biggest Threats and How to Protect Yourself first appeared on Cybersecurity Insiders.

The post Cybersecurity in 2025: The Biggest Threats and How to Protect Yourself appeared first on Cybersecurity Insiders.

from Cybersecurity Insiders https://ift.tt/9ixGURu
via IFTTT

In today’s increasingly digital world, ransomware attacks have become one of the most pervasive threats to businesses and individuals alike. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that locks a victim’s files or entire system, demanding a ransom to restore access. With the rising frequency and sophistication of these attacks, it is crucial to adopt effective defensive strategies. Among the most vital components in ransomware defenses are backup and encryption, two practices that can significantly mitigate the damage caused by such cyber threats.

Why Backup is Essential in Ransomware Defense

One of the primary goals of a ransomware attack is to encrypt a victim’s data, rendering it inaccessible until the ransom is paid. However, relying solely on paying the ransom to regain access to critical files is both risky and unreliable. There’s no guarantee that cybercriminals will restore access after receiving the payment, and doing so only encourages further criminal activity.

Regular data backups can be a game-changer in such scenarios. By maintaining frequent backups of important files, applications, and system settings, organizations can restore their data to a previous, uninfected state without having to pay the ransom. This makes backup one of the most powerful tools in ransomware defense. Here’s how it helps:

 Quick Recovery: In the event of a ransomware attack, having an up-to-date backup enables rapid recovery of lost or encrypted data, minimizing downtime and reducing the operational impact.

Data Integrity: Backups provide a secure copy of data, ensuring that critical files are protected and can be restored without corruption or modification caused by ransomware.

Prevents Data Loss: Ransomware attacks often target organizations’ most vital data. Backing up this data regularly ensures that, even in the worst-case scenario, the organization can restore all files without any permanent loss.

Cost Savings: By avoiding the need to pay a ransom, businesses save significant amounts of money that would otherwise be spent on paying cybercriminals or hiring expensive recovery services.

Best Practices for Effective Backups:

3-2-1 Backup Strategy: Keep three copies of your data (one primary copy and two backups), store the backups on two different types of media (external hard drives, cloud storage, etc.), and keep one copy offsite or in the cloud for added protection against local disasters.

Automate Backups: Use automated backup systems that regularly update your files. This reduces the risk of human error and ensures that the latest data is always backed up.

Test Backups Regularly: Ensure that your backups are functional and can be restored effectively by conducting regular tests.

The Role of Encryption in Ransomware Protection

Encryption plays a pivotal role in preventing ransomware from compromising sensitive data. When data is encrypted, it is transformed into an unreadable format that can only be deciphered with the correct decryption key. Ransomware typically encrypts files and demands payment in exchange for the decryption key. By adopting encryption practices, you can take steps to make data inaccessible to attackers, even if they manage to breach your systems.

Here’s why encryption is critical in ransomware defense:

Data Protection: Encrypted files are of no value to cybercriminals because they cannot be read or altered without the decryption key. Even if attackers gain access to your system, the encrypted data remains secure.

Preventing Unauthorized Access: With robust encryption protocols in place, unauthorized users or cybercriminals are unable to view sensitive files or steal valuable intellectual property.

Strengthening Backup Security: Encrypting your backups ensures that even if ransomware infiltrates your backup storage, the attacker won’t be able to access or manipulate the files without the decryption key.

 Securing Data in Transit: Ransomware often spreads through phishing emails or compromised networks. By encrypting sensitive data both in transit (when being sent over networks) and at rest (when stored), you add an extra layer of protection that can help safeguard your information.

Best Practices for Effective Encryption:

Encrypt Sensitive Data: Encrypt all sensitive files, including customer data, financial information, and proprietary business documents.

Use Strong Encryption Standards: Employ advanced encryption algorithms (e.g., AES-256) to ensure the highest level of data security.

Encrypt Backups: Ensure that all backup copies are encrypted, making it difficult for cybercriminals to access and hold data hostage.

Manage Keys Securely: Protect encryption keys and decryption credentials using key management systems to prevent unauthorized access.

How Backup and Encryption Work Together to Mitigate Ransomware Risks

While backup and encryption are powerful defenses individually, when used together, they create a formidable barrier against ransomware attacks.

Backup and Encryption Work in Tandem: When you encrypt your backups, you ensure that even if ransomware targets your backup systems, the attacker will not be able to read or modify the files. The encrypted backups can be restored safely without fear of reintroducing malware into your environment.

Layered Defense: By combining backup and encryption, you’re creating a multi-layered defense strategy that doesn’t rely on a single point of failure. If one layer is compromised, the other still offers a strong line of defense.

Ensuring Complete Data Protection: While backups provide a means of recovery, encryption ensures that your data is not exposed to unauthorized access during the backup process, further strengthening your organization’s data security.

Conclusion: Proactive Measures Against Ransomware Attacks

As ransomware continues to evolve and grow more sophisticated, relying on backup and encryption is no longer optional—it’s a necessity. Backups provide the means to recover from an attack quickly, while encryption ensures that your data remains safe and inaccessible to hackers, even if they breach your network. Together, these two strategies offer a robust defense mechanism that can help organizations minimize the risks and impact of ransomware attacks.

To ensure your defenses are as strong as possible, adopting a proactive cybersecurity strategy that includes regular backups, strong encryption protocols, and employee training on safe digital practices is essential. By doing so, you can significantly reduce your vulnerability to ransomware and protect your most valuable assets—your data.

The post The Critical Role of Backup and Encryption in Ransomware Defenses first appeared on Cybersecurity Insiders.

The post The Critical Role of Backup and Encryption in Ransomware Defenses appeared first on Cybersecurity Insiders.

from Cybersecurity Insiders https://ift.tt/TxJIElZ
via IFTTT

Just a few days ago, Oracle made headlines after becoming the victim of a cyberattack that led to the leak of over 6 million records, affecting both its customers and employees. Initially, the incident appeared to be a ransomware attack. However, Oracle quickly denied any breach or server encryption at that time, leading to some confusion.

Recent reports have revealed that the actual data leak occurred on legacy servers belonging to Oracle Health, formerly known as Cerner. The leaked data now circulating online is reportedly linked to this breach. Cerner, which specialized in providing healthcare software services, including Electronic Health Records (EHR) and other technology solutions, was acquired by Oracle in 2022. Following the acquisition, Cerner was rebranded as Oracle Health. The leaked data appears to involve both customers and employees from Cerner, stored on Oracle Cloud’s archival servers, though confirmation is still pending.

Cerner, prior to its acquisition, was a well-established player in the healthcare sector, working with hospitals and healthcare providers throughout the United States. The breach, now confirmed by Oracle, seems to have occurred when a threat actor compromised the company’s servers earlier this year, possibly in January. It is believed that the attacker may have copied sensitive information, including patient data from electronic health records, to a remote server.

The exposure of patient and employee data can be extremely damaging to any organization, especially one in the healthcare industry. Such sensitive information can be exploited in numerous ways, including social engineering attacks, phishing schemes, identity theft, malware distribution, and ransom demands. Moreover, the reputational damage to Oracle Health and its affiliates could be long-lasting, eroding trust among customers and patients. The implications of this data breach highlight the growing risks and challenges organizations face in securing sensitive information in an increasingly digital world.

The post Oracle Health data breach related to hospitals first appeared on Cybersecurity Insiders.

The post Oracle Health data breach related to hospitals appeared first on Cybersecurity Insiders.

from Cybersecurity Insiders https://ift.tt/DL9PgNK
via IFTTT

Palo Alto, USA, March 28th, 2025, CyberNewsWire

From WannaCry to the MGM Resorts Hack, ransomware remains one of the most damaging cyberthreats to plague enterprises. Chainalysis estimates that corporations spend nearly $1 billion dollars on ransom each year, but the greater cost often comes from the reputational damage and operational disruption caused by the attack.

Ransomware attacks typically involve tricking victims into downloading and installing the ransomware, which copies, encrypts, and/or deletes critical data on the device, only to be restored upon the ransom payment. Traditionally, the primary target of ransomware has been the victim’s device. However, thanks to the proliferation of the cloud and SaaS services, the device no longer holds the keys to the kingdom. Instead, the browser has become the primary way through which employees conduct work and interact with the internet. In other words, the browser is becoming the new endpoint.

SquareX has been disclosing major browser vulnerabilities like Polymorphic Extensions and Browser Syncjacking, and is now issuing a strong warning on the emergence of browser-native ransomware. 

SquareX’s founder, Vivek Ramachandran cautions, “With the recent surge in browser-based identity attacks like the one we saw with the Chrome Store OAuth attack, we are beginning to see evidence of the ‘ingredients’ of browser-native ransomwares being used by adversaries. It is only a matter of time before one smart attacker figures out how to put all the pieces together. While EDRs and Anti-Viruses have played an unquestionably vital role in defending against traditional ransomware, the future of ransomware will no longer involve file downloads, making a browser-native solution a necessity to combat browser-native ransomwares.”

Unlike traditional ransomware, browser-native ransomware requires no file download, rendering them completely undetectable by endpoint security solutions. Rather, this attack targets the victim’s digital identity, taking advantage of the widespread shift toward cloud-based enterprise storage and the fact that browser-based authentication is the primary gateway to accessing these resources. In the case studies demonstrated by SquareX, these attacks leverage AI agents to automate the majority of the attack sequence, requiring minimal social engineering and interference from the attacker.

One potential scenario involves social engineering a user into granting a fake productivity tool access to their email, through which it can identify all the SaaS applications the victim is registered with. It can then systematically reset the password of these apps with AI agents, logging the users out on their own and holding enterprise data stored on these applications hostage. 

Similarly, the attacker can also target file-sharing services like Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive, using the victim’s identity to copy out and delete all files stored under their account. Critically, attackers can also gain access to all shared drives, including those shared by colleagues, customers and other third parties. This significantly expands the attack surface of browser-native ransomware – where the impact of most traditional ransomware is confined to a single device, all it takes is one employee’s mistake for attackers to gain full access to enterprise-wide resources.

As fewer and fewer files are being downloaded, it is inevitable for attackers to follow where work and valuable data are being created and stored. As browsers become the new endpoint, it is crucial for enterprises to reconsider their browser security strategy – just as EDRs were critical to defend against file-based ransomware, a browser-native solution with a deep understanding of client-side application layer identity attacks will become essential in combating the next generation of ransomware attacks.

To learn more about this security research, users can visit https://sqrx.com/browser-native-ransomware

About SquareX

SquareX’s industry-first Browser Detection and Response (BDR) solution helps organizations detect, mitigate, and threat-hunt client-side web attacks happening against their users in real time. In addition to browser ransomware, SquareX also protects against various browser threats including identity attacks, malicious extensions, advanced spearphishing, GenAI DLP, and insider threats.

The browser-native ransomware disclosure is part of the Year of Browser Bugs project. Every month, SquareX’s research team releases a major web attack that focuses on architectural limitations of the browser and incumbent security solutions. Previously disclosed attacks include Browser Syncjacking and Polymorphic Extensions. 

To learn more about SquareX’s BDR, users can contact founder@sqrx.com.

For press inquiries on this disclosure or the Year of Browser Bugs, users can email junice@sqrx.com. 

Contact

Head of PR
Junice Liew
SquareX
junice@sqrx.com

The post SquareX Discloses Browser-Native Ransomware that Puts Millions at Risk first appeared on Cybersecurity Insiders.

The post SquareX Discloses Browser-Native Ransomware that Puts Millions at Risk appeared first on Cybersecurity Insiders.

from Cybersecurity Insiders https://ift.tt/pdl7XwK
via IFTTT

Key Insights and Strategies for Protecting Cloud Environments

Introduction

Cloud adoption is continuing to transform the IT infrastructure and security landscapes by delivering unmatched scalability and flexibility. Multi-cloud strategies further enhance these advantages but introduce unique challenges, prompting organizations to implement innovative solutions to safeguard their critical assets effectively.

The 2025 State of Cloud Security Report, based on insights from 873 cybersecurity professionals, provides an in-depth analysis of the evolving cloud security landscape, highlighting key trends, challenges, and priorities for organizations navigating increasingly complex environments. This report serves as a guide for IT and security professionals seeking to strengthen their hybrid and multi-cloud security posture while continuing innovation.

Key findings from this report include: 

• Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Strategies on the Rise: Over 78% of respondents utilize two or more cloud providers, underscoring the growing importance of multi-cloud approaches to enhance resilience and leverage specialized capabilities. 54% of organizations have adopted hybrid cloud models, integrating on-prem and public cloud environments to optimize flexibility and control. 
• Security and Compliance Top Concerns: Security and compliance issues are the primary barriers to cloud adoption, cited by 61% of organizations striving to meet regulatory requirements and protect sensitive data.
• Skills Gap in Cloud Security Expertise: 76% of organizations report a shortage of expertise in cloud security, highlighting the need for automation, targeted upskilling, and resource optimization. 
• Low Confidence in Real-Time Threat Detection: The survey data highlights that 64% of respondents lack confidence in their organization’s ability to handle real-time threat detection.
• Unified Cloud Security Platforms: The survey shows 97% of respondents prefer unified cloud security platforms with centralized dashboards to simplify policy configuration, ensure consistency, and enhance visibility across an organization’s cloud footprint.
• Rapid Adoption of Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) and Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP): To address misconfigurations and compliance gaps, 67% of  respondents are implementing CSPM and 62% CNAPP solutions to protect cloud environments.

This report underscores the importance of unified cloud security solutions that streamline policy enforcement, automate threat detection, and ensure consistent protection across hybrid and multicloud environments. By leveraging these insights and best practices, organizations can build a resilient cloud security posture that adapts to evolving threats and business demands.

We extend our sincere gratitude to Fortinet, a global leader in cloud security, for their invaluable contribution to this research. Their expertise and insights into securing hybrid and multi-cloud environments have significantly strengthened the findings and recommendations presented in  this report.

We hope this report serves as a valuable resource for IT and cybersecurity professionals striving to secure their organizations in this era of rapid cloud expansion.

Thank you,

Holger Schulze Founder

Cybersecurity Insiders

Shifting Cloud Deployment Strategies

The choice of an organization’s cloud deployment strategy directly impacts its security needs, operational outcomes, and infrastructure requirements, making it a pivotal decision in today’s multi-faceted IT environments.

The survey findings show that hybrid cloud is the predominant strategy, chosen by 54% of respondents, up from 43% last year. This growth reflects a strong shift away from single-cloud toward integrating multiple cloud services with on-premises systems into cohesive environments. For example, a retail company might use a public cloud to host customer-facing applications while retaining sensitive payment data in a private on-premises system to meet compliance requirements like PCI DSS. Such hybrid strategies allow organizations to enjoy the scalability of public clouds while maintaining control over critical data. 

Multi-cloud deployments, which are critical for scenarios where organizations distribute workloads across providers to avoid vendor lock-in or utilize specific capabilities, follow at 28%. For instance, a tech company might host its compute-heavy applications on Amazon Web Services (AWS) while using Google Cloud’s advanced AI services for data analytics, ensuring they optimize performance while mitigating reliance on a single provider.

Single cloud adoption is becoming less common, with just 18% relying on a single provider (down from 22% in 2024), often reflecting simplicity in management at the potential cost of reduced flexibility. This may be the preferred model for smaller businesses, such as a law firm exclusively using Microsoft’s Azure for its document storage and workflow management, prioritizing ease of management over diversification.

Expanding Multi-Cloud Adoption

The increasing number of cloud providers that organizations use reflects the evolving preference for hybrid and multi-cloud strategies, as well as the operational complexity they introduce. 

The survey results reveal that 78% of organizations use two or more cloud providers, up from 71% last year, marking a 7-point increase that underscores the growing shift toward multi-cloud adoption. For example, a multinational company might use AWS for its global content delivery network while relying on Microsoft Azure’s compliance-ready offerings in regions with strict data residency laws. The strategic use of multiple providers enables businesses to leverage specialized capabilities, such as AI services from Google Cloud or Oracle Cloud’s database expertise, while ensuring resilience through redundancy.

Dominance of Major Cloud Providers

Understanding which cloud service providers organizations currently use, or plan to adopt, sheds light on market preferences and reveals how businesses align their cloud strategies with evolving workloads and specialized capabilities.

The findings confirm Microsoft Azure and AWS as dominant players, with 76% and 70% of respondents reporting current usage, respectively. 

Currently used by 52% of respondents, the Google Cloud Platform is gaining interest, as reflected by 25% of respondents planning to adopt it in the future.

Meanwhile, Oracle Cloud and IBM Cloud maintain smaller market shares but see notable future interest, likely driven by their expertise in integrating with enterprise legacy systems. 

Overcoming Barriers to Cloud Adoption

The survey reveals the primary barriers organizations face in adopting cloud services, highlighting the challenges IT and security teams must address to fully realize the potential of cloud environments.

Security and compliance concerns remain the top challenge, cited by 61% of respondents (up from 59% in last year’s survey). This reflects growing interest around issues like data leakage and the complexities of meeting regulatory requirements. For instance, a healthcare organization might delay migrating sensitive patient records to the cloud due to uncertainty around compliance with HIPAA or other regional data protection laws.

Organizational and operational factors follow closely at 54% (moving up to #2 spot from 49% last year), highlighting challenges such as resistance to change, vendor lock-in concerns, and cultural hurdles. A manufacturing company, for example, may face internal pushback when moving legacy systems to the cloud due to fears of losing control over proprietary processes.

Resource constraints, including limited staff expertise and budgetary restrictions, are cited by 51% (up from 49% in 2024), emphasizing the difficulty many organizations face in managing and securing cloud capabilities. Meanwhile, technical challenges, though slightly less prominent this year at 48%, still represent a substantial barrier, particularly when integrating complex hybrid cloud environments.

Public Cloud Security Concerns

Persistent concerns about the security of public clouds reflect the ongoing challenge of balancing the benefits of scalability and agility with the need for robust protection. 

A staggering 92% of survey respondents expressed concern about public cloud security, underscoring its importance as a critical area of focus for IT and cybersecurity professionals.

This apprehension aligns with findings in this survey where 61% identified security and compliance as the top barrier to cloud adoption. For example, a financial services firm considering cloud migration for customer transaction data might hesitate due to fears of regulatory non-compliance or potential exposure of sensitive information through misconfigurations. Such concerns extend to specific risks, including data leakage, shared responsibility confusion, and limited visibility into cloud provider activities, further complicating adoption decisions.

Operational Challenges in Cloud Security

Managing day-to-day cloud security operations reveals the complex and evolving hurdles organizations face in securing their environments. 

Data security and privacy emerges as the top concern, identified by 63% of respondents, reflecting ongoing fears about protecting sensitive information and preventing leaks. Access control and identity management follows at 59%, underscoring the need for robust authentication and privilege management in distributed cloud environments. A hybrid cloud deployment, for instance, may face challenges in synchronizing user access policies across on-premises systems and cloud platforms.

Configuration and misconfiguration management is a close third at 56%, illustrating the operational difficulty of ensuring proper cloud setups — such as monitoring for unintentional public exposure of cloud storage buckets, a scenario that has led to numerous high-profile breaches.

Cloud security management (55%), threat detection and response (54%), and policy and compliance management (47%) collectively highlight the need for consistent and scalable solutions to manage multi-cloud environments.

Securing Multi-Cloud Environments

Securing multi-cloud environments introduces distinct challenges stemming from their inherent complexity, lack of standardization, and rapidly evolving technologies. These issues directly impact organizations’ ability to protect sensitive data, maintain operational efficiency, and manage diverse cloud ecosystems.

Ensuring data protection and privacy for each environment continues to be the leading challenge, cited by 58% of respondents, up from 55% in 2024. This mirrors earlier findings in our survey where data security and privacy were identified as the top operational concern (63%), emphasizing the need for consistent safeguards across fragmented cloud infrastructures. 

Loss of visibility and control, at 55%, underscores the difficulty of maintaining oversight in multi-cloud setups—a concern echoed previously where 55% highlighted cloud security management as a daily challenge. 

The lack of skills to deploy and manage comprehensive multi-cloud solutions is cited by 53%. Challenges such as keeping up with the rate of change (45%) and understanding how different solutions fit together (43%) reflect the operational and strategic hurdles of navigating the rapid evolution of cloud technologies.

Low Confidence in Real-Time Threat Detection

The ability to detect and respond to threats across cloud environments in real time is critical as organizations adopt increasingly complex multi-cloud and hybrid strategies. These architectures introduce unique challenges in achieving seamless visibility and rapid responsiveness across disparate platforms.

The survey data highlights a significant confidence gap, with 64% of respondents indicating they lack confidence in their organization’s ability to handle real-time threat detection. For example, an organization may lack the ability to link together a series of isolated malicious actions, leading to significant delays in identifying and responding to a potential breach. This trend suggests that while many organizations have foundational security measures in place, the growing sophistication of cloud threats and the challenges of managing diverse environments leave them vulnerable to advanced attacks and misconfigurations. Survey findings discussed earlier align with this, showing that loss of visibility and control (55%) and challenges in threat detection and response (54%) are top barriers in cloud security operations.

Only 10% of respondents report being extremely confident and another 26% feel very confident, leaving fewer than 40% well-prepared for the demands of modern cloud threat management. 

Cloud Security Priorities

As organizations expand their cloud footprints, deploying the right mix of security capabilities is essential to ensure resilience, compliance, and operational efficiency in the face of growing threats.

When asked about the adoption priorities for critical cloud security tools over the next 12 months, Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) leads with 67%, underscoring its critical role in identifying and remediating misconfigurations across cloud environments. For example, a CSPM tool might alert a retailer of publicly exposed storage buckets in AWS, preventing a costly data breach. 

Similarly, Cloud Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP), at 62%, showcase growing recognition of the need for end-to-end application lifecycle security. A CNAPP might proactively flag vulnerabilities in containerized workloads running in Kubernetes, identify malicious runtime activity, and detect a chain of events that indicate compromise. Close behind, Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP), at 60%, and Cloud Detection and Response (CDR), at 59%, highlight the increasing focus on workload security and threat mitigation, especially in multi-cloud setups. The adoption of Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM), at 50%, further demonstrates the demand for robust access and privilege controls across diverse cloud platforms and the drive towards implementing least privilege or eliminating unused credentials.

Addressing the Cybersecurity Skills Gap

The industry-wide shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals continues to be a critical issue that directly impacts an organization’s ability to protect its assets and respond effectively to evolving threats. 

The findings reveal that 95% of respondents are moderately to extremely concerned about the ongoing cybersecurity skills shortage, highlighting the significant strain it places on organizations as they struggle to recruit and retain the talent needed to address increasingly complex cybersecurity challenges. For instance, a healthcare provider struggling to implement multi-cloud security controls might face delays due to the lack of specialized talent in cloud-specific skills like configuration management or CIEM. 

This concern is validated by survey data showing that 76% of organizations are experiencing a cybersecurity talent shortage today.

Key Security Skills for Today’s Threats

The survey findings on the most important security skills highlight the diverse and evolving expertise organizations require to tackle increasingly complex cloud security challenges. 

Cloud and application security skills lead the list at 65%, reflecting the priority organizations place on securing cloud platforms and applications. For example, expertise in cloud platform-specific security might involve creating automated guardrails and scalable, secure landing zones, all available as code for automated deployment.

Identity and access management follows closely at 61%, emphasizing the need for robust access controls, particularly in hybrid and multi-cloud environments where unified user privilege management is essential. Technical and advanced security skills (58%) and threat intelligence and analysis (57%) reflect the rising demand for specialists capable of leveraging AI and understanding sophisticated adversary tactics, in order to quickly identify and mitigate malicious activity, particularly for compromised cloud admin accounts. Skills in incident response and forensics (55%) remain essential for mitigating breaches, while security monitoring and operations (52%) showcase the need for expertise in detecting anomalies and accelerating mitigation.

Investment Trends in Cloud Security

The survey results reveal fresh insights into how organizations are prioritizing their financial resources to address cloud security challenges. A majority of 63% of respondents report plans to increase their cloud security budgets in the next 12 months (up from 61% last year), signaling a strong recognition of the need to bolster defenses in hybrid and multi-cloud setups. 

Meanwhile, 31% indicate unchanged budgets (down from 32% in 2024), likely reflecting organizations that have already invested heavily or are managing consistent operational needs. Only 6% expect a decrease, a rare trend in an era of escalating cloud threats and regulatory requirements. 

On average, 35% of IT security budgets are allocated to security budgets, demonstrating that cloud protection is becoming a focal point of overall security spending, particularly as cloud adoption accelerates.

This growing emphasis on cloud security investment reflects a proactive approach to addressing gaps in visibility, access control, and threat detection—challenges cited throughout this report. Organizations planning budget increases should focus on solutions that efficiently integrate key capabilities, such as CNAPP, to maximize the impact of their investment.

The Value of Unified Cloud Security Platforms

The value of a single, unified cloud security platform with a centralized dashboard lies in its potential to simplify policy configuration, ensure consistency, and enhance visibility across an organization’s cloud footprint. 

The survey results show overwhelming interest in the concept, with 97% of respondents finding such a platform either moderately to extremely helpful. For example, a single dashboard could allow a financial services organization to apply uniform access controls across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, reducing the likelihood of configuration errors. This aligns with earlier findings where 55% of respondents cited loss of visibility and control as a primary challenge in multi-cloud and hybrid environments, emphasizing the need for centralized tools to close these gaps. 

Best Practices for Stronger Hybrid &  Multi-Cloud Security

As organizations increasingly adopt hybrid and multi-cloud environments, managing diverse providers and maintaining robust security becomes more complex. To navigate these challenges effectively, it’s essential to implement strategic best practices that align with industry insights and leverage advanced security solutions. 

The following recommendations offer actionable steps to enhance your multi-cloud security posture.

1.AUTOMATE DETECTION AND REMEDIATION OF CLOUD RISKS

Misconfigurations are a common vulnerability, with 67% of respondents either using or planning to adopt automated tools to address this issue. Continuous monitoring and real-time remediation solutions can proactively identify risks, such as misconfigured storage or excessive permissions, and correct them efficiently. These tools also simplify compliance with industry regulations.

2.PROTECT DATA FLOWS ACROSS CLOUD ENVIRONMENTS

As data moves between cloud environments, it is crucial to ensure its security and integrity. With 58% of respondents highlighting data protection and privacy as a top concern, leveraging tools that provide comprehensive visibility into data flows helps organizations safeguard information during transit. These tools enable monitoring for potential risks, prevent unauthorized access, and facilitate adherence to regulatory frameworks like GDPR and CCPA, enhancing overall data protection efforts.

3.IMPLEMENT UNIFIED THREAT DETECTION MECHANISMS

Over half of respondents (54%) highlighted difficulties in detecting and responding to threats across multi-cloud environments. Unified threat detection solutions centralize visibility, allowing teams to identify and respond to anomalies quickly. These tools can correlate data across different cloud environments to reduce detection times and improve response accuracy.

4.INVEST IN CLOUD-SPECIFIC TRAINING FOR SECURITY TEAMS 

Skills shortages impact 76% of organizations, limiting their ability to deploy and manage cloud-native solutions effectively. Upskilling employees in areas like DevSecOps and container security empowers teams to address emerging security challenges.

5.UTILIZE POLICY-AS-CODE FOR CONSISTENT SECURITY ENFORCEMENT

As 43% of respondents reported challenges understanding how different solutions integrate, leveraging policy-as-code approaches ensures consistent enforcement across platforms. Policyas-code simplifies audits and enables automated configuration management, ensuring that security controls remain aligned with organizational requirements.

6.ALIGN SECURITY INVESTMENTS WITH APPLICATION WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

Application-level security is a growing priority, with 62% of respondents planning to adopt comprehensive protection platforms. End-to-end security for applications, from development to runtime, ensures tailored protection for workloads while supporting consistent policies across environments. Solutions that integrate with containerized environments and runtime protections address this need effectively.

7.STANDARDIZE ACCESS CONTROLS ACROSS CLOUD PLATFORMS

Access control and identity management remains a top challenge for 59% of organizations, especially in distributed cloud setups. Centralized access control solutions can streamline user privilege management and enforce consistent security policies across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Implementing a unified identity platform ensures seamless policy enforcement while minimizing the risk of unauthorized access.

8.EMBRACE CLOUD-BASED SECURITY TOOLS FOR SCALABILITY

With 54% of respondents identifying hybrid cloud as their primary deployment model, scalable cloud-based security tools are essential. These solutions enable consistent protection across on-premises systems and public clouds, ensuring organizations can expand their cloud footprints without compromising operational efficiency.

Conclusion

This report underscores the importance of strategic investment in unified tools, training, and processes tailored to the evolving demands of hybrid and multi-cloud security. By addressing the challenges—such as misconfigurations, skills gaps, and lack of visibility—organizations can build a resilient security posture. 

Implementing the best practices provided in this report equips businesses to thrive in complex cloud environments, safeguarding critical assets while maintaining agility and compliance in an era of rapid digital transformation.

Cloud Security Glossary

This glossary provides a quick overview of essential cloud security technologies discussed in this report, focusing on what they do, the security challenges they solve, and why they matter in protecting today’s complex cloud environments.

Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) – ASPM provides visibility into application vulnerabilities and configuration issues across the software development lifecycle. It supports secure coding practices and integrates security into DevSecOps workflows. ASPM is crucial for ensuring that applications remain secure from development through deployment and runtime.

Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) – CDR is a specialized technology that identifies and mitigates threats in cloud environments. It offers real-time visibility into cloud activities, enabling quick detection of anomalies and swift incident response. CDR is crucial for maintaining a strong defense against sophisticated threats in distributed cloud setups.

Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) – CIEM focuses on managing permissions and access controls within cloud environments. It identifies excessive permissions, enforces least-privilege principles, and reduces the risk of privilege misuse. CIEM is important for maintaining secure and compliant access policies in multi-cloud architectures.

Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) – CNAPP integrates multiple security functions to protect cloud-native applications throughout their lifecycle. It combines workload protection, configuration management, and runtime defense to secure containers, serverless functions, and other cloud-native workloads. CNAPP is essential for organizations adopting modern development practices like DevOps and microservices.

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) – CSPM is a solution designed to automate the detection of misconfigurations in cloud environments. It continuously monitors cloud infrastructure for security risks, such as exposed storage buckets or overly permissive access controls, ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks. CSPM is critical for maintaining visibility and addressing vulnerabilities in multi-cloud and hybrid environments.

Cloud Workload Protection Platform (CWPP) – CWPP secures workloads across cloud environments, including virtual machines, containers, and serverless architectures. It provides visibility into vulnerabilities, ensures consistent security policies, and protects workloads from advanced threats. CWPP is key for organizations managing diverse and dynamic cloud workloads.

Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) – DSPM is a data-centric solution that identifies, classifies, and secures sensitive information in cloud environments. It ensures that data is properly protected and aligns with privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA. DSPM is vital for addressing the challenges of safeguarding sensitive information across complex cloud ecosystems.

Methodology and Demographics

The 2025 Cloud Security Report is based on a comprehensive survey conducted in late 2024, gathering insights from 873 IT and cybersecurity professionals across a range of countries and industries, including technology, financial services, healthcare, and government. Respondents represented organizations of varying sizes, from small businesses to large enterprises, and included professionals in roles ranging from specialists to C-level executives. 

The survey, conducted online, explored key trends, challenges, and priorities in cloud security. The findings provide a well-rounded view of how organizations are navigating the complexities of cloud environments and adopting security technologies to address emerging threats.

For questions that allow respondents to select multiple answers, the percentages may total more than 100%, as participants could choose more than one option.

__

Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT) secures the largest enterprises, services providers, and government organizations around the world. Fortinet empowers our customers with complete visibility and control across the expanding attack surface and the power to take on ever-increasing performance requirements today and into the future. Only the Fortinet Security Fabric platform can address the most critical security challenges and protect data across the entire digital infrastructure, whether in networks, application, multi-cloud, or edge environments.  Fortinet ranks #1 as a security company, with more than 800,000 clients who trust their solutions and services to  protect their businesses. www.fortinet.com

__

Cybersecurity Insiders brings together 600,000+ IT security professionals and world-class technology vendors to facilitate smart problem-solving and collaboration in tackling today’s most critical cybersecurity challenges. Our approach focuses on creating and curating unique content that educates and informs cybersecurity professionals about the latest cybersecurity trends, solutions, and best practices. From comprehensive research studies and unbiased product reviews to practical e-guides, engaging webinars, and educational articles – we are committed to providing resources that provide evidence-based answers to today’s complex cybersecurity challenges. Contact us today to learn how Cybersecurity Insiders can help you stand out in a crowded market and boost demand, brand visibility, and thought leadership presence. Email us at info@cybersecurity-insiders.com or visit cybersecurity-insiders.com

 

The post State of Cloud Security Report 2025 first appeared on Cybersecurity Insiders.

The post State of Cloud Security Report 2025 appeared first on Cybersecurity Insiders.

from Cybersecurity Insiders https://ift.tt/Cl4MRcQ
via IFTTT