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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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Cary, North Carolina, March 27th, 2025, CyberNewsWire

INE, a global leader in networking and cybersecurity training and certifications, is proud to announce it is the recipient of twelve badges in G2’s Spring 2025 Report, including Grid Leader for Cybersecurity Professional Development, Online Course Providers, and Technical Skills Development, which highlight INE’s superior performance relative to competitors. 

“INE solves the problem of accessible, hands-on security training with structured learning paths and real-world labs,” says SOC Analyst Sai Tharun K. “It helps bridge the gap between theory and practical skills. For me, it has been very valuable in refining my penetration testing, cloud security, and threat analysis skills.”

G2 calculates rankings using a proprietary algorithm sourced from verified reviews of actual product users and is a trusted review source for thousands of organizations around the world. Its recognition of INE’s strong performance in enterprise, small business, and global impact for technical training showcases the depth and breadth of INE’s online learning library. 

“We’re incredibly proud to once again be at the forefront of the training industry, recognized by G2 users in a time when cyber threats are escalating in both frequency and complexity,” said Dara Warn, CEO of INE. “This recognition reflects our commitment to providing training that not only keeps pace with but anticipates the dynamic intersection of cybersecurity with networking, cloud services, and broader IT disciplines. At INE, we believe deeply in equipping professionals and organizations with the robust, up-to-date skills necessary to navigate and secure today’s rapidly changing digital landscapes. A huge thank you to our dedicated team and learners, who are essential in our mission to transform cybersecurity training to meet the urgent demands of the current environment.”

INE’s G2 Spring 2025 Report highlights include:

• Momentum Leader, Cybersecurity Professional Development
• Momentum Leader, Online Course Providers
• Momentum Leader, Technical Skills Development
• Grid Leader, Cybersecurity Professional Development
• Grid Leader, Online Course Providers
• Grid Leader, Technical Skills Development
• Regional Leader, Europe Online Course Providers
• Regional Leader, Asia Online Course Providers
• Regional Leader, Asia Pacific Online Course Providers
• Grid Leader, Small-Business Technical Skills Development
• Grid Leader, Small-Business Online Course Providers
• High Performer, India Online Course Providers

“INE’s hands-on labs and real-world scenarios have helped me refine by skills,” said Leonard R.G., a Pentesting Consultant. “INE is solving the hiring issues most HR people have when they are hiring cybersecurity workers,” adds Batuhan A., a Cyber Security Researcher. 

In 2024, the prestigious SC Awards recognized INE Security, INE’s cybersecurity-specific training, as the Best IT Security-Related Training Program. This designation further underscores INE Security’s role as a frontrunner in cybersecurity training for businesses, providing the tools and knowledge essential for tackling today’s complex cyber threats.

INE Security was also presented with 4 awards from Global InfoSec Awards at RSAC 2024, including: 

• Best Product – Cybersecurity Education for Enterprises
• Most Innovative – Cybersecurity Education for SMBs
• Publisher’s Choice – Cybersecurity Training
• Cutting Edge – Cybersecurity Training Videos

Combined, these accolades highlight INE’s leadership in delivering innovative and effective networking and cybersecurity education across various market segments, including enterprises and small to medium-sized businesses.

About INE Security

INE Security is the premier provider of online networking and cybersecurity training and certification. Harnessing a powerful hands-on lab platform, cutting-edge technology, a global video distribution network, and world-class instructors, INE Security is the top training choice for Fortune 500 companies worldwide for cybersecurity training in business and for IT professionals looking to advance their careers. INE Security’s suite of learning paths offers an incomparable depth of expertise across cybersecurity and is committed to delivering advanced technical training while also lowering the barriers worldwide for those looking to enter and excel in an IT career.

Contact

Kathryn Brown
INE Security
kbrown@ine.com

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As a cybersecurity professional, you must stay abreast of the latest resources that help users protect and work with information. Such offerings are critical for the higher-education industry, which stores data related to students’ academic achievements, health records, financial aid details and more.

How Do Data Management Tools Improve the Higher-Education Industry?

Data management tools bring together information from separate distributed databases, creating a single source of truth about everything happening on campus. Authorized users can retrieve information, run reports and keep the content in a single secure location. 

These purposeful data management tools allow administrators to set access parameters that only allow people to work with information related to their duties or roles — vital to ensure student and faculty records remain secure and protected from cyberattacks. As cybercrime continue to increase in the education sector — an alarming increase of 75% between 2020 and 2021 — the need for secure platforms across all aspects of university life is more prevalent than ever.

Some data management tools standardize the content, making it more user-friendly, accessible and reliable. These products keep all the relevant information in one place, streamlining cybersecurity efforts and saving people time by preventing them from needing to remember login details for several separate tools.

Who Offers the Best-Value Data Management Tools for Universities? 

Cybersecurity professionals may bear the responsibility of determining who offers cost-effective data management tools that still provide exceptional security, especially as they assist their employers in the higher-education industry with handling progressively larger amounts of data while following best practices to protect it. 

While going through this process, they should remember that value encompasses many aspects. Although a reasonable cost may indicate good value, so can excellent scalability because it allows users to continue using the same products over time, even as their needs grow. Similarly, people may establish that a particular option provides excellent value because it includes numerous automated features that save them time and increase. That said, there are some standout providers of data management tools that provide valuable products to clients in the higher-education industry that you should know about and consider. 

1. Watermark 

The professionals at Watermark have spent the last two decades developing data management solutions that give users more time to learn from higher-education information and spend less time gathering it. Watermark’s Educational Impact Suite is an integrated tool hub that shows users their data in context and helps them make informed, big-picture conclusions. It’s purpose-built for higher education, offering features and capabilities to 

Whether the information relates to student retention, faculty reviews or course evaluations, the company’s data management tools can handle all that content and more, helping users extract strategic insights that increase success for students and the entire institution. 

Capture information about the entire student learning journey and use rubric-based juried assessments to efficiently measure learners’ outcomes at scale. This data management tool is just as robust from the faculty side of things, allowing users to take and store educators’ information once and use it infinitely. 

When it’s time to examine trends from the latest batch of student evaluations, Watermark’s solutions make it easy to convert those takeaways into the next actionable steps. The LMS integrations increase response rates, and the deep insights let people track patterns over time. 

Since the company offers cloud-based tools, authorized users can access them from anywhere. That user-friendliness minimizes friction, helping people retrieve the information they want and need at any time. Cybersecurity professionals also appreciate how Watermark’s centralized system simplifies the data landscape, reducing the number of access points for malicious parties to exploit. Together, these aspects make this company a worthy possibility for those seeking the best-value data management platforms for their universities. 

2. Ellucian

Ellucian offers solutions that address how many higher-education institutions have massive amounts of data but cannot use it effectively. Most people would agree that a platform offers excellent value if it allows them to do things with their internal information that were otherwise extremely challenging or impossible. Ellucian’s data management and analytics solutions assist during every stage, whether users need to consolidate files or analyze trends to cause strategic impacts. 

An internal analysis can also examine an institution’s level of data maturity and how it compares to industry standards. The results may show users that they retain specific files for too long or otherwise need to consider changing their policies. The findings could also give cybersecurity professionals more leverage if they have been trying to convince organizational leaders to alter related internal practices but have yet to convince them it is time to act. 

The platform can also provide customized recommendations linked to your organizational structure and strategic aims. Additionally, the powerful analytics capabilities turn higher-education institutions into data-driven organizations that can make decisions based on options that account for all stakeholders, whether students, educators or administrators. 

Something that puts Ellucian among companies offering best-value data management tools is its flexible approach to pricing. These solutions work as modular offerings, so people can bundle them as a suite or choose individually priced components to create a platform that works with their budgets and other needs. 

3. Informatica

Informatica empowers higher-education institutions with a cloud-based data management platform that helps users see unified views of individual students’ information and how they have progressed through their learning journeys. The associated insights allow people to improve overall experiences and personalized aspects. Since the platform compiles the content into a single, reliable source, the centralization makes cybersecurity professionals’ jobs easier by reducing the size of the potential attack surface. 

This data management platform also helps users achieve and maintain regulatory compliance because its features maintain the security and privacy of sensitive student information while providing total visibility and transparency. There are also tools to automate privacy management workflows and requests, reducing the manual interventions that can cause people to make mistakes.

Since Informatica has capabilities that let people share data smoothly and safely, parties can collaborate more effectively across business entities. These solutions keep cybersecurity tight while reducing the friction that can result when people cannot quickly access the information needed to do their jobs. 

If you already use other educational systems, Informatica integrates smoothly with many of them, whether the products are learning management systems or enterprise resource planning tools. Since this data management platform can sync information across multiple systems, people can rest assured that it will enhance interoperability and maintain accuracy.

Additionally, the platform’s integrated tools emphasize data security and governance by enabling anonymization, consent management and other necessities that help institutions continue to operate securely in an increasingly digital world. 

4. Edify

Edify is a data management platform from EAB for the higher education industry.  This product provides powerful storage capabilities to match the large and growing quantities of information users often work with daily. Since this product offers a cloud-native and secure data lake and warehouse, it helps organizations prioritize scalability and privacy while maintaining easy access for authorized parties. These cybersecurity-centered characteristics assist people in upholding best practices while seamlessly retrieving the data needed for their jobs. 

Edify also comes with numerous data governance features, thanks to a transparent model built specifically for the higher-ed industry. Customizable data and metadata definitions are available out of the box to support better usability and organization. The platform’s recordkeeping features also track individual students across their whole learning experience, no matter how many times they advance to new levels or begin additional programs. 

The self-service analytics capabilities enhance organizational decision-making and unlock efficiencies. Built-in support for low-or-no-code data analysis and reporting enables people to get more done without additional training, while compatibility with numerous business intelligence tools lets users create valuable data visualizations to see information in the appropriate context. 

This is an enterprise-grade solution hosted on AWS. Securely storing data in the cloud enables more than 99.9% uptime, giving users the confidence needed to know Edify will support their productivity and let them get a handle on growing amounts of data.

5. Own

Own is a software-as-a-service data management tool made for the education industry. Since it is a Salesforce product, this offering has the brand recognition that can reassure people they are choosing a reputable option. This solution also has specific features that keep Salesforce data safe. Challenges related to data protection, compliance and continuity can result when educational institutions migrate to the cloud. However, Own enhances security capabilities, supporting cybersecurity professionals in meeting or exceeding organizational goals. 

For example, the platform has automated backup and recovery tools for Salesforce content, helping organizations resume normal operations after accidental or malicious data loss occurs. This data management solution also streamlines compliance with data regulations for higher-education institutions. It facilitates the secure archiving of sensitive data, ensuring users can meet security and governance requirements while retaining the information’s integrity. 

If an administrator plans to use data for testing and development purposes, Own has integrated masking capabilities that support innovation while upholding privacy. Additionally, customized data retention policies and in-depth reporting capabilities make audit preparations more straightforward. 

Own also allows users to fill development sandboxes with accurate data, minimizing delays related to rework or other challenges. The improved efficiency makes workers more productive, ensuring they spend more time on value-added tasks instead of grappling with data-management obstacles. 

6. Komprise

Poor management of a higher-education institution’s unstructured data can be a costly problem. However, Komprise offers purposeful tools that help users identify, manage and categorize the information possessed and used by these organizations. 

Since this platform offers storage-agnostic data management, people can index, search through and use information regardless of its location. Additionally, Komprise always references the target storage device and retains files in the native format, ensuring the information keeps its complete context for better usability. 

Komprise also gives people a global file index within minutes of deployment, showing a unified view of all an organization’s data across storage environments. Such information is valuable from a cybersecurity perspective because it reveals whether a higher-education institution may have sensitive information stored in a database with inadequate safeguards against breaches or attacks. That visibility could encourage people to make prompt and strategic decisions that improve cybersecurity preparedness for the long term.

Additionally, Komprise’s intelligent data management features let people create customized storage policies across a university, whether by department or user groups. The platform also shows access trends, facilitating better decision-making and ensuring people can quickly access information when needed. 

When it’s time to move data, the built-in migration tools make it simple. They shift the information without disrupting hot data, user experiences or applications. Because this feature supports transitions to more cost-effective cloud tools, people may determine that Komprise is the best-value data management tool for universities they’ve come across that aligns with their budgets. 

Choosing Data Management Tools to Increase Value in Higher Education

These feature-filled data management tools will help those working in higher education tap into numerous value streams, whether because they can work more productively, increase how data-driven insights shape student progress or save costs through better data visibility and compliance. 

Cybersecurity professionals should create a list of must-have features in their desired tools and then see how closely the above solutions align with those requirements. That goal-oriented process will support people as they data management platforms that enhance  their workflows and cause operational success.

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Many experts believe that quantum computing will arrive in the next decade. The unparalleled processing capabilities of these computers hold promise for advances in material science, drug discovery, artificial intelligence, environmental science, and much more. While quantum computing opens up the potential for exciting breakthroughs across sectors, these computers also pose a significant threat to widely used cryptography currently securing billions of devices and more than 80% of communications over the global internet.

Cryptographic algorithms like RSA and ECC, which secure much of the world’s digital communication and data, are particularly vulnerable to quantum attacks. A cryptographically relevant quantum computer (CRQC) is powerful enough to crack these encryption algorithms, rendering these systems obsolete and putting the security, privacy, and availability of sensitive data at risk.

With commercially viable quantum computers on the horizon, it is critical for all organizations to take steps NOW to quantum-proof enterprise security by migrating to post-quantum cryptography (PQC). 

No time to waste

Gartner predicts that by 2029, advances in quantum computing will render applications, data and networks protected by asymmetric cryptography unsafe and by 2034, quantum computing technologies will be able to fully break this cryptography.

IT leaders understand they are staring down the barrel of quantum threats. According to a DigiCert report, these leaders expressed concern about the timeframes in which to prepare with 41% saying that their organizations have less than five years to get ready.

While CRQCs are not a reality right now, quantum threats are. 

Cybercriminals are executing “hack now, decrypt later” attacks to harvest sensitive communications and data, storing this information until they can decrypt it once quantum technology becomes accessible. 

This underscores the critical necessity for tech leaders to rapidly transition to quantum-safe cryptography to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of systems, applications, and business communication.

Stay ahead of quantum threats

Organizations must start integrating quantum-resistant algorithms into their technology stacks now. To prepare for a post-quantum world and create a quantum-resilient future for their organizations, IT leaders should take the following proactive steps in their migration to PQC:

•Audit cryptographic assets

Take inventory of existing encrypted assets to identify all systems and applications that rely on public key cryptography. A comprehensive cryptographic inventory should include communication channels, email systems, servers, databases, VPNs, and security tools.

•Develop a transition plan

Create a PQC transition plan that prioritizes the organization’s most critical assets. This plan should include timelines with clear deadlines and a list of resources required for the transition including human, financial, and technological. Some of the most vulnerable systems include communication networks or cloud servers that contain sensitive data such as customer information or proprietary data. These can prove valuable starting points when beginning a full transition. 

•Build crypto-agility 

As enterprises begin the migration to PQC, it is important to design systems with cryptographic flexibility to adapt to new standards as they emerge. Building crypto agility like this will ensure that enterprises are able to switch to updated cryptographic algorithms without major operational disruptions.

•Leverage NIST resources

To help enterprises protect against quantum threats, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released three PQC standards in August 2024. These standards provide a roadmap for securing a wide range of digital information including confidential business communication, e-commerce transactions, and more. NIST is encouraging IT administrators to start integrating these encryption standards into their systems immediately.

•Assess the supply chain

Organizations should contact their technology vendors to ask about their plans for transitioning to PQC. This discussion will help enterprises understand vendor quantum readiness and provide clarification on vendor plans and timelines for migrating to PQC.

•Make digital communication quantum-safe

With NetSfere’s mobile messaging platform, enterprises can ensure digital communication remains secure now and in the quantum era.

NetSfere’s industry leading post-quantum crypto-agile architecture sets a new standard for secure communications in the industry.

NetSfere is designed to meet future cryptographic challenges, in 2024 the company announced the integration of  NIST-recommended FIPS 203 ML-KEM with Kyber-1024 strength security.. This advanced post-quantum encryption ensures that NetSfere’s security remains resilient and robust, safeguarding enterprise data against the threats of today and the complex quantum threats of tomorrow.

Wrapping Up

It’s not a matter of if quantum threats will arrive, it is a matter of when. 

IT leaders must move PQC transition to the top of their priority lists to safeguard sensitive communication and data against quantum threats.

PwC noted that “by adopting quantum-resistant technologies, and fostering a culture of agility and preparedness, organizations can build the resilience necessary to safeguard their most essential assets. This isn’t just about a technological upgrade. It’s a strategic imperative for business survival.”

The clock is ticking. 

 

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Oracle Cloud, the tech giant that has recently found itself in the spotlight due to a series of allegations concerning a potential data leak of over 6 million files, has firmly rejected claims made by a hacker known as ‘rose87168’. In a statement released to the public, Oracle emphasized that it had conducted a thorough investigation into the matter and was issuing its response based on careful analysis and insights provided by its threat intelligence team.

The Alleged Data Breach

The controversy erupted last Thursday when the hacker using the pseudonym ‘rose87168’ claimed to have breached Oracle Cloud’s Federated Single Sign-On (SSO) Login Servers. The hacker even released a portion of the alleged stolen data, seemingly to demonstrate the authenticity of the breach. According to the hacker, the data contained sensitive information that could compromise the security of Oracle Cloud’s systems.

However, Oracle was quick to respond, and after scrutinizing the leaked data and running diagnostic checks through its automated intrusion detection systems, the company found no evidence to support the claims. In fact, after an in-depth investigation, it was confirmed that no breach had occurred and the so-called ‘leaked’ data was entirely fabricated.

Cybersecurity Challenges in the Digital Age

While the incident highlights a growing trend of cybercrime and misinformation, Oracle isn’t the only tech giant to face such claims. Over the years, many social media influencers, often masquerading as hackers, have used these kinds of allegations to generate buzz, attract followers, or push marketing agendas. These claims are frequently designed to create panic or controversy, without any real substance behind them. In the case of ‘rose87168’, the leaked files were found to be entirely unrelated to Oracle’s SSO credentials or any login information, further proving that the claims were baseless.

Oracle’s History with Cybersecurity and Attacks

Oracle’s reputation has, unfortunately, been marred by past cyberattack speculations. In recent years, the company has faced rumors of security vulnerabilities and even attacks targeting its WebLogic servers. Additionally, there have been accusations that its cloud services were being exploited for crypto-mining malware. Despite these allegations, Oracle has consistently worked to bolster its cybersecurity measures, particularly in its cloud and hybrid environments, which are updated regularly to keep pace with evolving threats.

The company has consistently demonstrated its commitment to protecting its infrastructure by applying the latest cybersecurity practices and leveraging its considerable resources. Similarly, other major companies like Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter face similar challenges in defending their consumer data from hackers. As these organizations operate across multiple sectors and regions, they are frequently targeted by cybercriminals.

The Importance of Ongoing Cybersecurity Vigilance

Although occasional cybersecurity incidents are nearly inevitable for large, multinational companies, it is critical for businesses like Oracle to address any potential weaknesses swiftly and decisively. A recurrence of such events, even if false or exaggerated, must be addressed promptly to maintain public trust and ensure that protective measures are always evolving to counteract the growing sophistication of cyber threats.

In conclusion, while this particular claim of a data breach involving Oracle Cloud has been proven false, the tech industry at large must remain vigilant against both genuine threats and deceptive attempts to exploit these fears for personal gain. As cybersecurity challenges continue to evolve, companies must be proactive and transparent in their efforts to safeguard their data and reassure customers that their systems remain secure.

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The recent arrival of DeepSeek AI not only sent shockwaves throughout Silicon Valley but once again brought some very important data privacy issues back to the surface. Authorities in the Netherlands, Australia, Ireland and France have already begun examining the vendor’s data practices, with privacy worries front and center. In Italy, the regulator has already asked the government to ban the app to protect the data of Italian users.

AI tools aside, these issues are perennial headline-grabbers across the business ecosystem, with organizations everywhere struggling to build strategies that give stakeholders and regulators the certainty they need. The underlying paradox illustrates the depth of the challenge: data is an organization’s most valuable asset, but it can also be its greatest potential risk.

So, what more can organizations do to improve privacy? What approaches represent best practice and, aside from the obvious, what are the upsides of getting privacy processes right?

The foundation for addressing privacy is to first get insights into the data accumulating in the environment. With those insights available, there are three areas to address:

First, identify file types that are not to be stored on corporate systems. While inefficient, the accumulation of non-business-related content can lead to the introduction of ransomware or even silent data exfiltration in the event of a breach.

Second, examine the aging profile of existing datasets. The less data present on a system, the easier it is to ensure the adequate protection of private or sensitive data. A data lifecycle policy should be enacted to ensure that as data ages, it is relocated to the appropriate location for long-term storage until its final disposition.

Third, it makes sense to classify sensitive datasets and then ensure that any data tagged as sensitive or private is stored in areas with highly restricted access permissions.

 Many organizations face difficulties coping with the sheer volume of unstructured data being collected, retained, and used. To cope, they need a solution that is agnostic to the variety of vendor platforms deployed. They also need the flexibility to gain insight into and act on all their unstructured data, whether stored in file or object form—in the cloud or on premises. Acting on what has been observed in the environment will lead to positive downstream outcomes, as outlined above. 

Therefore, what’s required instead is a shift to proactively manage the data, leveraging key insights on the data estate. This will enhance the protection of private or sensitive data in the environment. The legacy (and reactive) approach has been to store all data in perpetuity, but this is no longer a viable approach. 

Meeting governance goals

In this context and driven by widespread and costly data privacy failures, the governance environment has become significantly more complex and demanding. Authorities are now armed with stringent regulatory frameworks and the teeth to impose massive fines.

For organizations focused on compliance – which should, of course, be all of them – effective data governance is dependent on enterprise-wide visibility. Understanding what data exists, where it resides, who owns it and how it is used needs to be backed by a policy-driven approach that enforces strict controls over data classification, access and retention. This is essential to align with both internal requirements and external regulations, such as DORA, GDPR, APRA, CCPA, and HIPAA, among others.

Once governance policies are in place, businesses must continuously monitor and audit their data environments to detect and mitigate risks. The most effective automated tools can enforce compliance by identifying high-risk or sensitive data to ensure it is properly documented, secured and handled to meet governance standards.

Advanced vendor-agnostic data management technologies can also seamlessly integrate unstructured data across diverse storage systems, applications and cloud systems. For those organizations with complex, multi-environment architectures, this is becoming an essential requirement for the delivery of effective governance.

Given the widespread of data-driven technologies (of which GenAI is one), privacy will continue to occupy the minds of business leaders as they look to balance opportunity with risk. Those who do so successfully can enjoy the prospect of a win-win situation where data stays safe but also transforms organizational effectiveness.

 

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AI has reached an inflection point. It’s no longer just a business enabler—it’s redefining the attack surface. As organizations deploy AI to automate decision-making, accelerate operations, and enhance customer experiences, cybercriminals are doing the same, leveraging AI-driven automation to scale attacks faster than security teams can respond. The result? A growing security gap where APIs—the backbone of AI adoption—have become the easiest and most lucrative target.

The DeepSeek API key exposure is just the latest example of how fragile these connections can be. While businesses focus on AI’s potential, security teams must confront the reality: AI is only as secure as the APIs that power it. Without dedicated API protection, organizations risk data breaches, adversarial AI manipulation, and compliance failures—threats that traditional security tools weren’t built to handle.

APIs: The Overlooked Weak Link in AI Security

Every AI system, from large language models to fraud detection engines, relies on APIs to function. But these APIs are often built for speed and functionality—not security. Attackers understand this, shifting their focus from breaking AI models to exploiting the APIs that connect them.

Through exposed endpoints, attackers can steal sensitive data, execute model inversion attacks to infer training data and expose confidential information, or overwhelm APIs with excessive requests, leading to denial-of-service (DoS) disruptions. Business logic attacks—where attackers manipulate API requests to exploit system processes—are becoming the weapon of choice for AI-powered fraud, misinformation campaigns, and large-scale automation abuse. With ransomware increasingly focused on data exposure, compromised APIs can leak customer data, proprietary AI models, and other sensitive assets, creating significant financial and reputational risks for organizations.

Many organizations still fail to incorporate API security into their broader cybersecurity strategy. Traditional security models—centered around firewalls, endpoint detection, and network monitoring—are not designed to address the complexities of API-based attacks. With AI accelerating the reliance on APIs, security teams must evolve their defenses. This means shifting from reactive security measures to continuous API risk assessments, runtime protection, and anomaly detection tailored for AI-driven environments. Without this shift, businesses will struggle to keep up with increasingly sophisticated API-based threats.

AI Agents: From Productivity Boosters to Security Nightmares

The rise of Agentic AI—autonomous AI-driven agents that interact with APIs—introduces a new frontier of risk. These AI-powered entities are designed to make decisions, complete tasks, and execute API calls without human oversight. But what happens when they are compromised?

A single exploited AI agent can trigger unauthorized transactions, exfiltrate sensitive data, or launch automated cyberattacks across multiple systems. Attackers can hijack trusted AI agents to impersonate legitimate users, automate large-scale credential stuffing, or even manipulate enterprise workflows. Security teams must shift their focus from simply defending against automation to securing the very AI-powered agents that enterprises rely on.

Cloud Security Won’t Save You—API Protection Will

When cloud computing first emerged, security concerns around data residency and control slowed adoption. It wasn’t until 2009 that NIST defined cloud models, and by 2011, a formalized shared responsibility model took shape—where cloud providers secured the infrastructure, but organizations remained responsible for their own data and applications. Over time, companies recognized the benefits of cloud adoption and developed security standards, compliance frameworks, and controls to mitigate risk.

AI security is following the same trajectory. While cloud-hosted AI applications provide scalability and efficiency, the security of the APIs that connect these models to business-critical systems falls entirely on the organization. Vendors deliver baseline protections, but security teams must implement the right security controls, update compliance programs, and regularly audit API security to ensure AI-driven processes remain secure. Adopting AI without securing APIs is just as risky as embracing the cloud without governance—security leaders must take an active role in mitigating these risks.

To enable AI adoption safely, security leaders must equip their organizations with the right tools and processes. This means revisiting security strategies, enforcing API security assessments, and embedding AI-specific threat detection into compliance programs. Cloud security alone is not enough—organizations need dedicated API protection to prevent data exposure, adversarial AI manipulation, and large-scale automation abuse.

Security Leaders Must Take Action—Before AI Outpaces Security

The regulatory landscape is evolving as fast as AI adoption itself. The Colorado AI Act, EU AI Act, and FTC regulations are pushing toward stricter AI governance, making weak API security a compliance liability. Organizations that fail to secure AI-powered APIs will not only face cyber threats—they will also face increased scrutiny from regulators, investors, and customers.

Security leaders must act now by conducting full-scale API security audits to uncover vulnerabilities before they are exploited. Continuous monitoring of AI-driven API traffic is critical to detecting adversarial AI manipulation in real time. Business logic abuse must be actively mitigated, preventing attackers from exploiting AI decision-making systems to commit fraud or disrupt operations.

AI is no longer an emerging technology—it’s here. But without a proactive security-first approach, businesses will find themselves constantly reacting to threats rather than staying ahead of them.  Security isn’t optional—it’s the deciding factor between AI-driven success or AI-powered disaster. Organizations that embed API security into AI development will lead. Those that don’t will be left cleaning up preventable breaches.

 

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