Source: Cloud Security Alliance
Author: unknown
URL: https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/blog/2025/02/03/top-threat-9-lost-in-the-cloud-enhancing-visibility-and-observability
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## ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:
Limited cloud visibility poses significant security, operational, financial, and reputational risks, requiring proactive monitoring, policy enforcement, and Zero Trust strategies.
## MAIN POINTS:
1. Limited cloud visibility arises from unapproved app use (Shadow IT) and misuse of sanctioned applications.
2. Shadow IT increases risks by bypassing IT/security approval, especially for sensitive data.
3. Misuse of approved apps can lead to insider threats, credential theft, and various cyberattacks.
4. Technical impacts include weakened security, unmonitored vulnerabilities, and potential data loss.
5. Operational impacts include business disruptions, degraded productivity, and failure to meet customer obligations.
6. Financial impacts involve lost revenue, restoration costs, regulatory fines, and potential legal actions.
7. Reputational damage arises from breached customer trust, harming public image and client relationships.
8. A top-down approach, led by a cloud security architect, enhances visibility and integrates people, processes, and technology.
9. Zero Trust Security (ZTS), CASB, and Web Application Firewalls (WAF) can detect and mitigate threats effectively.
10. Employee training and reviewing non-approved services are crucial for enforcing cloud usage policies.
## TAKEAWAYS:
1. Proactively addressing Shadow IT and sanctioned app misuse is critical for cloud security.
2. Unmonitored vulnerabilities and misconfigurations amplify technical risks in cloud services.
3. Zero Trust models and CASB tools enhance monitoring, detect anomalies, and prevent attacks.
4. Employee training ensures compliance with cloud policies and reduces risky behaviors.
5. Reputational harm from data breaches can have long-term consequences on customer trust and business partnerships.
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