Page 121 - Cyber Defense eMagazine October 2023

Securing The Virtual Runway to The Cloud

By Jason Mafera, Field CTO, North America, IGEL

The ‘endpoint’ has transformed from traditional desktop hardware to any number of devices, digital
workspaces, and locations, offering new opportunities for cybercriminals who often seem one step ahead
of data protection and defense technologies. Cybercriminals are finding the increase in workloads moving
to the cloud a rich source of exploitation. This is complicated by the distributed nature of today’s
workloads and combinations of delivery technologies. Some workloads have moved to the cloud, some
are still on premises, and all are available for access from anywhere on any device. The Thales 2023
Data Threat Report notes that respondents identify SaaS apps, cloud-based storage and cloud-hosted
apps as key targets. It is a major concern as more companies are now storing sensitive data in the cloud.
Thales reports 75% of respondents say almost half of their cloud data is classified sensitive.

While malware, ransomware and phishing continue to be primary threats, confidence in how to fight these
threats has shifted, Thales reports. Endpoint security is now considered the number one control for
effectiveness in protecting sensitive data, followed by IAM (Identity and Access Management) and
network security.

Cyber Defense eMagazine – October 2023 Edition 121
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