The 2023 Thales Cloud Security Study surveyed nearly 3,000 respondents across 18 countries and explores the challenges of security in the cloud – which has become the de-facto standard for modern digital infrastructure and services.
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Cloud computing has played a transformative role in some of the most significant technological advances of the past two years. By removing the need for organizations to buy and invest in the expensive infrastructure required for computing applications, cloud computing has enabled huge improvements in artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and remote and hybrid working. However, as cloud adoption increases, so does its inherent risks.
It's a Multi-Cloud World
There’s no better indicator of cloud computing’s popularity than the increasing prevalence of multi-cloud. Multi-cloud use has grown significantly, with the average organization employing 2.26 infrastructure providers, up 35% from 2021. Similarly, over three-quarters (79%) of organizations now have multiple cloud providers.
Cloud Complexity
Unfortunately, multi-cloud adoption has brought operational complexity, making the management and security of data in the cloud more difficult. 55% of respondents in 2023 felt that managing and securing data in the cloud is becoming more complex, compared to just 46% in 2021.
Data Sovereignty Challenges
While data sovereignty represents an opportunity for organizations to undergo digital transformation, it also brings significant cloud security challenges. 83% of respondents said they were “somewhat” or “very” concerned about its impacts on cloud deployments.
Moving Ahead
The report findings present a challenging situation for most organizations that are cloud-first. These organizations are switching to cloud computing, using more cloud services, and storing more sensitive data in the cloud to gain operational and financial advantages and thrive in a competitive market.
However, to reap these benefits, businesses must move away from complexity and embrace simpler-to-manage data protection in the cloud. Effective and efficient cloud security should also encompass the human factor to reduce insecurities caused by human errors and misconfigurations. After all, the cloud is not “somebody else’s computer.” It is just an extension of your infrastructure and deserves to be treated like it.
Do you want to discover more of what troubles your peers and how to overcome these challenges? You can read the full 2023 Thales Cloud Security Study.