Thales Study: Australian Businesses Struggle With Cloud Security
A recent study by Thales, the 2023 Thales Cloud Security Study, has shed light on the state of cloud security in Australia. The survey of nearly 3,000 IT and security professionals revealed concerning trends, with only 13% of businesses having full control over their encrypted cloud data keys.
The study found that managing data in the cloud is more complex than on-premises for 59% of Australian businesses. Despite this, 65% store more than 40% of their data in the cloud, with 65% of that data classified as sensitive. However, only 7% encrypt more than 60% of their sensitive cloud data.
The study also highlighted the increasing threat to cloud-hosted applications and data in motion, which 48% of businesses ranked as the leading targets for hackers. This is concerning, given that 37% of Australian businesses experienced a data breach in their cloud environment in the last year. Human error was identified as the leading cause of these breaches by 64% of those surveyed.
Multicloud adoption is surging, with 79% of organisations using more than one cloud provider. However, this increases the complexity of managing and securing data across different environments. To mitigate risks, 64% of Australian organisations have implemented robust multi-factor authentication.
The Thales study underscores the need for Australian businesses to prioritise cloud security. While multicloud adoption increases, so does the complexity of managing and securing data. With only a minority of businesses fully controlling their encrypted cloud data keys and encrypting sensitive data, there's room for improvement. Human error remains a significant threat, highlighting the importance of robust security measures and employee training.
