Survey: 58 Percent of Organizations Say Third Parties and Suppliers Were Target of Cloud-Based Breach

Survey: 58 Percent of Organizations Say Third Parties and Suppliers Were Target of Cloud-Based Breach

Proofpoint, Inc., a cybersecurity and compliance company, announced the release of its latest study, Cloud and Web Security Challenges in 2022, in collaboration with The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA). The commissioned study queried more than 950 information technology and security professionals from various organization sizes and locations to better understand the industry’s knowledge, attitudes, and opinions regarding cloud- and web-delivered threats. The results reveal that organizations are struggling to sufficiently secure new cloud environments implemented during the pandemic, while maintaining legacy equipment and trying to adapt their overall security strategy to the evolving landscape.

“In the wake of COVID-19, organizations substantially accelerated their digital transformation initiatives to accommodate a remote workforce.” said Hillary Baron, lead author and research analyst at CSA, the world’s leading organization in defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment. “While these initiatives strive toward improving worker productivity, product quality, or other business objectives, there are unintended consequences and challenges because of the large-scale structural changes required. One of those challenges is developing a cohesive approach to cloud and web threats while managing legacy and on-premise security infrastructure.”

As organizations continue to migrate to the cloud, reliance on third parties and partners increases, which in turn exacerbates the risk of threats through the supply chain. The Cloud and Web Security Challenges in 2022 study shows that 81% of responding organizations are moderately to highly concerned about risks surrounding suppliers and partners, with almost half (48%) specifically concerned about potential data loss as a result of such risks. This high level of concern is entirely warranted as 58% of organizations indicated that third parties and suppliers were the target of a cloud-based breach in 2021.

The study reveals that defending data is rightfully a top concern for businesses, with 47% listing “sensitive data loss” as their most concerning outcome of cloud and web attacks. The specific types of data organizations are most concerned with are customer data, credentials, and intellectual property. 43% of organizations listed protecting customer data as their primary cloud and web security objective for 2022. Despite this, only one-third (36%) of the organizations surveyed have a dedicated Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solution in place.

“As organizations adopt cloud infrastructures to support their remote and hybrid work environments, they must not forget that people are the new perimeter. It is an organization’s responsibility to properly train and educate employees and stakeholders on how to identify, resist and report attacks before damage is done.” said Mayank Choudhary, executive vice president and general manager of Information Protection, Cloud Security & Compliance for Proofpoint. “Cultivating a culture of security within and around your organization coupled with the use of multiple streamlined solutions is critical to effectively protect people against cloud and web threats and defend organizational data.”

Key findings from the study include:

  • 47% of those surveyed listed “sensitive data loss” as their most concerning outcome of cloud and web attacks, while “paying ransom” was of least concern to respondents (10%).
  • 58% had a third party, contractor, and/or partner targeted in a cloud breach.   
  • Organizations are concerned that targeted cloud applications either contain or provide access to data such as email (36%), authentication (37%), storage/file sharing (35%), customer relationship management (33%), and enterprise business intelligence (30%).
  • Almost half of those surveyed (47%) blame dealing with legacy systems as key concern with their cloud security posture, while 37% feel they need to coach toward more secure employee behavior.
  • Only one-third (36%) of organizations surveyed have a dedicated Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solution in place. Other solutions implemented include Endpoint Security (47%), Identity Management solutions (43%) and Privileged Access Management (38%).

The full report can be found here: https://www.proofpoint.com/us/resources/e-books/cloud-and-web-attacks-cloud-security-alliance-report.

Featured

  • Live From ISC West: Day 2 Recap

    If it’s even possible, Day 2 of ISC West in Las Vegas, Nevada, was even busier than the first. Remember to keep tabs on our Live From ISC West page for news and updates from the show floor at the Venetian, because there’s more news coming out than anyone could be expected to keep track of. Our Live From sponsors—NAPCO Security, Alibi Security, Vistacom, RGB Spectrum, and DoorKing—kept the momentum from Day 1 going with packed booths, happy hours, giveaways, product demonstrations, and more. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West
  • Visiting Sin City

    I’m a recovering alcoholic, ten years sober this June. I almost wrote “recovered alcoholic,” because it’s a problem I’ve long since put to bed in every practical sense. But anyone who’s dealt with addiction knows that that part of your brain never goes away. You just learn to tell the difference between that insidious voice in your head and your actual internal monologue, and you get better at telling the other guy to shut up. Read Now

  • On My Way Out the Door

    To answer that one question I always get, at every booth visit, I have seen amazing product technology, solutions and above all else, the people that make it all work. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West
  • Return to Form

    My first security trade show was in 2021. At the time, I was awed by the sheer magnitude of the event and the spectacle of products on display. But this was the first major trade show coming out of the pandemic, and the only commentary I heard was how low the attendance was. Two representatives from one booth even spent the last morning playing catch in the aisle with their giveaway stress balls. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West

Featured Cybersecurity

New Products

  • BIO-key MobileAuth

    BIO-key MobileAuth

    BIO-key International has introduced its new mobile app, BIO-key MobileAuth™ with PalmPositive™ the latest among over sixteen strong authentication factors available for BIO-key's PortalGuard® Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) platform. 3

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation. 3

  • HID Signo Readers

    HID Signo Readers

    HID Global has announced its HID® Signo™ Biometric Reader 25B that is designed to capture and read fingerprints in real-world applications and conditions. 3