Cloud Security Alliance Report Lists Top Nine Cloud Computing Threats of 2013

A new report released by the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) highlights the nine top cloud computing threats of 2013. The CSA's Top Threats Working Group developed the report, which offers organizations expert-informed and up-to-date information on cloud security threats, to help them make educated risk-management decisions when it comes to cloud adoption strategies.

"The Notorious Nine: Cloud Computing Top Threats of 2013" revised report centers on threats specifically related to the shared and on-demand nature of cloud computing. It offers descriptions and analyses to serve as a threat identification guide in helping both cloud users and providers make informed decisions about mitigating risk within their cloud strategies.

The top threat was identified as data breaches, followed by data loss and account hijacking. Insecure APIs were also singled out, as well as denial of service (DoS) and malicious insiders. Abuse and nefarious use were identified as threats, as well as insufficient due diligence.

Shared technology issues finished the list of the nine most imminent threats and concerns of the cloud computing industry.

The report was based on a survey of industry experts within the cloud computing realm. Results were combined with the working group's expertise to compile the nine top threats within cloud computing. It is meant to be used along with the "Security Guidance for Critical Areas in Cloud Computing V.3" and "Security as a Service Implementation Guidance" best practices guides.

"To effectively manage risks in cloud computing, it is essential for companies to understand today's and tomorrow's threats specific to the cloud, and that comes with education and proper due diligence," said J.R. Santos, global research director of the CSA. "Companies are still not yet doing the proper due diligence, which is unfortunate and continues to be a real issue. We hope this report brings increased awareness to help companies make informed decisions to mitigate risks within their cloud adoption strategy."