Cloud solutions are the number one technology priority for state CIOs, according to the National Association of State Chief Information Officers Top 10 Priorities for 2020 survey. But, agencies just beginning their journey to the cloud or aiming to “move and improve,” processes are being sped up, according to the Oracle and KPMG Cloud Threat Report 2020. And this is making agencies vulnerable to unnecessary risks.
The report found that state government agencies don’t have the resources they need to ensure cybersecurity and often don’t fully understand the basics of cloud security. The result is misconfigured cloud environments, a top issue according to the report, and increasing threat vectors for agencies. The report found that 92 percent of respondents have a cloud readiness gap and 59 percent have had privileged data credentials phished in the cloud, highlighting the need for a better understanding of cloud security bests practices.
“In response to the current challenging environment, companies have accelerated the movement of workloads, and associated sensitive data, to the cloud to support a new way of working, and to help optimize cost models,” said Tony Buffomante, KPMG cybersecurity services global co-leader. This is exposing existing vulnerabilities and creating new risks.”
It’s time for agencies to build a “security first” culture backed by the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.Eighty-seven percent of respondents shared they view AI as a must-have for security controls, but not all are implementing the tool. This new culture leverages a cohesive strategy that spans the entire organization. By evolving how employees and the cloud work together by focusing on education and the right tools, like AI, agencies can build a stronger cyber posture in today’s constantly changing environment.
To learn more about current cloud trends, the current threat landscape, and how agencies can leverage automation to better cybersecurity, read the report here.
