RISING ABOVE THE CLOUDS: COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF 2023 SECURITY INCIDENTS AND ENHANCING FUTURE CLOUD SECURITY POSTURE

Abstract

In 2023, cloud security reached a pivotal moment after two decades of widespread adoption. Public cloud adoption and migration to public cloud showed no sign of slowing down in 2023. More organizations are adopting cloud-native applications with the rapid introduction of new cloud services and features to reduce the operations burden and rapid development. The increasing adoption of cloud-native technologies amplifies the risk landscape, creating more opportunities for cybercriminals through vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. As more organizations rely on cloud computing services, ensuring cloud security measures becomes increasingly important. This paper looks at cloud security incidents from 2023, renowned industry reports, case studies, and information available in the public domain to provide a holistic view of current security gaps and the emerging threats organizations face. This paper aims to guide security professionals, decision-makers, and anyone navigating cloud security challenges by providing a practical cybersecurity hygiene recommendation for mitigating emerging risks. Awareness created via this paper will help organizations revisit their cloud security roadmap, likely consolidation of security tools, investment in people and processes, and adopt new strategies to combat emerging threats.