cloud computing vulnerabilities Archives

How to Secure Your Cloud Infrastructure Security in the Philippines

Chinmay Choudhary / June 10, 2025

Cloud solutions are being used more in the country than ever before. More than 85% of enterprises aim to be fully in the cloud by 2025. The country’s data center market is expected to increase at a rate of 13% CAGR up to 2025. Still, the industry’s rapid growth creates new risks. Almost 84% of Philippine organizations were affected by breaches in 2024, and 32% said they reported incidents in the Philippines, who want to learn how to secure cloud infrastructure security. It describes what cloud infrastructure security entails, suggests practices that comply with the Philippines’ rules, such as the Data Privacy Act, highlights regional issues, and advises companies on what to consider when selecting a cloud security service. What Is Cloud Infrastructure Security? All the steps, technologies, and processes that keep server, storage, database, networking, and application security in cloud environments are collectively known as cloud infrastructure security. Both the security of on-site data centers and that of virtual systems utilized on AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud are included in it. In contrast to the traditional setup, cloud server security is based on a model where some responsibilities are shared. As a consequence, cloud providers are responsible for the security of hardware, storage, and the global cloud infrastructure. Once information, applications, and records are in the cloud, the business must take responsibility for them by ensuring their security. Key elements involved in how to secure cloud infrastructure include: Securing all layers of the cloud stack enables a business to prevent unauthorized access, thereby protecting against data breaches and service outages. Why It’s Critical in the Philippines The stakes for cloud security service are particularly high in the Philippines, where regulatory enforcement and cyber risks are both on the rise. These risks in context are compelling for Philippine-based organizations to go beyond elementary security controls and adopt a more formal, audit-ready process for protecting cloud infrastructure security. Explore our insights on Infrastructure Security in Cloud Computing 10 Best Practices to Secure Cloud Infrastructure In the Philippines, with the rapid digital transformation of industries such as fintech, healthcare, and ecommerce, cloud infrastructure security is an imperative. The next 10 cloud infrastructure security best practices were derived from expert opinions on platforms such as Cisco, CrowdStrike, Medium, and Spot.io and have been tailored to meet both global standards and local conditions. 1. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) No account, particularly admin or DevOps, must be based on only a password. Authenticator apps are preferable to SMS because of the increasing risk of SIM swap fraud in Southeast Asia. 2. Enforce Least Privilege Access Refrain from granting sweeping access to new employees or cross-functional teams. For BPOs and high-turnover startups, quarterly automated access reviews help eliminate legacy permissions. 3. Use IAM Controls and a Zero Trust Architecture All identities, whether human or machine, need to be verified and authorized. Role-based access using AWS IAM or Azure AD is required. All internal traffic must be treated as untrusted until it is authenticated. 4. Encrypt Data at Rest and in Transit Under the Philippine Data Privacy Act, encryption is now required. Encrypt stored data using AES-256 and data in transit using TLS 1.2 or later to safeguard customer data and stay compliant. 5. Monitor Logs and Perform Ongoing Auditing Employ centralized logging tools such as AWS CloudTrail or GCP Cloud Security Audit Logs. Complement these with real-time alerts for detecting suspicious activity, such as attempts to access from outside Southeast Asia. 6. Harden Configurations and Apply Patches Promptly Default settings are commonly used as an attack vector. Implement CIS benchmarks on operating systems and containers. For companies still using legacy systems, establish a patch schedule to mitigate vulnerabilities. 7. Employ CASB and CSPM for Shadow IT and Risk Visibility Cloud Access Security Brokers can identify unauthorized tools being utilized by employees. Cloud Security Posture Management tools help monitor misconfigurations within multi-cloud setups, particularly for hybrid teams that utilize AWS and Azure. 8. Secure Endpoints and Container Runtimes Laptops and mobile clients connecting to cloud platforms should be secured with EDR agents such as CrowdStrike Falcon or SentinelOne. Implement container runtime protection using tools like Sysdig to safeguard workloads. 9. Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Scanning External penetration testers can emulate actual attacks against APIs, cloud functions, and access policies. Frequent vulnerability scans will identify problems before attackers can exploit them. 10. Train Teams and Enforce Cloud Usage Governance Most breaches are the result of human error. Train employees to recognize phishing, limit file-sharing access, and track third-party SaaS applications integrated into your cloud environment. Common Mistakes to Avoid Even strong companies can get caught up in minor issues that compromise their cloud security. Most of the time, these problems arise because of being overconfident, having bad visibility, or using incorrect ways of thinking about cloud-native security. 1. Neglecting IAM hygiene Giving away too many privileges, ignoring access to departed users, and relying solely on a few passwords are widespread mistakes. Most of the time, shadow identities are overlooked until regular audits are conducted in CI/CD. 2. Delaying or skipping patches It is not uncommon for organizations to delay or verlook patches for containers, Kubernetes clusters, and SaaS applications, as they can cause disruptions. Unfortunately, it does not take long for attackers to find known vulnerabilities using bots after news of them is made public. 3. Relying only on perimeter defenses Firewalls and VPNs are useful against internet threats, but you should watch for problems within your network from any rogue activity or password problems. Not all clouds come with threat detection based on behavior, which might leave you unaware of some significant dangers. 4. Lack of a governance cycle Since cloud infrastructure security evolves constantly, a governance cycle may be missing. Leaving tools installed, test environments unattended, and executing permissions unnecessarily tend to increase risks. If API usage, configurations, and access are not regularly audited, more problems are likely to develop. 5. Misunderstanding the shared responsibility model Most companies do not realize that the shared

Cloud security

The Top 10 Cloud Vulnerabilities in 2025

Chinmay Choudhary / March 18, 2025

With the year 2025 in full swing, cloud computing has been in fast progression. As businesses continue to shape their future business operations framework, it is evident that the benefits brought about by this era have cut across reduced costs, improved efficiency, and increased scalability. But this shift creates a collection of security challenges. With more and more sophisticated cyber threats being aimed at cloud environments, it is now critical for organizations to stay up to speed on the most recent vulnerabilities and trends. Qualysec Technologies is here to discuss the top 10 cloud vulnerabilities to expect for 2025 and interesting insights on how businesses can protect themselves from cloud vulnerabilities. Top 10 Cloud Vulnerabilities in 2025 At the time of this writing in 2025, the cloud computing environment is changing with rapid speed and many aspects of security. This is important for businesses that help to understand those vulnerabilities and keep their data safe. Down below are the top 10 cloud vulnerabilities that organizations need to prepare themselves for in 2025. 1. Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) For the most part, ransomware has remained a mainstay threat, as cybercriminals target the cloud in more ways than ever. Attackers can encrypt cloud data more easily using RaaS models, and they invariably demand hefty ransoms for decryption. Instances of these attacks have also taken place in recent times and even mid sized companies have become victims and can lose millions. The best way to protect against RaaS is to ensure that your backups are robust and perform regular disaster recovery testing routines. 2. Zero-Day Exploits Cloud systems can be exposed by zero-day exploits, i.e. unknown vulnerabilities for months. To mitigate these threat weapons, continuous monitoring, rapid patch management, and zero-trust architecture are key. The recent worldwide zero day attack that affected thousands of cloud servers is a good reason for proactive measures. 3. API Vulnerabilities Cloud infrastructure lives by APIs and even the most innocuous of these things can go awry and lead to data breaches. Good secure API design and regular testing for vulnerabilities will protect you from such attacks. Among insecure APIs, it is frequent to find weak authentication, encryption, or validation, making them an obvious target for hackers. 4. Insider Threats Insider threats can be either intentional or unintentional and cloud network security that comes from insider threats can be significant. This can be done with strict access controls and watching each user’s activity. Generative AI may also be used to allow more complex phishing attacks, thus increasing the insider threat. 5. Supply Chain Attacks In supply chain attacks, the main goal is to reach at least one of the parties and utilize it to access an entire organization. These attacks can be prevented to some extent by conducting thorough security risk assessments of suppliers and implementing access controls. Supply chain vulnerabilities are becoming bigger news as cloud services become more popular. 6. DDoS Attacks Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks can ruin business operations by forcing cloud resources into paroxysms. To keep these services available, it is necessary to implement robust DDoS mitigation strategies. With more people relying on cloud services, DDoS attacks have a bigger impact. 7. Native Malware Cloud-native malware is malware that targets specific cloud environments. Adequate malware scanning and cloud security solutions must be regularly in place. Cloud environments are in an ever-evolving state and therefore new types of malware are emerging. 8. Data Breaches A vulnerability to a data breach can lead to financial and reputational loss. To avoid breaches, you can have the strongest security systems in place and conduct vulnerability analysis as much as possible. Common causes of data breaches are misconfigured storage buckets and weakened access controls. 9. Social Engineering Some of the social engineering tactics like phishing are still in use and can allow unauthorized access to cloud resources. In 2025, these attacks are likely to become more sophisticated as deep fake technology is bound to be used. They can be reduced by implementing multi-factor authentication and providing reasonable security awareness training. 10. Quantum Computing Threats Traditional encryption methods are at risk of being attacked by the very peak of quantum computing. In the long run, sensitive data can only be secure if encoded with quantum-resistant algorithms. It is not an immediate threat, but already a risk for long-term quantum security. Latest Penetration Testing Report Download Mitigation Strategies for Cloud Vulnerabilities To exert the mitigation for cloud security vulnerabilities, one has to take proactive approaches, technology advances, and strategic planning. Among the features that successful cloud environments share, robust security strategies play an essential role that needs to be implemented by organizations to protect themselves from emerging threats. To mitigate the top cloud vulnerabilities in 2025, here are some important basic strategies to address them – 1. Implementing Zero-Trust Architecture The Zero Trust model is based on ‘never trust, always verify’. The key here is continuous verification of users and devices, micro-segmentation, right down to every minute of every day, monitoring, and adaptive policies. Rather than trusting internal IP addresses or external DOTS that are commonly granted access, Zero Trust limits the number of attack surfaces, allowing only verified requests through. 2. Regular Vulnerability Scanning and Penetration Testing This allows the identification of potential weak points in the cloud infrastructure to be shown. Penetration testing is a test where ethical hackers simulate the real world of an actual attack scenario to discover the weakness before the actual attack. With these tests, you’ll have prioritized actionable insights that address the issues in your security posture that need to be performed continuously, or at least regularly, to stay ahead of the most agile threats. 3. Use Contextual Vulnerability Management However, one must contextually understand the impact of vulnerabilities and assess their potential impact on the business. This entails looking at the ways that you can intruder access vulnerable systems, the data that can be compromised in the process, and the likelihood of the breach having a positive impact. By correlating vulnerabilities with

Cloud security

What is Cloud Security Vulnerability?

Chinmay Choudhary / February 21, 2025

Cloud computing has transformed businesses in terms of retrieving, storing, and managing data. Cloud security vulnerability is one of the major concerns in cloud computing as it describes the cloud environment’s weakness and is exploited by attackers. Businesses need to understand these vulnerabilities as they can damage a business’s data, apps and infrastructure. Qualysec Technologies is here to evaluate the cloud security vulnerabilities, the possible causes, different types of Cloud Security VAPT, and how businesses can be safe from them. Understanding Cloud Security VAPT & Vulnerability Cloud security vulnerability is the weakness in cloud environments that a hacker can exploit to intrude into his target’s cloud space, steal data, or adversely disrupt services. However, these vulnerabilities exist because of misconfiguration, weak access control, unpatched software, insecure API, or even insider threats. Risks common to this include data breaches, identity theft, denial-of-service attacks, and so on. Therefore, businesses need to protect data by enforcing strong Cloud Security VAPT and making it encrypted, monitoring security regularly and providing compliance with industry standards are the ways to mitigate these threats. Since the adoption of the cloud is growing, organizations need to be proactive in the area of strengthening the security posture for critical information while ensuring the continuity of doing business in the fast-moving cyber threat landscape. Causes of Cloud Security Vulnerabilities The concept of cloud computing has come a long way, which means that it has made the implementation of business processes much easier. That is where this becomes interesting because as cloud adoption grows more, that also increases the security risks. There are many factors in Cloud Security VAPT such as misconfiguration and highly sophisticated cyber threats. To secure the cloud environments of an organisation, it is important to understand these causes. Misconfigurations Misconfiguration is one of the most common reasons for cloud security vulnerability. Cloud resources are left open to attacks as organizations set up their cloud resources poorly and fail to secure them. Some common misconfigurations include: Unauthorized access, the leaking of data, and even full system compromise can occur through misconfigurations. Weak Authentication and Access Controls This however is a big load in cloud environments where IAM is a much more important enforcing force. When the user is authenticating using weak methods, it turns out that unauthorized users can gain access to sensitive resources. Some major issues include: In other words – using weak or reused passwords. However, cloud systems are subject to infiltration by cyber criminals without strong authentication and adequate access control policies. Insider Threats Some employees, contractors and third-party vendors can be a big security risk. The threats may be malicious (intentional insider threats) or negligence (unintentional insider threats). Common insider threats include: To mitigate insider threats, organizations are required to implement strict access control measures and monitor the activity of the users. “Check out our recent articles on Cloud Security Testing and Cloud Penetration testing to gain deeper insights into securing cloud environments.” Unpatched Vulnerabilities and Outdated Software Security patches and updates are being released by the cloud provider. But, to leave a vulnerability un-updated can be dangerous by exposing applications in the cloud, operating system and security software. For cybercriminals, it is often using known vulnerabilities of outdated software that: Insecure APIs and Interfaces Between cloud services and applications, there are Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and management interfaces for communication. But insecure APIs can bring major security risks such as: These weaknesses can be exploited by attackers to unlawfully obtain access to other’s data, data manipulation, or attack cloud resources. Data Loss and Leakage Security of the data is an issue of significant importance in cloud computing. Data loss or leakage can be caused by any of the following depending on the situation. To keep the data from being leaked or lost, encryption, backups regularly and rigorously enforced rules and policies on what people can and can’t do are also essential. Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks Denial-of-Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks are the usual targets for Cloud environments. Cloud servers get overwhelmed with excessive amounts of traffic in these attacks and one of the results is: DDoS protection services are also offered by cloud providers, but organizations also need to implement rate limiting and traffic filtering to manage risks. Compliance and Regulatory Risks One of the security vulnerabilities for a company to have is failure to comply with industry regulations (i.e. GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS). Non-compliance issues include: At the same time, all organizations are required to align their Cloud Security VAPT practices with the requirements of the regulations. “Also explore: Top Cloud Computing Vulnerabilities & How to Address Them?“ Types of Cloud Security Vulnerabilities Cloud security vulnerabilities are vulnerabilities in the cloud environments that can be exploited by cybercriminals to gain access to data, applications and the cloud infrastructure. These vulnerabilities come from misconfiguration lack of security controls, and the evolution of cyber threats. However, these are the major types of Cloud Security VAPT. Data Security Vulnerabilities Cloud computing is one of utmost concern in terms of data security. Breaches, loss and unauthorized access are the consequences when it comes to vulnerabilities in data security. Mitigation: Identity and Access Management (IAM) Vulnerabilities Identity and access management (IAM) errors in the cloud expose such environments to unauthorized access and privilege escalation attacks. Mitigation: Infrastructure Vulnerabilities Cloud infrastructure, Virtual Machines (VMs) containers, and storage services contain misconfigurations and security threats. Mitigation: “Related content: A Guide to Infrastructure Security in Cloud Computing“ API and Application Security Vulnerabilities Cyber attacks target frequent cloud-based applications and APIs. It can also result in data exposure and service disruptions if weak security is present in the APIs. Mitigation: Compliance and Legal Vulnerabilities Not complying with regulatory requirements is liable to get you legally and historically fired. Mitigation: How Qualysec Technologies Can Help Penetration testing, vulnerability checking and security consultancy services are some of the services Qualysec Technologies offers for businesses to detect, fix, and deal with security threats. They work with clientele in the financial, healthcare, e-commerce,

cloud computing vulnerabilities

How to Secure Your Cloud Infrastructure Security in the Philippines

The Top 10 Cloud Vulnerabilities in 2025

What is Cloud Security Vulnerability?

Pabitra Kumar Sahoo

Get In Touch

Get a quote

For Free Consultation

Pabitra Kumar Sahoo