{"id":12816,"date":"2025-06-23T08:09:40","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T08:09:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hostnoc-revamp.branex.org\/blog\/?p=12816"},"modified":"2026-02-10T12:16:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T12:16:26","slug":"state-of-cloud-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hostnoc-revamp.branex.org\/blog\/state-of-cloud-security\/","title":{"rendered":"Current State of Cloud Security: 7 Shocking Statistics That Will Blow Your Mind"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cloud always has a bad reputation when it comes to security and privacy. The advantages, such as flexibility, scalability, and lower costs, tend to come to the rescue and make up for these security shortcomings. With security and privacy getting top of the business agendas, these advantages will no longer be enough.<\/span><\/p>\n

The laid-back approach businesses take towards cloud security makes matters even worse. That is exactly what Tenable found in their latest report. Interested in learning more about the key findings from the report? You are in the right place.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this article, HOSTNOC will share seven eye-opening statistics regarding the current state of cloud security that will force you to rethink your cloud strategy for 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

7 Shocking Statistics About The Current State of Cloud Security<\/span><\/h2>\n

Here are seven eye-popping statistics about the current state of cloud security that will blow you away.<\/span><\/p>\n

84% of organizations have unused access keys with high-severity excessive permissions<\/span><\/h3>\n

Did you know that a vast majority of organizations have unused or long-standing access keys with excessive permissions? Yes, you read that right. A Tenable study also showed the key role these unused access keys played in identity-based attacks. In addition to this, these keys have also led to data compromises and data breaches. Microsoft email hack and MGM resort data breach are the best examples of these unused access key exploitation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"State<\/p>\n

To minimize the risk, businesses must regularly rotate credentials, avoid using long-lasting access keys, and implement Just-in-Time access mechanisms. Regularly audit and adjust permissions for human and non-human identities to adhere to the principle of least privilege.<\/span><\/p>\n

78% of organizations have publicly accessible Kubernetes API Servers<\/span><\/h3>\n

The situation is not much different when it comes to Kubernetes. The report<\/a> also shows that 78%<\/strong> of organizations have publicly accessible Kubernetes API servers. With Kubernetes playing a key role in managing containerized applications, using cms alarm monitoring<\/a> can help protect sensitive workloads from exposure.<\/span>\u00a0The configuration mistakes behind these exposures are a major issue, making organizations easy targets for malicious actors.<\/span><\/p>\n

74% of organizations have publicly exposed storage<\/span><\/h3>\n

Cloud misconfigurations<\/a> remain a top vulnerability. Publicly exposed storage can leak confidential information, increasing the risk of data breaches and compliance violations. Since cloud breaches often begin with compromised endpoints, organizations should reinforce their device defenses, just as homeowners rely on elite home security systems<\/a> to protect their properties from physical threats. Moonlock antivirus for Mac<\/a> adds an extra layer of protection by detecting threats that could later target critical cloud resources. As organizations ramp up their use of cloud-native applications, the amount of sensitive data they store there also increases, including customer and employee information, as well as business IP. Hackers are motivated to get at such cloud-stored data.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"State<\/p>\n

39% of organizations have a public bucket<\/span><\/h3>\n

With the vast majority of businesses using cloud storage to store critical data, it becomes a prime target for threat actors. With cloud providers and businesses taking little to no steps to protect your data in the cloud, it can easily be stolen by cybercriminals. To make matters worse, businesses don\u2019t use the security features provided by cloud service providers and leave their storage buckets publicly accessible. Public cloud storage buckets allow anyone on the internet to access the data they contain. Even with awareness growing around this issue, a significant portion of companies still leave buckets exposed, creating serious security risks.<\/span><\/p>\n

29% of organizations have public or private buckets with overprivileged access<\/span><\/h3>\n

Even businesses that have set their cloud storage bucket to private end up making the mistake of providing overprivileged access. Malicious threat actors can take advantage of it and gain access to your sensitive business data. Whether public or private, over-privileged access to cloud storage buckets is a common vulnerability. This excessive access opens the door to insider threats and unauthorized external access, leading to potential data theft or corruption. To move beyond ad hoc fixes, evaluate a tool to manage your attack surface<\/a> that continuously discovers internet-exposed assets across your cloud (buckets, Kubernetes APIs, identities), prioritizes misconfigurations and excessive permissions by risk, integrates with ticketing\/CI\/CD for remediation, and includes a 2026 comparison of leading platforms to help you pick the right fit.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"State<\/p>\n

23% of cloud identities on the Hyperscalers have critical or high-severity excessive permissions<\/span><\/h3>\n

Managing cloud identities is essential, but nearly a quarter of organizations fail to restrict permissions adequately. These over-privileged identities create dangerous opportunities for attackers to escalate privileges and compromise systems.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Scott Young, who is Principal Advisory Director at Info Tech Research Group, \u201c<\/span>The high percentage of critical permissions granted to human accounts reflects the natural human inclination towards the path of least resistance; unfortunately, the resistance is meant to be there for a reason. The desire for less friction while working on systems leads to large potential consequences when an account is compromised.<\/b>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

6% of organizations have public buckets with overprivileged access<\/span><\/h3>\n

While 6% may seem small, the combination of public exposure and over-privileged access multiplies the risks, making those organizations particularly vulnerable to malicious exploitation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scott Young shed light on the importance of governance, risk, and compliance highlighted in the Tenable report by saying, \u201cThe <\/strong><\/span>Tenable report shows that in aggregate, we are slow to secure our entry points and protect and control accounts to limit lateral movement, while the cloud makes us easy to find. Without a marked increase in maturing security practices, well-defined processes, and thorough auditing, all coupled with automation and orchestration for speed and consistency, these numbers won\u2019t significantly decrease. In short, this report is a strong argument for a well-run Governance, Risk, and Compliance practice.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/span><\/h2>\n

These statistics highlight the urgent need for stronger cloud security practices<\/a>, including better access management, misconfiguration detection, and constant monitoring. With threats evolving and cloud environments expanding, addressing these vulnerabilities is more important than ever.<\/span><\/p>\n

Did this article help you in understanding the current state of cloud security? Which of these statistics regarding the current state of cloud security shocked you the most? What did you learn from the State of Cloud Security Report? Share it with us in the comments section below.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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