Compromised credentials are frequently being used in enterprise cloud apps, putting sensitive business information at risk, according to a report released today by cloud app analytics company Netskope.
The report says as many as 15 percent of corporate users have had their account credentials stolen. Since many users reuse the same credentials across multiple accounts, that can leave data stored in the cloud unsecure.
“Employees today have shifted from thinking of apps as a nice-to-have to a must-have, and CISOs must continue to adapt to that trend to secure their sensitive corporate and customer data across all cloud apps, including those unsanctioned by IT,” Netskope CEO Sanjay Beri said in a statement.
In the last quarter of 2014, the number of apps being used jumped from 579 apps per organization to 613. Unfortunately, Netskope’s Cloud Confidence Index classified 88 percent of the apps as not enterprise ready. The index is a database of more than 5,000 cloud apps that are evaluated on 40-plus enterprise-readiness criteria adapted from the Cloud Security Alliance, including security, auditability and business continuity.
Additionally, the report found more than 20 percent of organizations in the Netskope cloud actively use more than 1,000 cloud apps and eight percent of files in corporate-sanctioned cloud storage apps are in violation of data leak prevention (DLP) policies, including PHI, PCI, PII, source code, and other policies covering confidential or sensitive data. According to the report, “the five cloud app categories with the highest volume of policy violations include Cloud Storage, Webmail, CRM and SFA, Social, and Collaboration.”
While apps are frequently used in most areas of business, the top three categories are marketing, collaboration, and human resources.
The report also included a caution about the number of files being shared with outside organizations. According to the company, “Twenty five percent of all files are shared with one or more people outside of the organization; 40 percent are shared within the organization and 35 percent are private. Of external users who have links to content, nearly 12 percent have access to 100 files or more.”
To download the Netskope Cloud Report click here .
[ image courtesy of Netskope ]