Moving from on-premises applications to cloud applications, such as G Suite, is a big step to becoming a modern enterprise. However, without proper security measures in place, the use of cloud applications can lead to unintended data leakage that may be detrimental to an organization’s success. This is particularly true when it comes to an application like Google Drive, which is commonly used to store and share sensitive information. So, what is a modern enterprise to do?
The first time I saw this graphic I was stunned, and so was the customer! What you are looking at is a view of all the Microsoft Office 365 logins for a large US-based organization after Bitglass was configured as a SAML (security assertion markup language) relay to their identity provider (IDP). All of this organization’s operations are based in the US, so there is no reason that anyone should log in from another country. This tells us that unauthorized users around the world somehow gained access to compromised usernames and passwords and proceeded to use them to log in.
In today’s cloud-first world, employees are sometimes trusted to manage their own projects, giving them freedom to work with the tools of their choosing to complete their tasks. Occasionally, these tools are cloud applications that organizations are not made aware of, making them a security risk that can expose sensitive data. Consequently, organizations have been leveraging a tool called shadow IT discovery. In this way, companies gain insight into what employees are using and how risky these unsanctioned applications truly are.
Shadow IT discovery is important; however, it shouldn’t be the first step to securing your data in the cloud. In our latest Glass Class, we talk about steps that you should prioritize before investigating the unmanaged applications used in your organization. Want to find out more? Watch the latest episode of Glass Class below.
Here are the top cybersecurity stories of recent weeks: