How Secure Is Cloud Storage?

Cloud transformation is well underway at many organizations. 

But many are still concerned about the security of the data they’re migrating to the cloud. 

We hear that. 

80% of companies have experienced at least one cloud security incident in the past year.  

However, what the statistics don't tell you is that most cloud security failures aren't about the cloud itself.

So, how secure is cloud storage, really? 

Let’s find out. 

Key Takeaways

• Cloud storage tends to be more secure than on-premises when properly managed — most "cloud" security failures are actually configuration mistakes
• Hybrid cloud configurations give security-conscious organizations the control they want with the scalability they need
• Cloud providers protect infrastructure, but your organization owns data protection and recovery—backup strategies are non-negotiable
• Cloud storage delivers superior security with the right implementation, configuration, and expert guidance

How Secure Is Cloud Storage?

At the end of the day, cloud storage is pretty secure—especially when compared to traditional on-premises solutions. The numbers tell a compelling story that challenges common misconceptions about cloud vulnerability.

Is Public or Private Cloud Storage More Secure?

When we talk about cloud storage, there are essentially two main approaches: public clouds (like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud), where you share infrastructure with other organizations, and private clouds, where you have dedicated infrastructure either on your premises or hosted separately for your exclusive use.

The security performance varies between these cloud infrastructures. 

In general, private clouds tend to have fewer security incidents (at least according to the research) than public ones, often because you have more control over configurations and support. Last year, 19% of private clouds experienced incidents compared to 27% with public clouds. 

To put this into perspective, consider the security incidents associated with traditional storage infrastructure. On-premise environments actually face higher rates of certain attacks—37% experienced ransomware and malware attacks compared to only 19% of cloud environments.

How Can The Cloud Be So Secure?

The reasons why the cloud is rather stalwart are numerous. 

Major cloud service providers invest billions annually in security measures that most individual organizations could never afford to implement on their own. These include:

• 24/7 security monitoring
• Advanced threat detection systems
• Regular security audits
• Teams of dedicated security professionals. 

According to IBM's latest security research, cloud environments benefit from faster patch deployment, automated security updates, and consistent security policies that eliminate many of the human errors that plague traditional IT environments.

The key insight? Cloud isn't inherently less secure than on-prem—it's about the right implementation and ongoing management and cybersecurity awareness training to ward against common threats. 

Cloud providers also deliver continuous security updates and patches automatically, ensuring your systems stay protected against the latest threats without requiring your IT team to manually manage updates across dozens or hundreds of servers.

The Security Risks of Cloud Storage

All that said, no technology is perfect or "hack-proof." Cloud storage, like any technology infrastructure, faces legitimate security challenges that organizations need to understand and address.

Data Breaches

Data breaches remain a significant concern. 

72% of data breaches involved cloud-stored information, highlighting that as more data moves to the cloud, it becomes an increasingly attractive target for cybercriminals. 

When sensitive customer information, financial records, or intellectual property is compromised, the consequences can be harsh for both organizations and the individuals whose data is exposed.

Common Cyberattacks 

Attacks from bad actors continue to evolve in sophistication. Phishing was the most prevalent cloud security breach in 2024, affecting 73% of organizations. Cybercriminals use social engineering to trick employees into revealing credentials or downloading malicious software. 

Ransomware attacks have also surged this year, with attackers specifically targeting cloud-stored data to maximize their impact and ransom demands.

As always, the human element introduces additional vulnerabilities. Even the most secure cloud infrastructure can be compromised through employee mistakes, weak passwords, or insufficient security training. These risks underscore why a "set it and forget it" approach to cloud security simply doesn't work.

Why The Cloud Still Tends To Be More Secure Than On-Prem

Despite these risks, the cloud consistently demonstrates superior security performance compared to traditional on-premises infrastructure, and the reasons are both practical and compelling.

User Error 

When we look at security breaches in the cloud, the common denominator is nearly always human error. 

23% of cloud security incidents result from cloud misconfiguration, which means the vast majority of cloud security problems stem from implementation errors, not inherent cloud vulnerabilities. 

Gartner expects that 99% of cloud security failures through 2025 will be the responsibility of the client, not the cloud infrastructure itself.

Security at Scale

We mentioned this briefly earlier, but professional security expertise operates at scale in cloud environments. 

Major cloud providers employ thousands of dedicated security professionals— more cybersecurity experts than most individual organizations could ever hire or afford. These teams monitor threats 24/7, respond to emerging vulnerabilities, and continuously update security protocols across millions of servers simultaneously.

Plus, most enable automatic security updates. While your on-premises systems might wait weeks or months for security patches to be tested and deployed, cloud providers push security updates immediately across their entire infrastructure. This speed difference often means the gap between vulnerability discovery and protection shrinks from weeks to hours. 

Strong Infrastructure

The infrastructure advantage in the cloud is significant. 

Cloud data centers feature redundant power systems, advanced fire suppression, biometric access controls, and physical security measures that far exceed what most organizations maintain in their own facilities. 

When your on-premises server room floods or loses power, your data becomes inaccessible. Cloud providers maintain multiple geographically distributed data centers specifically to prevent such single points of failure.

What About Hybrid Cloud Network Configurations?

Organizations are discovering that they don't have to choose between the control of on-premises infrastructure and the flexibility of public cloud—hybrid cloud configurations offer a nice compromise.

The numbers support this trend. 

54% of organizations have adopted hybrid cloud models to optimize flexibility and control. This approach allows organizations to keep sensitive data and critical applications on-premises while leveraging public cloud resources for scalability, disaster recovery, and less sensitive workloads.

There are two big reasons driving this adoption: security and flexibility. 

First, organizations gain granular control over where specific data types are stored and processed, enabling them to meet strict compliance requirements while still benefiting from cloud economics and innovation.

The flexibility advantage is also significant. During peak demand periods, hybrid environments can seamlessly scale into public cloud resources, then return to baseline on-premises operations when demand normalizes. This approach optimizes both cost and performance while maintaining security control over your most critical assets.

For all the good they can do, it’s important to note that hybrid environments require specialized expertise to implement and manage effectively. The complexity of managing security policies across multiple environments, ensuring consistent data protection, and maintaining seamless connectivity demands experience that most internal IT teams simply don't have.

5 Practical Steps to Secure Your Cloud Data Today

Moving to the cloud doesn't have to feel overwhelming when you focus on the fundamentals that deliver the biggest security impact. Here are the essential steps that will dramatically improve your cloud security posture.

1. Shore Up Access Control 

Start with strong identity and access management. Since most cloud security failures come down to human intervention, controlling who has access to what becomes your first line of defense. 

Implement multi-factor authentication for all cloud accounts, regularly audit user permissions, and follow the principle of least privilege—giving users only the minimum access they need to perform their jobs. Remove access immediately when employees change roles or leave the organization.

2. Create a Configuration Plan

Address the configuration challenge head-on. 

Use cloud security posture management tools to continuously scan for misconfigurations, ensure all storage buckets are properly secured, and establish configuration standards that get applied consistently across your environment.

3. Build a Backup Plan

Implement comprehensive backup and disaster recovery strategies. 

Here's a critical misconception: 43% of IT decision-makers falsely believe that cloud providers are responsible for protecting and recovering public cloud data. The reality is that cloud providers maintain the infrastructure, but you're responsible for your data. 

Establish automated backups that follow the 3-2-1 rule (three copies of data, on two different media, with one copy offsite), test your recovery procedures regularly, and ensure your backups are protected from the same threats that might compromise your primary data.

4. Implement Hearty Data Encryption

Encrypt data both in transit and at rest. Encryption ensures that even if data is accessed by unauthorized parties, it remains unreadable and useless to them.

5. Conduct Team Training

Train your team on cloud-specific security practices. Since phishing remains the top attack vector, regular security awareness training tailored to cloud environments becomes essential. 

Focus on recognizing social engineering attempts, proper password management, and the unique security responsibilities that come with cloud computing.

Consider partnering with experienced cloud security professionals who can help you implement these practices effectively and maintain them as your cloud environment evolves.

Secure Your Cloud Storage with Expert Guidance

The evidence is clear: cloud storage is secure when properly configured, managed, and protected. 

Organizations need trusted partners to navigate this complexity successfully. SymQuest's managed cloud services eliminate the guesswork by providing the specialized knowledge, continuous monitoring, and proactive management that keep your data protected. 

Whether you're planning your first cloud migration, optimizing an existing deployment, or implementing a hybrid strategy that balances security with innovation, our team ensures your cloud storage delivers both the security and performance your organization demands.

Don't let cloud security concerns hold back your digital transformation. Contact SymQuest today to discover how our cloud security expertise can help you make the most of your data infrastructure.