Mr. Eric Akwei, Telecommunications professional and cybersecurity advocate, has said that cloud security is now critical as more than 90% of global businesses rely on cloud computing for data storage and operations, while cloud adoption drives efficiency and accessibility, it also introduces significant cybersecurity risks, says
He cites the IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023, which revealed that misconfigured cloud storage, weak access controls, and lack of encryption were responsible for over 80% of cloud breaches, with each incident costing an average of $4.45 million.
He said these breaches not only impact businesses financially but also threaten regulatory compliance, customer trust, and national security.
Mr. Akwei highlighted key vulnerabilities including unsecured APIs, poor identity and access management, and misconfigured cloud storage, referencing real-world incidents like the 2019 Capital One breach and a 2022 ransomware attack on Microsoft Azure.
He stressed that cloud environments are more complex than traditional infrastructure, increasing the risk of human error and oversight.
To mitigate threats, Mr. Akwei advocated for multi-layered security strategies such as, Least-Privilege Access Controls, Continuous Monitoring with AI, End-to-End Encryption, Zero Trust Frameworks, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM).
He noted that even MFA alone can prevent 99% of account takeovers, per Microsoft’s 2023 Cybersecurity Report.
Meanwhile, advanced techniques like homomorphic encryption and confidential computing are being explored to secure data during processing.
Mr. Akwei emphasized that cloud security must be treated as a business imperative, “as AI-driven tools and threats evolve, organizations must prioritize proactive security to prevent catastrophic breaches, financial penalties, and reputational damage,” he said.
