Global businesses emphasizing intensified focus on cloud security
A new study by Thales reveals that cloud security is a significant concern for organizations worldwide, with human error and inadequate data encryption being the primary causes of breaches.
According to the Thales 2025 Cloud Security Study, human error, such as misconfiguration and user mistakes, is the leading factor in cloud security breaches, cited by 68% of respondents. Despite improvements in technical controls, these "problems between keyboard and chair" continue to undermine security efforts.
Another major issue is the widening gap in data protection. Although 85% of organizations acknowledge that at least 40% of their cloud data is sensitive, only 8% encrypt 80% or more of their cloud data, leaving a large proportion of sensitive data unencrypted and vulnerable.
The study also highlights the increasing complexity of cloud environments and the rising amount of sensitive data in the cloud. In 2024, 47% of data in the cloud was considered sensitive, which rose to 54% in 2025, further escalating security risks.
Current trends noted by Thales and other IT professionals include a significant strategic shift due to the rapid adoption of AI workloads in the cloud. Security for AI workloads has become the second-highest investment priority, with 52% of organizations prioritizing AI security spending even if it cuts into other security budgets. This shift may introduce new risks by creating foundational gaps elsewhere.
Threats connected to API vulnerabilities and data sovereignty have also gained attention, aligned with the increasing complexity of cloud deployments. The "fast-moving ecosystem" of generative AI is regarded as a significant security concern in the evolving threat landscape.
To address these challenges, Thales offers comprehensive data protection solutions, including file activity monitoring to secure unstructured data and identity and access management solutions to enforce compliance and secure access across cloud services.
The study was released at a time when cloud security is under heightened scrutiny, with reports of attacks on cloud providers such as Snowflake. In the past year, at least 100 Snowflake customer environments have been impacted by attacks, which are linked to the failure to use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
Todd Moore, VP of data security products at Thales, stated that the cloud is not inherently more secure than on-premises and that security is determined by the measures put in place to protect data within the cloud. As cloud use becomes more prevalent, the attack surface and network complexity are increasing, with application sprawl being partially to blame for the increasing complexity of network environments.
Despite the high level of sensitivity, only 10% of organizations have encrypted a significant portion of their data in the cloud, and more than 40% of the surveyed professionals reported that their cloud environments have been breached at some point. Organizations must prioritize strengthening data encryption, managing AI security risks, and enhancing overall cloud security posture to mitigate these challenges effectively.
- The Thales 2025 Cloud Security Study indicates that the cybersecurity industry needs to prioritize strengthening data encryption, as only 10% of organizations have encrypted a significant portion of their data in the cloud.
- The study further emphasizes the importance of investing in AI security, with security for AI workloads becoming the second-highest investment priority for 52% of organizations.
- In the fast-moving fintech landscape, where data-and-cloud-computing is crucial, organizations must focus on enhancing overall cloud security posture to effectively mitigate the rising security risks.
- Thales, a leading provider in cybersecurity solutions, offers comprehensive data protection solutions to secure unstructured data, enforce compliance, and secure access across cloud services, addressing the challenges of cloud security in the industry.
