Protect your nonprofit from Google Drive data breach

For years, the world as we know it has transformed to the cloud operating model. No matter where the data sits, there is always a chance for bad actors to breach your data.

As you read, please keep in mind that Apparo is here to help. If you are feeling overwhelmed or simply need some support to tackle these security tips, please visit our Tech Therapy page to learn about about free service to Charlotte nonprofits.

According to Netskope, Google Drive ended 2021 as the most abused cloud storage service for malware downloads. In its “January 2022 Cloud and Threat Report” released Tuesday, Netskope noted that cloud storage apps gained even greater adoption in 2021. For the year, 79% of the customers analyzed used at least one cloud storage app, up from 71% in 2020. The number of cloud storage apps in use also rose. Organizations with 500 to 2,000 employees used 39 different cloud storage apps last year, up from 35 the prior year.

For the year, Google Drive took the top spot from Microsoft OneDrive as the cloud storage app with the greatest number of malicious downloads, accounting for 37% of them. OneDrive fell to second place with 20% of the recorded malware downloads. Rounding out the top five were SharePoint with 9%, Amazon S3 with 6% and GitHub with 3%.

With cloud-based storage apps such a tempting target for exploitation, how can individuals and organizations protect themselves against malicious documents? Netskope offers the following tips:

1. Use single sign-on (SSO) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) for both managed and unmanaged apps. Implement adaptive policy controls for step-up authentication based on user, device, app, data, and activity.
2. Implement multi-layered, inline threat protection for all cloud and web traffic to block malware from reaching your endpoints and to prevent outbound malware communications.
3. Set up granular policy controls to protect your data. Such controls should track and manage data moving to and from apps as well as between your organization and personal instances, including IT, users, websites, devices, and locations.
4. Use cloud data protection to secure sensitive data from internal and external threats across web, email, SaaS, shadow IT and public cloud services. Adopt security posture management for Software as a Service (SaaS) and Identity as a Service (IaaS) models.
5. Set up behavioral analysis to scan for insider threats, data exfiltration, compromised devices and compromised credentials.

Resource: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/google-drive-accounted-for-the-most-malware-downloads-from-cloud-storage-sites-in-2021/