Former NSA chief: Cloud presents new cybersecurity challenges

{mosads}Hayden argues the accumulation of a massive amount of data makes cloud providers an attractive target for cyberattacks, raising the potential cost and damage for a breach and resulting in financial and legal liability. He also noted the importance of providers screening for insider threats.

“Breaches in the cloud could be more catastrophic than breaches in discreet networks or systems. Overstating the threat only slightly, the difference is between breaking into an individual home and breaking into a large, theoretically secure building filled with unlocked condominiums,” Hayden said.

But he also notes that cloud providers can afford to implement security practices and principles that would be too costly for individuals or small groups of users, meaning the transition also has the potential to significantly increase overall network security for most users.