CSA launches ‘handbook’ to guide SMEs on cloud cybersecurity risks

It provides steps to fight cyber attacks and cloud-based role training.

The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) and the Cloud Security Alliance of Singapore have introduced two new Cloud Security Companion Guides to serve as a vital handbook on the safety and security of cloud computing.

With 27% of Singaporean businesses using cloud applications and services in 2022, the two institutions’ guides included insights from cloud service providers, like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud and Microsoft, and perspectives from customers and statistics. 

They also supplied provider-specific guides, based on measures from Cyber Essentials and Cyber Trust marks.

With the rise of cloud adoption, cybercriminals have been gradually attacking the cloud environments of organisations and small-medium enterprises (SMEs) over the last two years. Through the guides, cloud customers can better grasp the risks and responsibilities of cloud usage, especially on the necessary steps to prevent any attempts from cybercriminals.

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The guides also include employee training on operating their cloud-based roles securely and monitoring the inventory of its cloud services. Instructions specifically for SMEs showed a shared responsibility model to help businesses and organisations understand their own areas of responsibility, giving a clarification between cybersecurity and cloud deployment.

Through shared responsibility for cloud security, organisations and normal cloud users are given awareness of any incident or case of cybercrime.

“These companion guides are intended to help enterprises be cyber safe when using the cloud and help them achieve the Cyber Essentials and Cyber Trust marks,” Dan Yock Hau, Assistant Chief Executive of CSA, said.

“In doing so, their customers will have greater peace of mind when transacting with them. It will be a win-win situation for both enterprises and their customers,” added Dan.

The guides are available on the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore’s website for free browsing.