This document discusses the top threats facing organizations that use cloud and SaaS applications, including data loss, exposure, inaccessibility, and compliance breaches. Several industry reports found that the majority of data loss in the cloud is caused by user error rather than issues with cloud providers. If not addressed, data loss and exposure can significantly impact organizations through lost revenue, replacement costs, and reputational damage. The document recommends that organizations implement cloud data backup and recovery applications, enforce security policies, and use data loss prevention to protect their data in the cloud.

1. Top Threats Facing Organizations
Cloud / SaaS Data
Executive Briefing

2. Numerous Threats to
Data and Business Continuity
Data Loss : Deletion or corruption of
data that can not be recovered
Exposure : Unauthorized access to
sensitive information
Inaccessibility : Unable to access to
critical data due to outage
Compliance Breach: Failure to comply
with federal or industry data regulations

3. What Are The Experts Saying?
CLOUD SECURITY ALLIANCE
The Top Nine Threats to Cloud Computing
#1 : Data Breaches and Leakage
#2 : Data Loss
THE ABERDEEN GROUP
SaaS Data Loss: The Problem You Didn’t Know You Had
32% of companies have lost data in the cloud
SYMANTEC
Avoiding the Hidden Costs of the Cloud
66% of organizations that lost data were unsuccessful in
recovering information

4. Devastating Effects of Data Loss and Exposure
The impact from lost data or exposure
can cripple an organization:
● Loss of revenue due to missing data
● Cost of data replacement / wasted time
● Tarnished brand / reputation
● Repercussions due to policy breach

5. “My Data is Safe, I’m on Google”
Google Apps is extremely
reliable and provides:
● Physical security around data
● Protection against data loss
related to infrastructure
● Settings to allow users to set
data privacy levels

6. Risk to Data Due to Users Not Google
Research found the following risks:
● Over 60% of data loss in Google Apps is
caused by user action or error
● Almost 40% of organizations have had
sensitive data exposed in the cloud
● 8% have lost data due to malicious means
● 3% have seen data deleted or corrupted
by third-party applications

7. Summary
● Multiple threats exists to cloud data
● Organizations affected are widespread
● It’s not the cloud providers that pose risk
● Most loss is caused by users, authorized
apps or malicious act
● Impact to business can be severe

8. Steps You Can Take to Protect and
Secure your Organization’s Google Apps Data
● Use of cloud data backup and recovery applications
to protect data regardless of the root cause
● Implement your corporate security policies to keep
sensitive data private to only authorized or intended
parties
● Leverage data loss protection applications to limit
exposure of PII and sensitive information
● Choose tools that are proactive, automated and
operate continuously without constant intervention