Half a million devices in Saudi Arabia affected with malware: Microsoft expert

RIYADH: Nearly half a million devices in Saudi Arabia are affected with various types of malwares, as technology shifts to cloud computing, warned a top Microsoft expert. 

Speaking at a session at Riyadh's Global Security Forum on Nov. 10, Microsoft's chief cybersecurity adviser Abbas Kudrati said that a shared responsibility model between the provider and customer is necessary for cybersecurity in the cloud. 

“With a population of 35 million in Saudi Arabia, almost 97 percent have access to the internet. Almost half a million devices within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are affected with various types of malwares,” said Kudrati. 

He added: “If you have to mitigate these half a million devices with your on-premise technology, it is going to be a very hard job. So, if you are using a cloud-based solution for managing them, your life will be much easier.” 

Talking about the risks of cloud technology, Kudrati noted that improper configuration of cloud environments could make users prone to cyberattacks. 

“Cloud will give you agility and flexibility. But, if you have not configured your cloud environment correctly, it will be directly get connected to the internet, and hackers are constantly scanning all the public IP addresses,” he said. 

Kudrati further pointed out that the right governance model and framework are required for managing the cloud in a more secure and better manner. 

For his part, Mark Ryland, director in the office of the chief information security officer at Amazon Web Services said that the cloud is the future and enterprises — both large and small — can reap the benefit of it. 

“Cloud offers several benefits to small and medium-sized enterprises. Using the Cloud platform, you can stay more or less automatically on the cutting edge of technology,” said Ryland. 

He pointed out that adding additional layers of protection is the most effective way to prevent cyber risks in the cloud. 

“You really need to focus a lot on proper identity and access management as a key. Across all environments, we need to improve our network parameters and include additional layers of protection,” he said.