Cloud adoption is accelerating – but so are hidden security risks, warns Dariel

Cloud adoption is accelerating – but so are hidden security risks, warns Dariel

Johannesburg, South Africa – 20 April 2026 - As organisations continue to move critical systems and data into the cloud at pace, many are discovering that migration alone does not reduce risk – it simply changes where that risk lives. According to Dariel, the real challenge lies in managing the complexity, visibility, and governance that come with modern cloud environments.

“Cloud offers incredible flexibility and scale, but without discipline, it can quickly become a source of uncontrolled exposure rather than resilience,” says Greg Vercelotti, director, Dariel.

Visibility gaps and misconfiguration drive risk

One of the most significant pitfalls organisations face when moving to the cloud is a loss of visibility and governance. Many businesses lack real-time insight into what is running in their environments, who has access, and how resources are configured. This creates blind spots where vulnerabilities can go unnoticed until they become incidents.

Misconfiguration remains one of the leading causes of cloud breaches. Over-permissioned identities, exposed APIs, and unsecured storage can leave sensitive data open to exploitation. Combined with identity sprawl – where access proliferates across users, systems, and integrations – organisations are increasingly exposed to credential-based attacks, now the primary entry point for many cyber threats.

These risks are compounded by the tendency to treat cloud migration as a one-time project rather than an ongoing operational responsibility. Without continuous monitoring, optimisation, and governance, risk accumulates silently over time.

Data security struggling to keep up

Despite rapid cloud adoption, data security strategies are not evolving at the same pace. Businesses are moving data into cloud platforms, SaaS tools, and AI systems faster than they are updating governance frameworks and control mechanisms.

The result is fragmented data environments, inconsistent policies, and limited understanding of where sensitive information resides. As data moves between systems, its accuracy, ownership, and security degrade without continuous oversight. This shift highlights the need for organisations to move away from static, perimeter-based models toward continuous, data-centric protection strategies.

This growing gap between adoption and security reflects a broader industry challenge, where governance and risk management often lag behind digital transformation efforts.

Public cloud amplifies existing risks

The public cloud does not introduce entirely new risks, but it amplifies existing ones through scale and speed. A single misconfiguration can expose vast amounts of data instantly, while limited visibility allows risks to build unnoticed.

Another critical issue is confusion around the shared responsibility model. While cloud providers secure the underlying infrastructure, organisations remain responsible for configurations, access control, and data protection. Misunderstanding this division often leaves critical gaps unaddressed.

Additionally, the dynamic nature of cloud environments leads to sprawl and drift, as resources are constantly created, modified, and abandoned. This expanding attack surface makes it increasingly difficult for security teams to maintain control.

PaaS and IaaS increase complexity and responsibility

Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) models further add to the challenge. While they provide greater flexibility, they also increase responsibility.

With IaaS, organisations must manage everything from the operating system upwards, including patching, network security, and access control – creating a larger margin for error. PaaS reduces some of this burden but introduces complexity through abstracted services and hidden dependencies, where misconfigurations can still expose critical assets.

Both models accelerate the pace of change, with environments continuously evolving. Without centralised visibility and governance, this leads to increased configuration risk, identity complexity, and a rapidly expanding attack surface.

A shift in mindset required

Dariel’s Vercelotti emphasises that cloud security is not purely a technical issue, but a business one. Organisations need to move from viewing cloud as a static solution to treating it as a continuously managed environment.

“Cloud is only as secure as the way it is governed,” adds Vercelotti. “Without ongoing oversight, alignment, and accountability, the same flexibility that enables innovation can just as easily enable risk.”

As cloud adoption continues to grow, the organisations that succeed will be those that combine speed with discipline – ensuring visibility, governance, and security evolve alongside their digital ambitions.

ENDS

About Dariel

Founded in 2001 on the principle of delivering solutions right, the first time, Dariel bridges the gap between human ingenuity and technology. Our strong client partnerships reflect a commitment to excellence and our consultative approach to software engineering makes us a trusted partner for innovative and sustainable tech solutions.

Proudly independent, Dariel is part of the JSE-listed Capital Appreciation Group.

https://www.dariel.co.za/

For more information

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