Cloud & Identity Gaps — Still the Weakest Link

Every year, new tools and strategies promise better cybersecurity. And every year, attackers prove they don’t need to outsmart everything — they just need to find the weak link. At Black Hat 2025, one message came through loud and clear: cloud misconfigurations and identity gaps are still the easiest way in.

For mid-market and enterprise organizations alike, the problem isn’t a lack of technology. Its complexity. Multiple cloud environments, overlapping identity systems, and misaligned policies leave attackers with plenty of opportunities to slip through.

Why Cloud & Identity Gaps Persist

Even as security budgets grow, these vulnerabilities keep showing up because:

• Multi-Cloud Sprawl → Many businesses now run AWS, Azure, and SaaS simultaneously, with inconsistent controls.
• Misconfigured Defaults → Identity and access policies are often left at vendor defaults — which attackers already know how to bypass.
• Human Error → Admins and users alike create over-permissioned accounts and missed deprovisions.
• Shadow IT → Teams adopt tools without central oversight, creating unmanaged accounts and unmonitored data flows.

The Business Risk

Cloud and identity weaknesses aren’t just “IT issues” — they’re business risks:

• Data Breach Costs → A single misconfiguration can expose terabytes of sensitive data.
• Operational Disruption → Compromised credentials allow attackers to disable services or manipulate systems.
• Compliance Failures → Missed identity controls undermine frameworks like HIPAA, SOC 2, or GDPR.

For context: 99% of cloud breaches are caused by misconfigurations. That’s not a technical limitation. It’s an execution gap.

How to Close the Gaps

Closing cloud and identity gaps requires discipline and execution, not just another tool. Practical steps include:

1. Continuous Identity Posture Management → Audit who has access to what, and remove excess permissions immediately.
2. Multi-Factor Authentication Everywhere → Not just for admins — for every account that touches sensitive data.
3. Configuration Baselines → Define secure settings and enforce them consistently across all cloud platforms.
4. Deprovisioning Discipline → Automate offboarding so old accounts don’t become backdoors.
5. Central Oversight → Consolidate identity management where possible to reduce fragmentation.

The D9 Perspective

At D9, we see identity and cloud risks as execution problems, not just technology problems. Security tools already exist — but if they’re not configured and monitored properly, they don’t matter. Our job is to close execution gaps, unify controls across environments, and build security into the foundation rather than bolt it on later.

The weakest link doesn’t have to stay weak. With the right execution, identity becomes the strongest defense instead of the biggest risk.

👉 Are your cloud and identity settings leaving doors open? Schedule a Free Security Assessment and find out before someone else does.