A new survey has found that access from the dark web is a concern for 32% of IT leaders in enterprises across Ireland.
The Auxilion survey - carried out by Censuswide - also reveals what IT leaders view as the security risks associated with cloud computing.
The top five were ransomware/malware attacks (33%), data loss and or theft (33%), access from the dark web (32%), account hijacking (31%) and phishing/social engineering attacks (29%).
Meanwhile, 27% of IT leaders see a lack of staff awareness as a cybersecurity risk associated with cloud computing while 26% cited human error as a threat.
Some 23% also said malicious insiders were major security risks to their companies.
Auxilion said its study shows that configuring cloud properly and securely is proving to be a challenge for 40% of enterprises, with 47% of respondents admitting that IT security risks are a main concern around cloud adoption and management.
Another 29% said they have limited or no visibility of their workloads in the cloud.
But 27% of IT leaders say they are using cloud computing to enhance their organisation's security standing, while 24% said they have documented workflows so cloud security incidents are responded to consistently.
22% of IT leaders who took part in the survey also said they have a standardised and automated incident response strategy in place for incidents.
Donal Sullivan, the chief technology officer of Auxilion, said that the cloud has the potential to transform how a business operates, while also benefitting productivity, security and growth.
"However, the IT foundations and skills need to be in place for organisations to realise and capitalise on the potential of cloud. If they are not, businesses will lose out on the value of cloud and also leave themselves open to risk," Mr Sullivan said.
He cautioned that the threat landscape is more sophisticated and relentless than ever, with attacks coming from various directions and through different channels.
"Combined with a hybrid workforce, companies need to ensure their IT infrastructure and strategy is resilient," he advised.
"For some, that means establishing a more coherent cloud security incident response strategy. For others, it means outsourcing to an expert partner," he said.
"Companies must therefore identify not only the cloud infrastructure and approach that works for them but also any skills gaps or additional solutions they need. In turn, they can make a success of - and drive success with - cloud," he added.
